Research Guides: Music Subject Guide: Key Library e-Resources

Reference sources

Reference sources are works like encyclopedias and dictionaries that you can refer to for confirmed facts. They are very useful when you need an introduction to a topic you have not studied before. Here are some recommended reference sources for music:

Oxford Music Online This link opens in a new window
Leading online reference work for music research, covering all aspects of music.
Formerly known as Grove Music Online and includes all content from that resource.

Dates covered: Various
Concurrent users: 6
Provider: Oxford University Press
Full-text: Yes
Music Online: Classical Music Reference Library This link opens in a new window
Brings together over 40,000 pages of essential reference materials covering the entire history of Western classical music.
Dates covered: 1985 - 2010
Concurrent users: Unlimited
Provider: Alexander Street
Full-text: Yes
Daniel's Orchestral Music Online (formerly Orchestral Music Online) This link opens in a new window
Based on David Daniels’ reference work Orchestral Music: A Handbook, this database provides access to information on more than 7,000 works by nearly 1,000 composers.
Dates covered: Various
Concurrent users: 1
Full-text: Citation information only
Music Online: The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music This link opens in a new window
A comprehensive online reference work covering music research of all the world’s peoples. Includes over 9,000 pages of materials contributed by 700 international experts. Written entries are complemented by hundreds of audio examples.
Dates covered: Various
Concurrent users: Unlimited
Provider: Alexander Street Press
Full-text: Yes

Journals

Journal databases

Journal databases are specialized search tools containing information about reliable, published works. Below are links to the Library's subject databases relevant to music:

Music Index This link opens in a new window
Comprehensive guide to the music periodical literature, covering both classical and popular music.
Dates covered: 1970 - Current
Concurrent users: Unlimited
Provider: EBSCOhost
Full-text: Some
Music Periodicals Database This link opens in a new window
Indexes periodicals covering all aspects of music, including music education, instruments, various musical genres, music therapy, ethnomusicology, and more.
Dates covered: 1874 - Current
Concurrent users: Unlimited
Provider: ProQuest
Full-text: Some
RILM Abstracts of Music Literature with Full Text This link opens in a new window
A comprehensive music bibliography of over 760,000 records covering traditional music, popular music, and classical music. Journal articles, books, conference papers, and more are indexed. The full text of more than 200 periodicals is included.
Dates covered: Early 20th Century - Current
Concurrent users: Unlimited
Provider: EBSCOhost
Full-text: Some
CNKI 中國期刊全文數據庫 China Academic Journals Full-text Database This link opens in a new window
收錄了中國出版的數千種期刊，圖書館購買了以下6個全文專輯：
哲學與人文科學, 1915 - Current
政治軍事與法律, 2000 - Current
教育與社會科學綜合, 2000 - Current
經濟與管理科學, 2000 - Current
醫藥衛生科技, 1915 - Current
電子技術及信息科學, 2018 - Current
Articles from core academic journals published in Mainland China. The Library subscribes to the following 6 subsets:
Philosophy & Humanities, 1915 - Current
Political Sciences, Military, & Law, 2000 - Current
Education & Social Sciences, 2000 - Current
Economics & Management, 2000 - Current
Health & Medicine, 1915 - Current
Electronic Technology & Information Science, 2018 - Current

Reminders:
1. The latest version of Acrobat Reader (with Chinese Simplified font pack) or CAJViewer is recommended for viewing the full text of articles.
2. For users of CAJViewer, a Traditional Chinese Version of Windows is recommended.

Dates covered: Various
Concurrent users: Unlimited
Provider: CNKI
Full-text: Yes

Online scores

Online scores offer 24/7 access to public domain and some copyrighted scores. You can print them out but not download or save them for later use.

Music Online: Classical Scores Library This link opens in a new window
Comprehensive collection of over 25,000 music scores, including full, study, piano, and vocal scores, plus piano reductions
Dates covered: Medieval - Current
Concurrent users: Unlimited
Provider: Alexander Street
Full-text: Yes
nkoda This link opens in a new window
This digital music score application provides access to millions of pages of scores from the world’s leading publishers, including Bärenreiter, Boosey & Hawkes, Breitkopf & Härtel, Faber and Casa Ricordi.

Users can browse, download and mark up the scores. From solo piano scores to orchestral hire materials, all content can be accessed on your phone, tablet, or desktop.
Dates covered: Varies
Concurrent users: 10
Provider: nkoda Limited

An unlimited number of Registered Users can be authorized, however no more than 10 may access the content at any time.

Online Music

Online music

Online music offers 24/7 streaming audio recordings of classical and jazz music. Many include useful info from accompany booklets of CDs. Particularly useful if you are looking to listen to a wide variety of interpretations of your repertoire before rehearsals or lessons.

Naxos Music Library This link opens in a new window
A huge online collection focused on classical music - over 2.3 million tracks. Along with classical music, jazz, world, and pop/rock are also represented.
Dates covered: Various
Concurrent users: 7
Provider: Naxos Digital Services
Music Online: Smithsonian Global Sound for Libraries This link opens in a new window
This is an online collection of the world’s musical and aural traditions. The 45,000+ tracks cover a variety of genres including American Folk, Blues, Bluegrass, Old Time Country, American Indian, World, Jazz, Spoken Word & Sounds, and Children’s.
Dates covered: Various
Concurrent users: Unlimited
Provider: Alexander Street Press