Music scores and sound recordings: Music databases tips
Music research databases
Music books, journal articles and theses are a good place to discover music repertoire or to identify particular editions and manuscripts for analysis and performance practice. These are also good places to identify particular performers or performances when searching for recordings.
OneSearch is the best place to start searching for music-related journal articles, book chapters, newspaper articles and videos. Using OneSearch will search across a number of databases at one time.
However, the content in many of our Music-specific subscription databases are not indexed by OneSearch, so any unique content in these databases (articles, book chapters, theses, etc.) will not be discovered in OneSearch. You will need to search directly within these databases. A core selection of these databases are listed below, with some information on how best to use them.
Go to the Find databases page to browse through the full list of subject-specific databases.
Think of a database as a collection of online journal articles and resources.
OneSearch results for online articles, books and videos, etc. provide links that go to databases in which the full text or videos are hosted.
You can also search directly within a database.
Why search in a database as well as OneSearch?
- Subject-specific databases can give you more targeted results relevant to your search topic.
- Many databases have more nuanced search options.
- Some databases don't have their resources discoverable in OneSearch.
Go to the Find databases page to browse through a list of subject-specific databases.
Types of databases
Some databases provide good full-text coverage allowing you to link directly to the full article or book within the database platform.
Others are indexing databases - they help you to find information through the indexing only of titles and abstracts and will generally link you directly to a "Find It@UWA" link button to help you to identify where you can get full-text online or print access.
Postgraduate students and staff can place Get It requests for any resources the library doesn’t own or subscribe to.
Core music databases explained
- Grove Music OnlineGrove is usually the starting point for most music research.
Works lists are located at the end of each composer entry. These Works lists can include original titles, work numbers, key, instrumentation and other important information that will assist in finding music scores in library catalogues and archives.
Grove Music Online is the digitised version of the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 2nd ed. which is located in the Reid Library Reference Collection (780.3 2001 NEW).
Online access is limited to maximum of 9 concurrent users.
Content from this database is not indexed in OneSearch. - RILM Abstracts of Music LiteratureThis is an essential resource for any postgraduate literature review, and includes content from around the world and in many languages.
A comprehensive music bibliography featuring citations, abstracts, and indexes of articles, book chapters, conference papers, theses, etc. Contains records on traditional music, popular music, and classical music. Coverage of all document types begins in 1966. Coverage of Conference Proceedings goes back to 1835.
Titles and Abstracts are translated to English.
Content from this database is not indexed in OneSearch. - ProQuest Arts Premium CollectionOne of the sub-databases in the ProQuest Arts Premium Collection is the Music & Performing Arts Collection. This resource combines cross-searchable, seminal bibliographies in music and performing arts, with full-text from hundreds of journals. Both source bibliographies, International Index to Music periodicals and International Index to Performing Arts, take a global approach to their inclusion criteria. Topics range from musicology to the blues, and from theatre to broadcast arts. With approximately two million records, this resource is continuously updated to reflect new scholarship.
- RIPM : retrospective index to music periodicals (full text)RIPM provides annotated indexes to the content of complete runs of music journals published in 17 countries between approximately 1800 and 1950.
Content from this database is not indexed in OneSearch. - RISM Series A/II: Music Manuscripts after 1600 (1600-1800)RISM comprehensively documents musical scores of manuscripts or printed music - as well as on music theory and libretti - from more than 22 500 composers that are stored in libraries, archives, monasteries, schools and private collections in 32 countries.
Visit the RISM YouTube Channel for more videos on how to search the RISM catalogue. - RIdIM (Répertoire International d‘Iconographie Musicale)The RIdIM Database, developed by Association RIdIM, is designed to facilitate discovery of music, dance, theatre and opera iconography images by registered researchers, and the description of such images by registered cataloguers. The database is web-based and platform independent, and access is free of charge to scholars affiliated with academic institutions, galleries, museums, etc., as well as independent researchers.
- Oxford Bibliographies OnlineClick on the 'Browse by Subject' link to select Music. These peer-reviewed annotated bibliographies on musicology and ethnomusicology provides invaluable research guides to composers and important music genres.
Content from this database is not indexed in OneSearch. - IPA SourceIPA Source contains International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) transcriptions and literal translations of opera arias and art song texts. The goal of IPA Source is to promote the comprehension and accurate pronunciation of foreign language texts in art song and opera in order that the singer may imbue each syllable with the appropriate emotional content. Translations into English from multiple languages.
Content from this database is not indexed in OneSearch. - Orchestral Music OnlineOrchestral Music Online is the most recent iteration of David Daniels's classic repertoire reference work used by conductors, orchestras, musicians, and musicologists. This online version, based on the critically acclaimed fourth edition of the printed reference work Orchestral Music: A Handbook (2005, Scarecrow Press), provides greater and easier access to more information on composers and works, and publisher links.
You can conduct nuanced searches for repertoire, based on criteria such as instrumentation, types of orchestra, types of choirs, duration of the work.
Content from this database is not indexed in OneSearch.
Finding music theses online
- RILM Abstracts of Music LiteratureThis is an essential resource for finding music theses and dissertations from around the world and in many languages. Titles and Abstracts are translated to English.
Content from this database is not indexed in OneSearch.
Music theses databases on the web (not listed in OneSearch)
- MSA Australia and New Zealand Postgraduate Music Research Thesis Register This link opens in a new windowThis Register, designed, populated and maintained for the Musicological Society of Australia, spans the period 1917 to the present day
- Doctoral dissertations in musicology-online This link opens in a new windowDDM-Online is an international database of bibliographic records for completed dissertations and new dissertation topics in the fields of musicology, music theory, and ethnomusicology, as well as in related musical, scientific, and humanistic disciplines.
- BAMER Database of Music Education ThesesThe 'Bibliography of Australian Music Education Research' Project 1936-2012/13
- Archive of dissertation abstracts in music This link opens in a new windowRoyal Holloway archive contains abstracts of both completed dissertations and those in progress.
- MTO: dissertation index This link opens in a new windowAll dissertation listings posted in Music Theory Online.
- DMS: Dissertationsmeldgestelle der Gesellschaft fur Musikforschung This link opens in a new windowIndex to German, Austrian and Swiss music dissertations.
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