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MUS 511: Foundations and Methods of Musicology I

Choosing a Music-Specific Database

Choosing a database can be overwhelming! Here are a few best bets with a brief description of their specialties and strengths. If you're researching a topic that crosses multiple disciplines (like world music or acoustics and physics of music) check out our page on Interdisciplinary Resources for additional recommendations. As always, if you're not sure where to start, ask a librarian!

Here are a few quick tips for navigating our list of recommended databases:

  • Consider the time period your topic covers - some databases will be better for contemporary topics and others for historical topics. Check the time period each database covers before searching.
  • Think about what kind of information you need. Are you looking for popular sources or scholarly ones? Do you specifically need performance reviews?
  • Check out the database descriptions below to choose the database that best fits your topic. Remember that if you select an EBSCO or ProQuest database, you can use the cross-searching feature to search multiple databases at once!

For a more exhaustive list than the one below, check out the full list of music databases UIUC subscribes to.

Best Bets

Music Databases at a Glance

Check out our video for a walk through of our different music-specific databases and how to navigate them!