Introduction
This page includes resources for finding articles about electronic and digital music. We've included some suggested article databases below as well as recommendations of specific publications to check out in the next box. For more information about searching for and accessing scholarly articles through the Library, check our our guide linked below.
- Finding Journal Articles for Music ResearchThis guide is an introduction (or a refresher) to searching for, accessing, and evaluating articles for music research.
Suggested Databases
The best place to find scholarly articles is in one of the library's databases. The University of Illinois subscribes to over a thousand different databases that can help you access the content you need. It can be overwhelming to know how to start searching, so we've pulled out a list of recommendations to get you started.
- Music Periodicals Database This link opens in a new windowA database with full-text and abstracts of articles on music. Includes indexing for music articles and obituaries from the New York Times and The Washington Post. Covers nearly all aspects of music, including scholarly studies and popular trends. Coverage: 1874 - present.
- RILM Abstracts of Music Literature This link opens in a new window
Alternate version: RILM Abstracts of Music Literature in the classic EBSCO user interface (best for exporting more than 50 results or combining saved searches). RILM Abstracts of Music Literature is a comprehensive bibliography on writings about music featuring citations, abstracts and indexes. It covers nearly one and a half million publications from around the world on traditional music, popular music, jazz, classical music and related subjects. Coverage begins in the early 19th century and extends to the present.
- Music Index This link opens in a new window
Alternate version: Music Index in the classic EBSCO user interface (best for exporting more than 50 results or combining saved searches). Contains cover-to-cover indexing and abstracts for every aspect of the classical and popular world of music including musicological and organological topics, as well as book reviews, record reviews, first performances, and obituaries from more than 850 music periodicals from over 40 countries.
- Entertainment Industry Magazine Archive This link opens in a new windowAn archival research resource containing the essential primary sources for studying the history of the film and entertainment industries, from the era of vaudeville and silent movies through to 2000. The core US and UK trade magazines covering film, music, broadcasting and theater are all included, together with film fan magazines and music press titles. Magazines have been scanned cover-to-cover in high-resolution color, with granular indexing of all articles, covers, ads and reviews.
Selected Journals & Magazines
- New SoundNew Sound International Journal of Music is a peer reviewed open access academic periodical published by the Department of Musicology of the Faculty of Music in Belgrade.
- Journal of New Music Research (Formerly called "Interface")The Journal of New Music Research (JNMR) publishes material which increases our understanding of music and musical processes by systematic, scientific and technological means. Articles deal with theory, analysis, composition, performance, uses of music, instruments and other music technologies.
- Perspectives of New MusicPerspectives of New Music is an international professional journal. Published material includes theoretical research, analyses, technical reports, position papers by composers, sociological and philosophical articles, interviews, reviews, and, for special purposes, short musical scores or other creative productions.
- Organised SoundOrganised Sound is an international peer-reviewed journal which focuses on the rapidly developing methods and issues arising from the use of technology in music today. It concentrates upon the impact which the application of technology is having upon music in a variety of genres, including multimedia, performance art, sound sculpture and music ranging from popular idioms to experimental electroacoustic composition.
- Computer Music JournalPublished continuously since 1977, Computer Music Journal covers a wide range of topics related to digital audio signal processing and electroacoustic music.
- Dancecult (Open Access)Dancecult is a peer-reviewed, open-access e-journal for the study of electronic dance music culture (EDMC). A platform for interdisciplinary scholarship on the shifting terrain of EDMCs worldwide, the journal houses research exploring the sites, technologies, sounds and cultures of electronic music in historical and contemporary perspectives.
- The Journal of Film MusicThe Journal of Film Music publishes original articles and reviews that address any aspect of film music.
- The SoundtrackPublishes articles on the study of the soundtrack as a unified and coherent entity of aural and visual elements.
- Film Score Monthly"FSM Online" provides new interviews with prominent composers, insightful film score reviews, commentary, retrospectives and more. Between the new FSM Online content, and the archived print articles, FSM offers an historical invaluable body of work about this neglected art form. FilmScoreMonthly.com also features free content, primarily "Film Score Daily," a news and information column which was founded at the time of the website in May 1997.
- Computer MusicTests the latest computer music products and offers tutorials on the most current software, enabling computer owners to develop their musical interests and expertise.
- Electronic MusicianPresents articles and product news for the music and recording industry.