Oxford LibGuides: Music: Databases

Introduction

Using databases makes it easier to search for content on a particular subject. Some databases will have full-text access to resources while others offer abstracting or indexing services, or give an overview of a field of enquiry. Oxford's subscription databases can be accessed through SOLO or Databases A-Z. If you are new to SOLO we recommend visiting the 'How to' guides at the link below.

How to guides
Find information on how to use our key resource discovery tools, library services and more.

The page below showcases popular databases used for the study of music. See the Online Resources tab for more. It is recommended that you engage with databases relevant to your subject so that you become familiar with the different features offered. Such features include:

Thesauri.
Bibliographies.
Sophisticated searching, including Boolean operators, filters, wildcards, truncation, fuzzy searches, proximity searches and command line searches.
Citation tools and bibliometrics.

Databases

Oxford subscribes to a large number of bibliographic databases and these can be found by title or by a subject search in Database A-Z.

Database recommendations

If there is an eresource useful to your work that Oxford does not subscribe to, you can make a recommendation by completing the form below (Single-Sign On required).

Recommend a purchase
If a book or other resource you need is not held by the libraries, we are happy to try to source or purchase this for you. We accept recommendations from University students and staff.

Oxford Music Online (Grove)

Oxford Music Online
Among the most comprehensive online reference resources for all aspects of music, Oxford Music Online is the gateway to Grove Music Online, and also allows searching of The Oxford Dictionary of Music and The Oxford Companion to Music.

For help on understanding and using Grove online, see:

Grove Music Online Users' Guide

MGG (Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart)

MGG
Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart (MGG) is a general encyclopedia of music. offering in-depth articles on every aspect of music as well as many related areas such as literature, philosophy, and visual arts. With Google-Translate built in, its use is no longer restricted to German speakers.
more...less...
MGG Online contains the second print edition of MGG, published from 1994 to 2008, as well as current, continuous online updates and additions.

Oxford Bibliographies

Oxford Bibliographies
Developed cooperatively with scholars and librarians worldwide, Oxford Bibliographies offers exclusive, authoritative research guides across a variety of subject areas. Combining the best features of an annotated bibliography and a high-level encyclopedia, this cutting-edge resource directs researchers to the best available scholarship across a wide variety of subjects.

Why not watch a video form the Take a Tour pages to see Oxford Bibliographies in action.