Category Archives: Music

Online Resources for Music Lovers

musiclovers

All Music    A virtual encyclopedia of music with many options for searching and discovering new music.  One can search for artists by genre, i.e. rock, jazz, blues, classical, etc.  There are also options to search by mood such as romantic and theme such as rainy day.  This site contains overviews of genres, biographical information of artists and composers.

Descarga  Comprehensive resource for Afro-Latin music.  Descarga contains a Latin music database and the Descarga Journal, an online magazine consisting of articles, interviews, profiles, and reviews.

EMusic   You can discover a world of music on this site without spending any money.  This site allows you to explore through editor’s picks, charts, reviews, and lists compiled by staff.  EMusic has archives of music collections that you can explore.  EMusic also has many streaming radio stations, however, users must subscribe to listen.

Gramophone    The world’s authority on classical music including classical music news and features.  Gramophone’s website has a few blogs including one dedicated to concerts and events as well as a blog written by different guests.  This website is a great source of current information and history of the classical music genre.

NPR Music     Offers current and archival podcasts, reviews, music lists, news, criticism and interviews.  NPR Music provides access to free videos such as field recordings, studio sessions, live concerts, and documentaries.  NPR tends to be on the cutting edge of music on various genres, this is a great place to learn about new music.

Piero Scaruffi     Multilingual site with information on music in a wide range of genres.  This site contains the history of various music genres, best album lists, best song lists, discographies, and a lengthy bibliography on rock music.

Pitchfork     A daily Internet publication devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on independent music, however, the range of musical genres covered extends to electronicpophip hop, dance, folk, jazz, metal and experimental music.

Smithsonian Folkways   Smithsonian Folkways Recordings is the nonprofit record label of the Smithsonian Institution dedicated to documentation, preservation, and dissemination of sound.  The Smithsonian Folkways website has artist, archive, and video spotlights as well as audio recordings and tools for teaching.

StereoGum  A music blog that has been around for many years covering everything from popular releases to more independent music.  Good source for music news and popular for it’s lists highlighting best songs, albums, and extras.

Yahoo Music  Contains information on popular music including music blogs, artist profiles, videos, news, and exclusive originals such as Spotify On Tour music videos.  Yahoo Music also runs iHeart Radio, a collection of free streaming radio stations. Free Music Streaming Services: Each of the following sites offers free music streaming, subscriptions are sometimes required to download and save music or to avoid ads.

SpotifyPandora / Last.fmMog.comRdio.comSongzaiHeart RadioTurntable.fmGroovesharkSlacker.com (music, news, sports, and comedy)

Online Music Archives Rock’s Backpages   Archive of rock journalism including 17,000 articles, interviews, and reviews, many of which are available for free.  You can search for articles by artist, writer, publication, and subject or genre.  A subscription provides access to all articles and an archive of audio interviews.

Voted 2011 Runner-Up Best Niche Database by LibraryJournal.com. Free Music Archive  The Free Music Archive is an interactive library of high-quality, legal audio downloads.  The Free Music Archive is directed by WFMU, the most renowned freeform radio station in America.

Every artist page will have a bio and links to the artists’ home page for users to learn more about the music they discover via the Free Music Archive. ArkivMusic   Where collectors can get lost classical recordings.  Site also has biographical information and available recording lists on popular composers and performers.

**Patrons can download and listen to a variety of music for free through Live-brary, available via eipl.org.