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Citation Styles for Music

Style Manuals

As of 2020, we now have online access to the Chicago Manual of Style, which should answer all your questions about citing sources properly in Chicago Style.

Image of cover of Chicago Manual, 17th edition

Humanities style

Video Recording Note: ¹Composer/Writer/Director,  Title of Work,  Performer/Conductor/Content Creator (Air date; Location: Publisher, Identifying Numer, Copyright Date), Format.

Note: ¹Peter West, director, Leaving Home, Orchestral Music in the 20th Century, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, cond. Simon Rattle (1996; Leipzig: ArtHaus Musik, 2005), DVD.

Bibliography: N: Composer/Writer/Director.  Title of Work.  Performer/Conductor/Content Creator. Air date: Location: Publisher, Identifying Numer, Copyright Date. Format.

Bibliography: West, Peter. Director. Leaving Home, Orchestral Music in the 20th Century. City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Conducted by Simon Rattle. 1996; Leipzig: ArtHaus Musik, 2005.  DVD.
Video (online) (e.g. YouTube) Note: ¹Author, Title, Date (if provided), video clip, Source, Accessed DATE <http://www.www.www>.

Note:  ¹Alan Huckleberry, Robert Schumann, Hymn, 11 October 2011, video clip, YouTube accessed March 16, 2013,  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVeMrXxi9dI&list=PL281F01E9BAE0983C .

Bibliography:  Author. Title. Date (if provided). Video clip. Source Accessed DATE <http://www.www.www>

Bibliography:  Huckleberry, Alan. Robert Schumann, Hymn. 11 October 2011. Video clip. YouTube  Accessed March 16, 2013 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVeMrXxi9dI&list=PL281F01E9BAE0983C.

Common Questions

What is Humanities Style?

The Humanities Style, also known as Notes and Bibliography, is commonly used for writing in the area of literature, arts, and music.   This style documents its sources using footnotes/endnotes and a bibliography.  This style consists of two parts:  a number in the text and a related note that describes the source in a footnote or endnote (a list of notes at the end of the document).   A bibliography provides a  complete list of resources referred to in the document.

What is "Turabian"?

Kate L. Turabian’s Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations  is a simplified version of the Chicago Manual of Style written specifically for the the needs of student writers.   This manual provides a wide variety of examples.

What are punctuation practices in Chicago/Turabian Style?

A complete description of punctuation practices may be found at the Chicago Manual of Style Online.