Data
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Billboard ProBillboard Pro gives you access to all of Billboard’s weekly charts, digital-first platform with interactive content, a 24/7 feed of breaking news, timely deep dives, expert commentary, and more. Registration with a Northeastern email address is required. After creating an account, users can log in directly at www.billboard.com.
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Orchestra Repertoire ReportsAllows searching for orchestral works to see a report of which United States orchestras have performed them. Useful for discerning programming trends in classical music, and finding who is performing works outside the European canon.
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RIAA ReportsIn-depth reports about recordings and sales from the Recording Industry Association of America.
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Touring DataAn independent resource for professionals of the live entertainment industry. They believe that comprehensive industry insights should be freely available to everyone interested in the touring industry.
Handbooks
Scholar OneSearch, the library's catalog and discovery system, offers books and e-books, videos, datasets and reports. See recent aquisitons related to the music industry below:
Featured titles
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AI and the Music Industry
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ISBN: 9781040332580Publication Date: 2025-05-02Multi-authored collection of chapters on the impacts of AI on the music industry, this book reviews trends in digital platforms and music research, the integration of AI in music production, and the experiences of artists and music publishers using AI. It presents a comparative analysis of AI adoption patterns in the music industry and provides practical insights into the use of AI tools for music production and distribution. Additionally, it offers a detailed syllabus for training music industry stakeholders on harnessing AI technologies. -
Lollapalooza
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ISBN: 9781250283702Publication Date: 2025-04-01New York Times bestselling authors Richard Bienstock and Tom Beaujour tell the no-holds-barred history of the iconic music festival. Through hundreds of new interviews Lollapalooza chronicles the tour's pioneering 1991-1997 run, and, in the process, alternative rock's rise - as well as the reverberations that led to a massive shift in the music industry and the culture at large. A nostalgic look back at 1990s music and culture, Lollapalooza traces the festival's groundbreaking origins, and documenting the action onstage, backstage, and behind-the-scenes in detailed and uncensored and sometimes shocking first-person accounts. -
You Have Not yet Heard Your Favourite Song : How Streaming Changes Music
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ISBN: 9781914487156Publication Date: 2024charts what music's dazzling digital revolution really means for fans and artists. As a former data guru at the world's biggest streaming service, Spotify, Glenn McDonald reveals what the tech giants know about you, how they serve up your next song, and much more.
Individual Market and Industry Reports
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Independent Label Music publishing in the U.S. (Ibisworld) (Opens in new window)Key statistics about publishing, performance, licensing, and the political and social landscape. (3/2023)
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Major label music production (Ibisworld) (Opens in new window)Finding musical talent, recording, and distribution. Company focus: Sony, Universal, Warner (March 2023)
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Musical Groups and Artists (Ibisworld) (Opens in new window)Landscape of the performance, royalty, and merchandizing of musical artists.
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Streaming Audio Trends, US 2023 (Mintel) (Opens in new window)Market and forecast of consumer spending, advertising, pricing perceptions, and much more. Includes satellite radio.
Research Databases
Chartmetric offers access to data about music sales and industry. Available to students taking classes in the Department of Music. Ask your instructor about access.
Market and company research reports
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Business Source Ultimate (EBSCOhost) This link opens in a new windowScholarly, peer-reviewed articles and professional association news and information, the majority in full text. Some video.
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Entertainment Industry Magazine Archive (Proquest) This link opens in a new windowUS and UK trade magazines (1880-2000) covering the vaudeville era to the internet era. Includes Billboard, Variety, Broadcasting, Melody Maker and much more
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Emerging Markets Information Service (EMIS) This link opens in a new windowNews, market research reports, and company and financial data from more than 80 emerging markets.
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IBISWorld This link opens in a new window
Economic, demographic, and market data on thousands of industries worldwide.
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MarketLine Advantage This link opens in a new windowResources include company, industry, and other business intelligence.
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Mintel U.S. Reports & Global New Products This link opens in a new windowCategory specific reports with quantitative and qualitative market, brand, and consumer insights as well as a global database of new consumer packaged goods launches in 86 markets.
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Proquest Entrepreneurship This link opens in a new windowIn addition to articles in text and PDF, this resource has guides, templates, forms, sample business plans and tips from entrepreneurs, from video to downloadable Word and Excel files.
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NetAdvantage (S&P Global) This link opens in a new windowReady access to S&P Industry Surveys, Stock Reports, Mutual Fund Reports, Bond Reports, Corporation Records, The Register of Corporations, Directors and Executives, and The Outlook.
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Statista This link opens in a new windowBrings together data and graphs on every imaginable topic from business to government, surveys, sports, and scientific topics. Easy to use, exportable charts and data, recommended citations.
News and Newspapers for Music Research
See the library's News and Newspapers Guide
Also see our tutorial, How Do I Find Historical Newspapers?
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Access World News Research Collection (Newsbank) This link opens in a new windowOur largest general news source, with current and complete newspapers, magazines, wire services from around the world. Backfiles sometimes go back to the 1980s. Text only.
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BillboardThe international music-record newsweekly. Industry news, legal updates, trends, and charts
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Boston Phoenix (1973-2013) (Internet Archive) This link opens in a new windowBoston's alternative newspaper of record, the first word on social justice, politics, as well as the arts and music scene.(1972-2013)
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Ebony Magazine Archive (EBSCOhost) This link opens in a new windowThe Ebony Magazine Archive covers civil rights, education, entrepreneurship and other social topics with an African-American focus, including more than 800 issues providing a broad view of African-American culture from its first issue in 1945 through 2014.
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Ethnic NewsWatch (Proquest) This link opens in a new windowInterdisciplinary, bilingual (English and Spanish) full text newspapers, magazines and journals of American ethnic, minority and indigenous communities. Offers additional viewpoints from those proffered by the mainstream press.
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Playbill (Opens in new window)This website of the theater magazine, which includes domestic and international theater news and features. Excerpts, ticket sales. Free, ad-supported.
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Rock's Backpages This link opens in a new windowAn online database of primary source information from the 1960s to the present day covering all aspects of popular music. Includes articles from the music and mainstream press, reviews (albums and concerts), feature essays and audio interviews.
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Rolling Stone (Opens in new window)Rock & Roll, national affairs, feature stories, reviews, classified ads, and the music charts
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Variety (Opens in new window)Entertainment news in all genres. Includes reviews, awards, festivals, box office, entertainment industry conferences.
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World Intellectual Property Organization Magazine (WIPO) (Opens in new window)WIPO is the global forum for intellectual property services, policy, information and cooperation.
Music Industry Organizations
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American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) International (Opens in new window)An association of composers, lyricists, publishers, and others involved in the creation of music. ASCAP is the leading performing rights organization, representing over 540,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers.
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International Federation of the Phonograph Industry (IFPI) (Opens in new window)The voice of the recording industry worldwide.We represent the interests of 1,300 record companies across the globe."
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Future of Music Coalition (Opens in new window)A Washington D.C.-based nonprofit organization which works with musicians, composers and industry stakeholders to provide solutions to shared challenges.
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Mechanical Licensing Collective (Opens in new window)A nonprofit organization that licenses and distributes royalties for digital music creators. As of January 1, 2021, songwriters and music publishers must register with The MLC using its online claiming portal to receive royalty payments under the Music Modernization Act.
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National Independent Talent Association (Opens in new window)A group formed by independent talent and management organizations.
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National Independent Venue Association (Opens in new window)"NIVA's mission is to preserve and nurture the ecosystem of independent live music venues and promoters throughout the United States."
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Next Big Sound (Opens in new window)As part of Pandora, they deliver analytics tools used by music makers, labels and marketers looking for data and insights about artists and their fans.
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Recording Industry Association of America (Opens in new window)Trade group that represents the United States recording industry. Provides the industry perspective on intellectual property rights, lawsuits, and more. Includes most major labels.
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SESAC (Opens in new window)A performing rights organization which represents songwriters and publishers, and their right to be compensated for having their music performed in public.
Copyright Reources
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Theft! A History of Music (graphic book)
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A 2000-year long history of musical borrowing from Plato to rap, available as a free download from Duke University.
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U.S Copyright Office, Copyright and the Music Marketplace.An in-depth analysis pf the current methods of licensing music in the US. Provides balanced recommendations to improve the music marketplace.
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Music Licensing: From the Campus to the Real World/ David Herlihy, JD, Northeastern University.NU Law professor's powerpoint presentation. Download and open on your desktop.
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Music Modernization Act (Opens in new window)The Music Modernization Act (2018) is the most significant piece of US copyright legislation in decades and updates our current laws to reflect modern consumer preferences and technological developments in the music marketplace.