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Explore: Music

Pūoro - Music

Listen online, research, or make music of your own at the library.

Stream music online using one of our great eResources, including classical, jazz, world, country folk and popular. Our streaming music is free to library card holders and is ad-free.

Find music from around the world and in a range of genres - thousands of CDs, LPs and DVDs as well as music scores, music books and magazines, and online music research resources

Create your own music at the library using instruments, recording equipment and specialist software.

Music collections

With the increasing popularity of streamed music the libraries offering music CD collections are Tūranga, Fendalton, Linwood, South, and Te Hāpua: Halswell Centre.

Some music CDs are held in storage and along with our vinyl LP collection may be requested.

There is also a range of music DVDs and scores available for borrowing across the network.

Blog Post

The hidden magic of Tūranga's score collection

Jessie chats with Jill about how she's used Tūranga's score collection, as well as providing some top tips for score searching.

Music eResources

Listen online with music eResources.

Music eResources

Alexander Street Music Online: Listening

Streaming audio of classical, popular, and world music, opera, and jazz. Music online: Listening consists of 6 collections all ad-free.

Naxos Jazz

Stream over 32,000 jazz albums, from jazz legends to contemporary jazz.

Naxos Music Library World

Streaming over 10,000 world music albums, from legendary historical performances to contemporary world music.

Naxos Music Library

Online classical music library of streaming music. Includes standard and rare recordings, album notes, reference and tuition material

Alexander Street Music Online: Listening

Streaming audio of classical, popular, and world music, opera, and jazz. Music online: Listening consists of 6 collections all ad-free.

Naxos Jazz

Stream over 32,000 jazz albums, from jazz legends to contemporary jazz.

Naxos Music Library World

Streaming over 10,000 world music albums, from legendary historical performances to contemporary world music.

Naxos Music Library

Online classical music library of streaming music. Includes standard and rare recordings, album notes, reference and tuition material

Music books

Rock's Backpages

Rock's Backpages

Online archive of music journalism with over 50,000 articles. Includes articles, reviews, podcasts and interviews in both print and audio.

Recent necrology, November 2024

Some well-known people who have died recently including musician and composer, Quincy Jones and author Barbara Taylor-Bradford.

Quincy Jones 1933-2024 - Rock's Backpages

A titan of music Quincy Jones died 3 November 2024. Read more about him in Rock's Backpages, and browse our catalogue for more.

Recent necrology, October 2024

Some well-known people who have died recently including NZ poet, Fleur Adcock, and former One Direction singer, Liam Payne.

Rock's Backpages

Online archive of music journalism with over 50,000 articles. Includes articles, reviews, podcasts and interviews in both print and audio.

Recent necrology, November 2024

Some well-known people who have died recently including musician and composer, Quincy Jones and author Barbara Taylor-Bradford.

Quincy Jones 1933-2024 - Rock's Backpages

A titan of music Quincy Jones died 3 November 2024. Read more about him in Rock's Backpages, and browse our catalogue for more.

Recent necrology, October 2024

Some well-known people who have died recently including NZ poet, Fleur Adcock, and former One Direction singer, Liam Payne.

Taupuni Oro/Ataata – Audio/Video Studio: Tūranga

Taupuni Oro/Ataata – Audio/Video Studio: Tūranga

The Audio/Video Studio is a place to shoot and edit video, record and edit sound, and to compose, record, and mix sound recordings.

Ngā Kōrero Auaha – Creative Stories: King Cass

Rapper King Cass uses the Taupuni Oro/Ataata Audio/Video Studio at Tūranga to record and produce his motivational hip-hop music.

Ngā Kōrero Auaha – Creative Stories: The Burdetts

Lorelei & Rosanne Burdett talk about their experience using Tūranga to record an audio version of Lorelei's book about her mental health.

New in Music

Recent necrology, January 2025

Some well-known people who have died recently including director, David Lynch; musician, Marianne Faithfull; and politician, Tariana Turia.

Hillmorton High School band, No Compromise

John Borlase, Ricky Boyd, Jason Mitchelmore, and Michael Carpinter of No Compromise. An image from Canterbury Stories.

Uncommon People

by Miranda Sawyer
Donna_R said:

Was Britpop even really a thing? Maybe not. But it's a tag we apply. A lot of good bands and music came out in that golden time at the end of the 90s.…

Read more of this comment about Uncommon People

Best music books of 2023

Music books read in 2023 - biographies, memoirs, documentaries, movies, music criticism plus fiction by musicians!

Recent necrology, January 2025

Some well-known people who have died recently including director, David Lynch; musician, Marianne Faithfull; and politician, Tariana Turia.

Hillmorton High School band, No Compromise

John Borlase, Ricky Boyd, Jason Mitchelmore, and Michael Carpinter of No Compromise. An image from Canterbury Stories.

Uncommon People

by Miranda Sawyer
Donna_R said:

Was Britpop even really a thing? Maybe not. But it's a tag we apply. A lot of good bands and music came out in that golden time at the end of the 90s.…

Read more of this comment about Uncommon People

Best music books of 2023

Music books read in 2023 - biographies, memoirs, documentaries, movies, music criticism plus fiction by musicians!

Streaming music titles

Music magazines

For online articles and interviews with musicians try Rock's Backpages.

Music magazines

Latest music by genre

Latest music by genre

Māori music — Taonga Pūoro

Information and resources about Māori musical traditions.

New Zealand Music

Celebrate New Zealand music - we have CDs, books, and resources about the music of Aotearoa.

New Zealand and Christchurch music

Explore our New Zealand and Christchurch music resources.

CSO music trails through the library

CSO music trails through the library

Free, 45 minute music and story performances for kids by the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra.

Music scores and sheet music

Written music

Some of our extensive collection of music scores and sheet music is available at Tūranga. The rest is in storage but may be requested (see placing holds).

Scores are available for piano, guitar, but also for flute, clarinet and many other instruments.

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Find music scores
Blog Post

The hidden magic of Tūranga's score collection

Jessie chats with Jill about how she's used Tūranga's score collection, as well as providing some top tips for score searching.

Explore more music resources

Music images
View a set of musical images on Canterbury Stories

Music images
Browse music-related photographs on the Discovery Wall

Learning music
Music tuition options from community information directory CINCH and links to library resources and learn–to–play materials

Learning a musical instrument
Resources to help music learners

Māori music
Traditional and modern Māori music

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eBooks

eAudio

Fiction

Non-Fiction

Movies & TV

Music

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