With all the clubs and concert halls closed, musicians and some of the major venues have gotten creative. Here is just a sampling! All of these resources are currently free, though some welcome donations to keep them going while the stages remain dark.
Live Streamed Music
The Montreux Jazz Festival from Switzerland is providing free access for 30 days to over 50 live recorded performances. Despite the word "jazz" in the title, this festival has performers from many different genres. They include: Ray Charles, Wu-Tang Clan, Johnny Cash, Nina Simone, Marvin Gaye, Deep Purple, Carlos Santana, and more.
Consequence of Sound is an online publication that follows pop culture. They have compiled a list of concerts that are being streamed on a variety of platforms including Instagram and Twitch.
Club Passim - Across the river in Cambridge is a club known on the folk circuit. While they are closed, they invite music fans to listen to streamed performances online. Viewing is free and they include a donation button to support the musician and the club.
The Boston Symphony Orchestra is providing streams of previously recorded live concerts, as well as videos by individual musicians from the orchestra, and a look behind the scenes.
NPR has created a list of live virtual concerts that is updated daily.
Billboard has also created a list of virtual live concerts. While it isn't updated daily, it will still have relevant information because they don't do multiple listings for performers who play every day.
The local ensemble A Far Cry has put up a page they are calling Your "Daily Dose" of AFC!, opens a new window On it, they share "live-streamed solo concert[s] from one of our living rooms, an individually curated playlist, a behind-the-scenes Q&A, or a brand new youtube video."
Pre-recorded Streamed Music
But maybe prerecorded studio albums are what you prefer. The errors have been edited out, the production keeps everything balanced. If you have a library card, The BPL has you covered with streaming resources there, too.
Boston Public Library Vinyl LP Collection
Long Playing vinyl records from the Boston Public Library. No library card needed. Listenable, Downloadable, Linked-to-Spotify. The Boston Public Library sound collection includes hundreds of thousands of audio recordings in a variety of historical formats, including wax cylinders, 78 rpms, and LPs. The recordings span many genres, including classical, pop, rock, jazz, and opera – from 78s produced in the early 1900s to LPs from the 1980s.
A music history database that highlights social and political songs by and about American indigenous, miners, immigrants, slaves, children, pioneers and cowboys. Included in the database are the songs of Civil Rights, political campaigns, Prohibition, the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, anti-war protests, and more.
Music Online: Popular Music Library
Popular Music Library contains a wide range of popular music including thousands of tracks from genres including alternative, country, Christian, electronic, hip-hop, metal, punk, new age, R&B, reggae, rock, soundtracks and more.
Music Online: Jazz Music Library
The largest and most comprehensive collection of streaming jazz available online. It includes thousands of jazz artists, ensembles, albums, and genres.
Music Online: Classical Music Library
Classical Music Library's growing collection of 50,000-plus tracks for listening and searching is supplemented by extensive reference materials and backed by a powerful suite of tools designed to support learning.
Music Online: Contemporary World Music
A music database that offers the streaming of music from all regions of the world. Includes popular music, film scores, and genres of all kinds.
Music Online: Smithsonian Global Sound for Libraries
A virtual encyclopedia of the world's musical and aural traditions. The collection provides an unprecedented variety of online resources that share diverse musical forms.
Movies, TV shows, music, eBooks, and comics for online streaming or download to mobile devices, with no waiting lists. Borrow up to 10 items per calendar month. For the duration of our closure, users can borrow 12 titles per calendar month.
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