Guides: Music: Find recordings

Finding recordings

The library offers several options for getting sound recordings : streaming audio databases, streaming video databases, DVDs and CDs.

Finding DVDs and CDs.

DVDs (which include operas, musicals and concert performances) are found on Level 3. CDs (which cover all music genres) are in boxes on Level 0.

The best way to find a DVD or CD recording is to search by keyword on Te Waharoa. Use the Resource Type filters to the left of the results list to filter for Audio and Video.

When you find the item you want on Te Waharoa note the the floor that the item is on, and the call number This is in blue type, and is a sequence of letters and numbers eg.M1500.G288 P67.

You can search on the shelves yourself, or ask the librarians at the library desk on Level 2 to help you.

Playing the CD or DVD.

You can borrow a CD/DVD player from the library desk at Level 2. It plugs into a laptop with a USB cable (provided). It is for inhouse use only.

You will need:

your own earbuds or headphones
a laptop with USB ports. If yours doesn't support USB you can use the library computers or borrow a library laptop.
VLC Media Player software. This is freely available through the VUW student software centre, and is on all library computers.

NOTE: the CD/DVD player doesn't play Blu Ray discs. You can book a Blue Ray player for such discs.

Streaming audio and video databases

You can find the recordings on the databases below by doing a Te Waharoa search. Search for the title or artist that you want. if that work is available on a specialist database, Te Waharoa will find it, and link you to it!

But if you're not sure what you want and just want to browse through music, go straight to the databases below:

Music Online This link opens in a new window
A mega database, that provides audio and video for a wide range of musical genres and time periods, from jazz to opera to world music.
Medici.tv This link opens in a new window
A classical music digital channel, offering a catalogue of 1,400 programmes in video-on-demand, as well as 100 live concerts each year.
Met Opera on Demand This link opens in a new window
The Metropolitan Opera on Demand provides Met performances featuring singers, conductors, composers, musicians, stage directors, designers, visual artists, choreographers and dancers from around the world. Includes operatic productions broadcast from the 1970’s onwards and radio broadcasts from 1936 onwards.
Naxos Music Library
A large collection of classical music recordings, from labels such as ARC, Berlin Classics, BIS, Capriccio, Chandos, CPO, EMI Classics, Erato, Haenssler Classic, Hungaroton, Marco Polo, Naïve, Naxos, Nimbus, Ondine, Teldec, Vanguard Classics, Virgin Classics and Warner Classics.
Naxos Jazz Music Library This link opens in a new window