Music Citation Guide (Chicago Style)

As you scroll, you'll find footnote and bibliography entry templates and examples of citations for real sources for the following types of liner notes:

• Digital liner notes
• Print liner notes
• Digital program notes
• Print program notes

Notes:

• When citing digital liner notes, use the page numbers printed in the booklet, NOT the page numbers of the PDF file. PDF files may vary in formatting, and a PDF page number may confuse your reader.
   

Footnote template:

13. Liner Notes Author First Name Last Name, “Liner Notes or Section Title if Applicable,” liner notes for Composer First Name Last Name, Recording Title, Performer/Group/Conductor Name(s), recorded Month Day, Year if Applicable, Record Label Name # if Applicable, Release Year, streaming audio, accessed Access Date, Database Name, Page Number if Applicable.
 

Example of a real footnote:

27. Sergio Segalini, “The Romantic Dream of Lucie,” liner notes for Gaetano Donizetti, Lucie de Lammermoor (Lucia di Lammermoor) (1893 French version), Patrizia Ciofi, Alexandru Badea, Nicolas Rivenq, Gregory Bonfatti, Riccardo Botta, Jae-Jun Lee, Orchestra Internazionale d’Italia, Bratislawa Chamber Choir, cond. Maurizio Benini, recorded July 25-27, 1997, Dynamic CDS 204/1-2, 1998, streaming audio, accessed October 17, 2020, Naxos Music Library, 8.

Bibliography entry template:

Example of a real bibliography entry:

Footnote template:

13. Liner Notes Author First Name Last Name, “Liner Notes or Section Title if Applicable,” liner notes for Composer First Name Last Name, Recording Title, Performer/Group/Conductor Name(s), recorded Month Day, Year if Applicable, Record Label Name # if Applicable, Release Year, Recording Format, Page Number if Applicable.
 

Example of a real footnote:

13. Tim Carter, “Mozart: Early Symphonies,” liner notes for W.A. Mozart, The Complete Mozart Symphonies, The English Consort, cond. Trevor Pinnock, recorded 1993-1995, Archiv Produktion 471 666-2, 2002, CD, 19.

Bibliography entry template:

Example of a real bibliography entry:

Footnote template:

2. Program Notes Author First Name Last Name, “Liner Notes or Section Title if Applicable,” program Notes for Ensemble/Performer Name, Concert Title, Conductor/Additional Performer Name(s), Concert Month Day, Year, Concert Location if Known, accessed Access Date, URL.
 

Example of a real footnote:

2. Peter Laki, “Adolphus Hailstork: An American Port of Call,” program Notes for Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, American Life, Thomas Wilkins, conductor, Louis Schwizgebel, violin, Saturday, November 16, 2019, Music Hall, Cincinnati, OH, accessed December 20, 2021, https://www.cincinnatisymphony.org/about/watch-listen/program-notes/1920-Notes/american-life/.

Bibliography entry template:

Example of a real bibliography entry:

Footnote template:

3. Program Notes Author First Name Last Name, “Program Notes or Section Title if Applicable,” program notes for Ensemble/Performer Name, Concert Title, Conductor/Additional Performer Name(s), Concert Month Day, Year, Concert Location if Known, Page Number if Applicable.
 

Example of a real footnote:

3. Eric Bromberger, “Felix Mendelssohn: Concerto in E Minor for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 64,” program notes for Minnesota Orchestra, Fabien Gabel Returns, Fabien Gabel, conductor, Tai Murray, violin, Saturday, December 11, 2021, Orchestra Hall, Minneapolis, MN, 18.

Bibliography entry template:

Example of a real bibliography entry: