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Music streaming resources (audio & video)

About

Use this page to find sources for streaming videos and films, including concerts, operas, masterclasses, documentaries, and more.

Streaming video and film

Video@McGill 

  • Schulich School of Music Performance Archive

    • Growing archive of the Schulich School of Music performances from 2008 – present
    • Includes audio and/or video components for selected performances (Note: Streaming access requires authentication and is restricted to current McGill users)
    • See also the Schulich School of Music YouTube channel for selected video recording performances.
  • CIRMMT Distinguished Lecture Series

    • Access recordings of the CIRMMT Distinguished Lecture series, as well as of Keynote talks and some Seminars
  • Research Alive

    • Schulich School of Music's Research Alive series seeks to bring alive research in music theory, music history and musicology, performance and composition, music education, sound recording, and music technology
    • Access archived video recordings of past Research Alive presentations from 2015 to the present day.

Music videos

  • Berliner Philharmoniker Digital Concert Hall

    NB: Users must create an account over an McGill IP address (on-campus or via VPN) when accessing this resource for the first time.

    • Live broadcasts of Berlin Philharmonic concerts and an extensive archive of concert videos from past decades
    • Includes portrait and documentary films, educational events, and interviews with members of the Berlin Phil, conductors, and soloists
    • Immersive Audio (Dolby Atmos) three-dimensional sound option aims to reproduce the acoustics of the Philharmonie Berlin Hall. Use of sound systems or headphones that support Dolby Atmos provides an optimal Immersive Audio experience.
    • Note: This database has a limited number of simultaneous users. If you have trouble accessing or receive an error message, please try again later.
  • Medici.tv

    • Over 1,800 music programs including concerts, operas, documentaries, and ballets
    • Majority of films are accessible in HD quality
  • Met Opera on Demand: Student Access

    • Video-streaming archive of the New York Metropolitan Opera
    • Provides access to more than 700 full-length opera performances
    • Note: This database has a limited number of simultaneous users. If you have trouble accessing or receive an error message, please try again later.
  • Music Online: Classical Performance in Video (Alexander Street)

    • Access videos of over 2000 performances, including operas, dance titles, masterclasses, documentaries, and interviews
    • Includes titles from music publishers and performing houses such as C Major Entertainment, EuroArts, Opus Arte, Arthaus Musik, CLC Productions, and the BBC
  • Music Online: Opera in Video (Alexander Street)

    • Video streaming resource
    • Provides access to more than 200 videos of canonical operas, in addition to interviews and documentaries
  • Naxos Video Library

    • Streaming video library
    • Includes full-length classical music performances, opera, ballets, live concerts, and documentaries
    • Note: This database has a limited number of simultaneous users. If you have trouble accessing or receive an error message, please try again later.
  • Qwest.tv

    • Dedicated to jazz, soul, funk, and world music
    • Catalogue features over 1,300 concerts, documentaries, and rare archival footage
    • Most videos are subtitled in English or French 

Film 

  • Academic Video Online (Alexander Street)

    • Multidisciplinary video platform that includes a substantial component of Music & Performing Arts content (e.g. documentaries, performances, interviews, instructional material)
    • Filter videos by subject area, including anthropology, health, history, psychology, and more
  • Can-Core

    • Streaming video library created for use in Canadian schools
    • Contains Canadian-produced content from a wide range of subject areas, including music
    • Resources relevant to First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Studies are available, with an option to limit the search to Indigenous content only
  • Criterion on Demand

    • Online digital library of feature film titles licensed for Canadian viewing
    • Criterion-on-Demand represents many feature film producers and several independent producers
    • Title selection includes 1920 classics, new releases, foreign films, literary adaptations, documentaries, animated titles, and independent features
    • VPN may be required for off-campus access. Unlimited simultaneous users.
    • NB: Not to be confused with the "Criterion Collection" of remastered films. To view "Criterion Collection" films, please consult the video streaming service Kanopy.
  • Films on Demand

    • Streaming video of selected educational programs
    • Thousands of titles covering a wide range of topics, with content related to music appreciation and history, world music, dance, education, psychology, technology, health, and more
    • Videos have captioning and transcripts are searchable
    • Create and share playlists using premade clips, full videos, or custom segments
  • Kanopy

    • On-demand streaming video service for educational institutions that specializes in independent, arthouse, classic cinema, and documentaries across diverse subjects and disciplines
    • Collections include titles from the Criterion Collection/Janus Films, A&E, History channel, PBS, and many others
    • Can be streamed on various mobile devices
  • National Film Board

    • Collection includes animation, documentaries, experimental films and alternative dramas
    • Showcases films that take a stand on issues of global importance that matter to Canadians - stories about the environment, human rights, international conflict, the arts and more
    • Films can be streamed free of charge or downloaded for personal use for a small fee

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