Most of the music related databases available through the New York Public Library are only accessible at one of the research branches in the system. You can locate the research libraries at: http://www.nypl.org/locations
NYPL Music Databases
Some NYPL music databases of note:
Index to Printed Music: Collections & Series
The Index to Printed Music: Collections & Series is a tool for finding individual pieces of music printed in standard scholarly editions, as it indexes each individual piece in a collection. Music for specific performing forces is easily retrievable, thus offering detailed repertory for performers, conductors, and directors of ensembles.
International Index to Music Periodicals Full Text
Indexes over 350 and provides full text for nearly 100 international music periodicals from more than twenty countries, with over 50 of the publications indexed exclusively in IIMP. IIMP is both current and retrospective with over 30,000 records dating from 1996 to the present and other records dating as far back as 1874.
Music Index Online
The Music Index Online edition features over 1.4 million records. The searchable database is updated quarterly with about 100,000 new records added annually.
RIPM: Retrospective Index to Music Periodicals: 1800-1950
An index of specialized music journals, daily newspapers, articles in literary periodicals, theatrical journals and magazines, as well as engravings and lithographs in the illustrated press.