The Most Reliable Free Online Discographies and Databases: 78s and Cylinders

There are countless online discographies out there, mostly posted by enthusiastic but inexpert hobbyists. So, how to tell the wheat from the chaff? The listing below is a start, and will be expanded as discographies of equal merit come to our attention.

The data contained in these discographies have been carefully compiled and edited by the leading experts in the field, including John R. Bolig, Tim Brooks, Paul Charosh, Michael Gray, Ross Laird, John Milmo, Michel Ruppli, Dick Spottswood, Allan Sutton, Christian Zwarg, and the late William R. Bryant, Brian Rust, and Raymond R. Wile. Most of this material is hosted by the University of California–Santa Barbara on its Discography of American Historical Recordings (DAHR) site. All titles are free to access (and download, in the case e-books), with no registration required.

SEARCHABLE DATABASES

THE DISCOGRAPHY OF AMERICAN HISTORICAL RECORDINGS

The DAHR database contains detailed information on 402,749 pre-LP recordings, on hundreds of labels, carefully compiled from a combination of original company documentation and first-hand inspection of the actual discs by leading researchers.

In addition to a vast body of data on commercial releases, it includes audition and test recordings, alternate takes, rejected masters, special-use recordings, and similar information that cannot be found elsewhere.

The database is fully searchable by company, label, matrix number, catalog number, performer, composition, and/or recording date, or can simply be browsed. New material is added regularly. (“American” is something of a misnomer, as the database has now been expanded to include foreign recordings.)

The links below will take you directly the search pages for some of the most important label databases, on DAHR and other sites of equal quality. For labels not listed here, visit the main DAHR search page.

BERLINER (U.S., 1892 – 1900) — DAHR, from Paul Charosh

BLUEBIRD (1933 – 1939) — DAHR, from John R. Bolig

BRUNSWICK (Australia, 1920s – 1930s) — DAHR, from Ross Laird

BRUNSWICK (U.K., 1920s) — DAHR, from Ross Laird

BRUNSWICK (U.S., 1916 – 1931) — DAHR, from Ross Laird

CLASSICAL DISCOGRAPHY (International, includes LPs) — from Michael Gray

COLUMBIA (France, 1920s – 1930s) — DAHR

COLUMBIA (U.K., 1900s – 1930s) — DAHR

COLUMBIA (U.S., 1901 – 1934) — DAHR, from Tim Brooks and Brian Rust

DECCA (U.S., 1934 – 1939) — DAHR, from Michel Ruppli

DECCA CLASSICAL RECORDS (International, 1929 – 2009) — from Centre for the History and Analysis of Recorded Music

EDISON DISCS (1911 – 1929) — DAHR, from Edison National Historic Park

GRAMOPHONE COMPANY (International, 1898 – 1930s) — from EMI Archive Trust

MONTGOMERY WARD (partial, 1933 – 1940) — DAHR

OKEH (1918 – 1934) — DAHR, from Ross Laird

PEERLESS (Mexico, from 1929) — from the Arhoolie Foundation

VICTOR (1901 – 1949) — DAHR, from John R. Bolig and original company documentation

VOCALION (U.S., 1924 – 1931) — DAHR, from Ross Laird

ZONOPHONE (U.S., 1899 – 1912) — DAHR, from William R. Bryant and Allan Sutton

E-BOOKS (Downloadable PDF, on DAHR site unless noted):

LATEST ADDITIONS:

EDISON TWO-MINUTE AND CONCERT CYLINDERS (American Issues, 1897–1912 / Second Edition) — Allan Sutton

EDISON FOUR-MINUTE CYLINDERS: Amberols, Blue Amberols, and Royal Purple Amberols (Domestic Issues, 1912–1930 / Combined Second Edition) — Allan Sutton

AJAX (1923 – 1935) — Record Research Associates

AMERICAN RECORD CO. (Hawthorne, Sheble & Prescott: A History and Discography (1904 – 1907) — Allan Sutton

BLUEBIRD DISCOGRAPHY (1932 – 1942) — John R. Bolig

EMERSON RECORDS: A History and Discography (1915 – 1928) — Allan Sutton)

FONOTIPIA DCISCOGRAPHY (Italy, 1900s – 1920s) — Christian Zwarg, from Gesellschaft für Historische Tonträger

HIS MASTER’S VOICE (Celebrity Series Recordings and Historical Reissues, 1924 – 1958) — John R. Bolig with John Milmo

INTERNATIONAL RECORD CO.: A History and Discography (Excelsior, International Record, et al., 1905 – 1908) — Allan Sutton

KEEN-O-PHONE, REX, AND IMPERIAL: A History and Discography (1912 – 1918) — Allan Sutton

LEEDS & CATLIN RECORDS: A History and Discography (Leeds cylinders and discs, Imperial, Sun, et al., 1899 – 1909) — Allan Sutton

NATIONAL MUSIC LOVERS and NEW PHONIC RECORDS: A History and Discography (1922 – 1928) — Allan Sutton

ODEON DISCOGRAPHY: German B-Series Masters (1904 – 1953) — Christian Zwarg, from Gesellschaft für Historische Tonträger

ODEON DISCOGRAPHY: French P-Series French masters (1904 – 1933) — Christian Zwarg, from Gesellschaft für Historische Tonträger