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Tutorials: General

Introductory videos for Muscat

  • Muscat: A Quick Overview: If you have time to watch only one video on Muscat, this is it!

  • Authority files and indexes: All about RISM authority files, indexes, and controlled vocabulary, how to link to them, and how to add to them.

  • Basic functions: The basic buttons, actions, and features of Muscat are shown. You should be familiar with these before you do any cataloging. Shown are basic functions in the Sources view, viewing mode, editing mode, and how to add comments.

  • First steps: How to edit existing data and how to begin a new record.

    • Search using filters and faceted search
    • Duplicate a record and use new record template

Special topics

Tutorials: Music manuscripts

Basic source cataloging

Step-by-step guides to entering sources (PDFs updated for 2023)

  1. If you have a score: PDF and Video on YouTube
    Start with this one and then do the rest
  2. If you have only parts: PDF
  3. If you have a score and parts: PDF
  4. If you have a source that contains more than one work (a collection): PDF
  5. Special rules for non-Latin scripts: PDF

Download the examples used in the videos:

More examples to practice:

  1. Example 1: Score. Card and full record in Muscat (PDFs)
  2. Example 2: Score and part. Card and full record in Muscat (PDFs)
  3. Example 3: Collection. Card and full record in Muscat (PDFs)

Tutorials: Printed music

Always search for the print first in Muscat, the RISM Catalog, or RISM Online. Watch this YouTube video about different search strategies for finding the right record in RISM. Check to see if the print in RISM is identical with the item in hand. Refer to the guidelines in Muscat on when to enter a new record.

  • If you find the print, you can add/edit your holdings. You may also revise the record.
  • If you don’t find a match, enter a new record.
  • Records are sometimes inconsistent or confusing. Ask us if you have any questions!
  • Only edit records that have been published. If you wish to use an unpublished record, please contact us first.

Three ways to contribute printed music to RISM

(PDFs updated for 2023)

1. Add and edit your holdings to printed music

Complete instructions: Video on YouTube and PDF
One-page version: PDF
This is RISM’s priority for printed music and is the easiest way for a library to contribute. Find the print in RISM, add your holdings, and enter the shelfmark. Note: if you do not see an “add holdings” button, notify the Editorial Center and we will correct the record.

2. Revise existing RISM records

Complete instructions: PDF
One-page version: PDF
Records imported from RISM’s printed volumes A/I (music by one composer published up to ca. 1800) and B/I (music by multiple composers, i.e. anthologies, published up to 1700) are in Muscat.

Revising records from RISM’s A/I or B series

  • The vast majority of A/I and B/I records needs to be revised. Most prints in fact contain multiple works, so a record must be edited into a collection record and individual entries are needed.
  • Some records from B/I have very basic individual entries, but these can frequently be enhanced.
  • For B/I, note that it is frequently the case that reprints (“following entries”) do not have individual entries, while the initial entries (i.e., the prints treated as the first edition in the book) do. You are welcome to create individual entries for the reprints.
  • Almost all of the A/I records have RISM IDs that begin with 990; the B/I records almost always begin with 993.
  • Please contact us if you wish to add editions that were included in other RISM B series, particularly B/II.

In addition, we now also have other prints that were not included in the RISM printed catalogs (especially post-1800) that have been added by RISM contributors in the meantime. You can generally identify these by a RISM ID that begins with 1001 as well as a named library in the field “Copy used for cataloging” (588). These records do not need be revised; simply add your holdings.

3. Add new records for printed music

Complete instructions: PDF
Two-page version: PDF
If your print falls outside the scope of A/I or B/I, chances are it is not in Muscat. Always do a quick search first, though, to see if someone else has already entered it. If you don’t find it, create a new record.

Contributing records from RISM’s series B/II or B/VI

RISM’s series B includes two inventories of printed musical sources that have not yet been systematically added to Muscat: B/II, Printed anthologies (Recueils imprimés, XVIIIe siècle, published in 1964) and B/VI: Printed writings about music (Écrits imprimés concernant la musique, 2 volumes, 1971). While there are no current plans for a wholescale import of these books, RISM contributors are welcome to add records for items that are indexed in these publications. Please observe the following:

  1. Some records from these series are already in Muscat. Always check first before creating a new record. Neither B/II nor B/VI has unique identifiers, so searching for them by page number is difficult.
  2. There are some (less than 1,000) duplicates between A/I and B/II, so you might see records from B/II that also have A/I numbers. Simply add your holdings to the A/I record.
  3. Most B/II and B/VI records, however, are not in Muscat, so you will likely have to create a new record.
  4. When you create a new record, it is very important that you add the reference to the book in the field RISM Series (510). This helps Editorial Center staff find the new records and add additional holdings. Do not use the field Bibliographic reference (691) to refer to the print’s presence in the RISM series.
  5. If you are interested in adding items from other RISM B series, please contact Editorial Center staff to coordinate.
  6. If you have any questions about this, or cannot find your print, please ask us and we will help.

Training server

A training version of Muscat is available where you can:

  • Practice and experiment with records
  • Add, change, and delete information
  • Not worry about making mistakes or ruining anything
  • Look at the RISM guidelines
  • Get an overview of Muscat’s features

The Muscat training server is:

  • Identical to the live version of Muscat in data and structure
  • Reset once a week with current data from the live server
  • Ideal for workshops, demonstrations, and conferences

The logins training01@rism.info to training99@rism.info are available—in other words, each participant in a workshop can have a different login. Training users are “members” of the US working group and have editing rights for all sources that begin with the siglum US-*. Please contact the Editorial Center to receive the current password.