A wide range of content, from legendary historical performances to contemporary world music. Recordings of over 32,000 artists are represented.

Explore the complete ARC and Smithsonian Folkways catalogues and titles from over 350 other labels.

New titles are added weekly.

Music from over 150 countries, more than 1,500 cultural groups represented.

Easy-to-use Keyword Search or search profoundly with a meta-data driven Advanced Search.

First-class performance and sound.

Dedicated sub-domain for each institution subscriber with multiple simultaneous access. Simple set up without having to install special software.

Easy access for institution subscribers by IP authentication and Referrer URL. With administrator’s approval, students can create their own personal playlist account and access with username and password, as well as via our app with mobile devices.

Online statistics and sophisticated functions for institution administrators.

Teaching staff can create playlists for different assignments and courses. Static URL to album, track and playlist can be placed in teaching resources.

Naxos Music Library World App is available for both iOS and Android devices.

With forty years of history behind it, ARC Music is a leading record label and publisher in the field of world and folk music. The label now offers the largest selection of traditional and contemporary ethnic music from all corners of the world. Their unrivalled repertoire comprises hundreds upon hundreds of albums from over 120 countries and cultures the world-over. In the last decade the company has enjoyed a lot of success in Hollywood. Their music is being used in some of the biggest motion pictures, including two James Bond films - Skyfall and Casino Royale, Martin Scorsese's Silence, Zero Dark Thirty, Steven Spielberg's Munich, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, The 40 Year Old Virgin, The Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and many others. ARC Music continues to find and release exciting music from all corners of the globe. The hunt for new (and old!) music continues.

Smithsonian Folkways Recordings is the non-profit record label of the Smithsonian Institution. They are dedicated to supporting cultural diversity and increased understanding among peoples through the documentation, preservation, and dissemination of sound. They believe that musical and cultural diversity contributes to the vitality and quality of life throughout the world. Through the dissemination of audio recordings and educational materials they seek to strengthen people's engagement with their own cultural heritage and to enhance their awareness and appreciation of the cultural heritage of others. Their mission is the legacy of Moses Asch, who founded Folkways Records in 1948 to document "people's music," spoken word, instruction, and sounds from around the world. The Smithsonian acquired Folkways from the Asch estate in 1987, and Smithsonian Folkways Recordings has continued the Folkways commitment to cultural diversity, education, increased understanding, and lively engagement with the world of sound. Smithsonian Folkways has expanded on Asch's legacy, adding several other record labels to the collections and releasing over 300 new recordings that document and celebrate the sounds.