Scholarly writings about music typically follow the style and citation guidelines of the Chicago Manual of Style, which issued its 18th edition in September 2024. Bear in mind that most automatic citation generators still reflect Chicago 17. Some of the most important differences:
The style and citation guidelines of the Modern Languages Association Handbook, currently in its 9th edition, are sometimes used for music research. These online resources provide explanations and examples of the proper use of MLA 9 style.