नाद Atla𝄞
Nāda Atlas
Your complete encyclopedia for musical research and information.
नाद (Nāda) is the Sanskrit and Hindi word for sound — the primordial vibration from which all music flows. An Atlas maps the world. Together, नाद Atla𝄞 maps the world of sound.
Our Mission
The world's musical heritage is vast, diverse, and largely undiscovered by most listeners. A raga from Varanasi, a griot song from Mali, a gagaku ensemble from Kyoto — each carries centuries of culture, yet most of the world has never heard of them.
नाद Atla𝄞 exists to change that. We are building the most comprehensive, carefully researched encyclopedia of world music — traditions, artists, instruments, and recordings — all in one place, free to explore.
We don't host audio. We don't replace the original sources. We connect you to them, with the context to understand what you're hearing.
What We Cover
Traditions
Every musical tradition has a story — a geography, a history, a set of rules it follows and rules it breaks. We document them all, from Hindustani classical to Gnawa trance to Appalachian bluegrass.
Artists
The masters, the innovators, the custodians of sound. We profile musicians across every tradition — their lineage, their instruments, their recordings, and their place in the larger story of world music.
Albums & Recordings
Music lives in recordings. We catalogue albums, live performances, and archival recordings — linking you to where you can listen, always respecting the original source.
Instruments
Wood, string, skin, breath, metal, stone. Over 400 instruments catalogued with their Hornbostel-Sachs classification, regional origins, native names, and the traditions they belong to.
How We Work
नाद Atla𝄞 aggregates data from trusted open sources, curated and cross-referenced by region, tradition, and instrument. Our data comes from:
Ready to explore?