Journal profile · MUSIC
Music Theory Spectrum
ISSN 0195-6167 · eISSN 1533-8339 · Oxford University Press
Music Theory Spectrum: CAS Zone 1 · Arts (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 2.2 (journal website); hybrid open access; APC about USD 4,303; 31 articles in 2025; indexed in AHCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Music Theory Spectrum is published by Oxford University Press and is in Zone 1 of Arts in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Musicology and Musical Analysis, Music Technology and Sound Studies and Neuroscience and Music Perception, together about 61.2% of its articles. Its main subfields are Music. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
A leading journal in the field and an official publication of the Society for Music Theory, Music Theory Spectrum features rigorous and critical studies on a wide range of topics in music theory and analysis. The journal welcomes and publishes interdisciplinary articles that explore intersections between music theory and topics in the field such as ethnomusicology, historical musicology, mathematics, philosophy, psychology, and performance. Journal metrics Citation metrics Clarivate 2025 Impact Factor 0.8 2025 5 Year Impact Factor 0.9 2025 Cited Half-Life 12.9 years 2025 Immediacy Index 0.7 2025 Eigenfactor Score 0.00066 2025 Article Influence Score 0.944 Scopus 2025 CiteScore 2.2 Music (Rank by CiteScore) 18/196 2025 Source Normalized Impact per Paper (SNIP) 1.015 Readership 2025 Full Text Usage 31,144 About metrics Disclaimer Statements of fact and opinion in the articles in Music Theory Spectrum are those of the respective authors and contributors and not of the Journal, Society for Music Theory, or Oxford University Press, unless otherwise expressly indicated. Neither Oxford University Press, Society for Music Theory, nor the Journal make any representation, express or implied, in respect of the accuracy of the material in the Journal and cannot accept any legal responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions that may be made. Readers should make their own evaluation as to the appropriateness or otherwise of the information included.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): MUSIC
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United States 27, United Kingdom 1 (28 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Musicology and Musical AnalysisArts and Humanities33.7%
- Music Technology and Sound StudiesComputer Science15%
- Neuroscience and Music PerceptionNeuroscience12.6%
- Diverse Musicological StudiesArts and Humanities9.5%
- Music History and CultureArts and Humanities7.3%
- Music and Audio ProcessingComputer Science4.4%
- Diverse Music Education InsightsArts and Humanities3.1%
- Diverse Scientific and Economic StudiesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance2.3%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Arts Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Arts | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Music | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Arts Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Arts | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Music | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Arts Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Arts | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Music | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
Database indexing
AHCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 2.2Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 0.9Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 2.2LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2025
- 2.2Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.49LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.01LetPub ·
- h-index
- 52OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 327OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.03OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 50%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 8.06%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 20LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 31,144Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 1,590 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 15 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 31 | 3 | 12 |
| 2024 | 28 | 8 | 64 |
| 2023 | 39 | 6 | 139 |
| 2022 | 15 | 2 | 104 |
| 2021 | 23 | 2 | 268 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
- Peer review
- Double-anonymous peer reviewPublisher website · model-extracted
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 4,303 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,940 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
Other charges and waivers (author guidelines)
- Page charges
- USD 3,940
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
What to prepare4 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 100 words
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 10,000 words
- Reference style
- Author–date
- Cover letter
- Required
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteOpen access
- Open access Open access option for authors
Music Theory Spectrum authors have the option to publish their paper under the under an open access license; whereby, for a charge, their paper will be made freely available online immediately upon publication. After your manuscript is accepted the corresponding author will be required to accept a mandatory licence to publish agreement. As part of the licensing process you will be asked to indicat…
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- ISSN
- 0195-6167
- Electronic ISSN
- 1533-8339
- Society / sponsor
- Society for Music Theory
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 48, Issue 2 (2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Music Theory Spectrum
What CAS zone is Music Theory Spectrum in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Music Theory Spectrum is in Zone 1 of Arts, and in Zone 1 of the minor category Music; it is a Top journal. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 1 of Arts. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Music Theory Spectrum?
The journal's website gives an impact factor of 2.2 (2025); this is the journal's own figure, as LetPub lists none for it; CiteScore 2.2, h-index 52.
What are the manuscript requirements of Music Theory Spectrum?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 100 words; Manuscript length: ≤ 10,000 words; Reference style: Author–date; Cover letter: Required. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Music Theory Spectrum based?
Of the 28 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (27) and United Kingdom (1). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Music Theory Spectrum?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Music Theory Spectrum is indexed in AHCI and Scopus.
Is Music Theory Spectrum open access, and what is the APC?
Music Theory Spectrum is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 4,303.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, Publisher website; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-26). Last updated: .