Journal profile · Multiple
Plainsong & Medieval Music
ISSN 0961-1371 · eISSN 1474-0087 · Cambridge University Press
Plainsong & Medieval Music: CAS Zone 1 · Arts (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,550; 16 articles in 2025; indexed in AHCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Plainsong & Medieval Music is published by Cambridge 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 Medieval Literature and History, Historical and Archaeological Studies and Reformation and Early Modern Christianity, together about 34.2% of its articles. Its main subfields are History. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Published twice a year, this journal covers the entire field of plainchant and music as well as book reviews. It encompasses Eastern and Western chant, secular lyric, music theory, palaeography, performance practice, as well as medieval and early renaissance polyphony, both sacred and secular. The chronological scope extends from late antiquity to the early Renaissance and to the present day in the case of chant.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Multiple
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United Kingdom 6, United States 3, Germany 1, Ireland 1 (11 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Medieval Literature and HistoryArts and Humanities14.5%
- Historical and Archaeological StudiesArts and Humanities10.2%
- Reformation and Early Modern ChristianityArts and Humanities9.5%
- Medieval European Literature and HistoryArts and Humanities8.3%
- Diverse Scientific and Economic StudiesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance8.2%
- Musicology and Musical AnalysisArts and Humanities5.6%
- Diverse Musicological StudiesArts and Humanities5.6%
- Historical and Religious Studies of RomeArts and Humanities4.1%
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 | Medieval & Renaissance Studies | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Music | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Arts Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Arts | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Medieval & Renaissance Studies | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Music | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Arts Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Arts | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Music | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Medieval & Renaissance Studies | Zone 3 |
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
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 0.4LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.1LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.08LetPub ·
- h-index
- 28OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 44OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 0.03OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 50%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 42.86%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 9LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 600 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 5 | 4 | 0 |
| 2025 | 16 | 10 | 1 |
| 2024 | 10 | 7 | 0 |
| 2023 | 11 | 6 | 16 |
| 2022 | 15 | 8 | 48 |
| 2021 | 16 | 7 | 5 |
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.
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 3,550 / GBP 2,460 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | Yes, amount not published | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
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)
Article types accepted2
- recording reviewPlainsong & Medieval Music publishes: Research Article* Recording ReviewLength not stated
- research articlePlainsong & Medieval Music publishes: Research Article* Recording ReviewLength not stated
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
- Cambridge University Press
- ISSN
- 0961-1371
- Electronic ISSN
- 1474-0087
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Plainsong & Medieval Music
What CAS zone is Plainsong & Medieval Music in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Plainsong & Medieval Music is in Zone 1 of Arts, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Medieval & Renaissance Studies / Music; it is a Top journal. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 2 of Arts. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
Where are the editorial board members of Plainsong & Medieval Music based?
Of the 11 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United Kingdom (6), United States (3) and Germany (1). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Plainsong & Medieval Music?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Plainsong & Medieval Music is indexed in AHCI and Scopus.
Is Plainsong & Medieval Music open access, and what is the APC?
Plainsong & Medieval Music is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,550.
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: .