1557 in music

Events

 * August 10 – A precursor of the Royal Artillery Mounted Band makes its first recorded appearance at the Battle of St. Quentin with "".
 * Hoste da Reggio replaces Simon Boyleau as maestro di cappella at Milan Cathedral.

Publications

 * Martin Agricola – Melodiae scholasticae sub horarum intervallis decantandae (Wittenberg: Georg Rhau), music used at the Protestant school in Magdeburg, published posthumously
 * Jacques Arcadelt – 3 Masses (Paris: Le Roy & Ballard)
 * Filippo Azzaiolo (published anonymously) – Villotte del fiore: il primo libro de villotte alla padoana con alcune napolitane, for four voices (Venice: Antonio Gardano)
 * Jacob Clemens non Papa
 * Second book of masses: Missa Virtute magna for four voices (Leuven: Pierre Phalèse), published posthumously
 * Third book of masses: Missa En espoir for four voices (Leuven: Pierre Phalèse), published posthumously
 * Fourth book of masses: Missa Ecce quam bonum for five voices (Leuven: Pierre Phalèse), published posthumously
 * Fifth book of masses: Missa Gaude lux donatione for five voices (Leuven: Pierre Phalèse), published posthumously
 * Sixth book of masses: Missa Caro mea for five voices (Leuven: Pierre Phalèse), published posthumously
 * Souterliedekens IIII for three voices (Antwerp: Tielman Susato), settings of Psalms and other hymns in Dutch, published posthumously
 * Pierre Clereau – Missa Virginis Mariae for four voices (Paris: Nicolas Du Chemin)
 * Claude Goudimel – Third book of psalms for four and five voices (Paris: Le Roy & Ballard)
 * Jacobus de Kerle – Motets for four and five voices (Rome: Valerio Dorico)
 * Orlande de Lassus – Second book of madrigals for five voices (Rome: Antoine Barré)
 * Jean Maillard
 * Patrem for eight voices (Paris: Le Roy & Ballard), a setting of the Credo
 * Missa Virginis Mariae for five voices (Paris: Le Roy & Ballard)
 * Jan Nasco
 * Canzonas and madrigals for six voices (Venice: Antonio Gardano)
 * Second book of madrigals for five voices (Venice: Antonio Gardano)
 * Dominique Phinot – Missa Si bona suscepimus for four voices (Paris: Nicolas du Chemin)
 * Francesco Portinaro – Third book of madrigals for five and six voices (Venice: Antonio Gardano), also includes dialogs for seven and eight voices
 * Cipriano de Rore
 * Second Book of Madrigals in Four Parts
 * Fourth Book of Madrigals in Five Parts

Births

 * February 15 – Alfonso Fontanelli, composer, writer and nobleman (d. 1622)
 * September 16 – Jacques Mauduit, composer (d. 1627)
 * date unknown – Giovanni Croce, composer (d. 1609)
 * probable – Thomas Morley, composer, theorist, editor and organist (d. 1602)

Deaths

 * April 21 – Girolamo Parabosco, composer, organist and poet (b. 1524)
 * probable
 * Thomas Crecquillon, Franco-Flemish composer (b. 1505; possibly plague)
 * Nicholas Ludford, composer of masses (b. c. 1485; possibly influenza)