1574 in music

Publications

 * Lodovico Agostini – First book of canzoni alla napolitana for five voices (Venice: sons of Antonio Gardano)
 * Giammateo Asola
 * First book of masses for four voices (Venice: sons of Antonio Gardano)
 * Psalmodia ad vespertinas omnium solemnitatum horas for eight voices (Venice: heirs of Girolamo Scotto), also contains two Magnificats
 * Joachim a Burck – Passio Iesu Christi. Im 22. Psalm des Propheten Davids beschrieben for four voices (Erfurt: Georg Baumann)
 * Joachim a Burck & Johannes Eccard – Odae Ludovici Helmboldi, latinae & germanicae (Odes of Ludwig Helmbold, in Latin and German) for four voices (Mühlhausen: Georg Hantzsch), a shared volume of hymn settings
 * Ippolito Chamaterò – Introits for four, five, and six voices (Venice: heirs of Girolamo Scotto)
 * Girolamo Dalla Casa – First book of madrigals for five and six voices (Venice: the sons of Antonio Gardano)
 * Johannes Eccard – Zwentzig Neue Christliche Gesäng Ludovici Helmboldi (Twenty New Christian Songs by Ludwig Helmbold) for four voices (Mühlhausen: Georg Hantzsch)
 * Andrea Gabrieli – First book of madrigals for six voices (Venice: Antonio Gardano, figliuoli)
 * Vincenzo Galilei – First book of madrigals for four and five voices (Venice: Antonio Gardano, figliuoli)
 * Jacobus de Kerle – Egregia cantio, in gratiam et honorem generosi ac nobilis domini, Melchioris Lincken Augustani for six voices (Nuremberg: Theodor Gerlach)
 * Orlande de Lassus
 * Patrocinium musices, Part 2 (Munich: Adam Berg), a collection of masses for five voices
 * Patrocinium musices, Part 3 (Munich: Adam Berg), a collection of liturgical music for five voices
 * Giorgio Mainerio – Magnificat in all eight tones for four voices (Venice: Giovanni Bariletto)
 * Claudio Merulo – First book of ricercari da cantare for four voices (Venice: the sons of Antonio Gardano)
 * Philippe de Monte
 * Third book of motets for five voices (Venice: heirs of Girolamo Scotto)
 * Fifth book of madrigals for five voices (Venice: the sons of Antonio Gardano)
 * Melchior Neusidler – Teuetsch Lautenbuch

Births

 * January 9 (baptized) – Christoph Buel, German composer
 * January 17 – Robert Fludd, English composer and writer (died 1637)
 * March 7 (baptized) – John Wilbye, English madrigal composer (died 1638)
 * May 14 – Francesco Rasi, Italian tenor (died 1621)
 * July 8 (baptized) – Giovanni Battista Stefanini, Italian composer
 * September 2 (baptized) – Georg Leopold Fuhrmann, German lutenist, engraver, printer, editor and publisher
 * September 27 (baptized) – Jean Dufon, Flemish composer and singer
 * date unknown
 * Andreas Hakenberger, composer (died 1627)
 * Francis Tregian the Younger, English recusant and musician, possible compiler of the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book (d. 1618).
 * Claudio Pari, Italian composer (d. c. 1619).

Deaths

 * February – Domenico Ferrabosco, Italian composer and singer
 * March – Giovanni Contino, Italian composer
 * March 5 – Pedro Fernández, Spanish composer
 * November – Robert White, English composer
 * date unknown
 * Jean Guyon, French composer of chansons
 * Antonfrancesco Doni – Italian writer, academic and musician