Editorial Policy

The Classic Note publishes guides to classical music for general readers. This policy explains how we decide what to write, how we check it, and how we keep it trustworthy.

Our principles

• We publish for human readers first.
• Every article is reviewed for clarity, factual accuracy, and listening usefulness before it goes live.
• We prefer plain, readable English over academic density.
• We aim for trustworthy guides that help people listen better, not exhaustive scholarship on every page.

Sourcing and fact-checking

Factual claims — dates, work and catalogue numbers, premieres, and historical events — are checked against established references, such as standard music encyclopedias, publisher and catalogue listings, and primary score archives like IMSLP, before publication. Where music history is uncertain or disputed, we try to say so rather than present a single version as settled fact.

Recommendations

Listening suggestions and recording recommendations reflect editorial judgment about what serves a reader. They are not paid placements. We do not accept payment to feature a performer, recording, or work.

AI assistance

Articles are written with AI and must pass automated review and fact-checking before publication. Editorial standards, supervision, and corrections are human responsibilities. We never publish raw, unedited AI text, and we do not invent quotations or sources. Full details are on our AI Disclosure page.

Corrections and updates

When we find or are told about an error, we fix it. Major corrections or structural updates are reflected in the page’s update date. See our Corrections page for how to report a mistake.