Streaming Right Now: Free to Watch

The Democratization of the Archive

Fifteen years ago, access to great performing arts recordings required physical media, expensive subscriptions, or proximity to a major cultural institution. Today, an extraordinary amount of material is freely available to anyone with an internet connection.

This collection gathers the best currently available, updated as platforms add and remove titles.

OperaVision

The European Broadcasting Union's OperaVision platform offers free, high-quality opera productions from Europe's major houses — the Royal Opera House, the Paris Opéra, the Vienna State Opera, the Deutsche Oper. Productions are typically available for a limited period after broadcast.

Medici.tv

Medici's free tier provides access to an extensive archive of classical music performances, including opera and ballet. The quality of recording and presentation is consistently high.

PBS Great Performances

PBS's Great Performances series has broadcast performing arts content since 1972. A substantial archive is available through PBS.org and the PBS app.