Brief description: Museum collection includes such traditional Azerbaijani musical instruments as the tar, the kamancha, the saz, the daf, the naghara, the goshe-naghara, the zurna, the ney; distinctive musical instruments, such as the cane-tar and the cane-saz; gramophones, gramophone records, musical boxes; manuscripts, autographs, personal belongings of founder of Azerbaijani professional music Uzeir Hajibeyov, the first Azerbaijani singer trained in the bel canto tradition Bulbul, and to prominent composers Gara Garayev, Fikret Amirov, and other distinguished Azerbaijan musicians; playbills, programs, photographs, audio and video records, books of Azeri music, and object d'art connected with music. These items can be seen in the main museum building and three its branches. The permanent exhibition in the main building tells about the total history of Azerbaijani music beginning with old time and coming through the Middle Ages and Modern times to nowadays. As one of the branches of the Museum, the permanent exhibition of traditional musical instruments stresses visitors attention on their diversity and performing art.
Niyazi Museum is dedicated to the memory of the outstanding Conduktor and composer Niyazi (1912-1984) and preserves some rooms of his apartment in the same condition as they used to be during his life in it (since 1958 till his death).                                Vagif Mustafazade Museum also reflects life and art of the famous musician (1940-1978) who united American jazz, Azerbaijani mugam and European pianist traditions in his music.
There is an ensemble in the Museum, which plays on copies of original oriental musical instruments. It consists of 14 musicians and is a unique ensemble because the musicians play medieval instruments. These instruments used to be common throughout eastern countries but later, however, disappeared and were forgotten.
They can only be seen in the State Museum of Azerbaijani Musical Culture. The repertoire of this ensemble includes both music of the 14th century and the Azerbaijani folk songs.