認同的本質與意義，有其在人文領域，在社會科學、藝術，和音樂，以及在許多其他研究領域裡深遠的影響力。其為在定義社會、族群、國家、地土、區域，和不同文化本質裡之一個基本的面向。它提供了可能性，去確認、特徵化不同的文化現象、其由來起源、歷史的背景與存在。音樂學有其不同的策略以克服認同的問題，特別是透過比較、風格的分析，和分類的過程。語言和音樂，作為溝通的特別形式，隸屬最有效力的標準，影響著我們的文化傳統、社會意識和行為。一些例子呈現在有關於儀式或非儀式音樂的發展，如葛利果聖歌，在十五、十六世紀的改革運動裡有其合一化的音樂趨勢，在十八、十九世紀，整個歐洲又有其社會與意識型態的轉變等等。在最近這幾十年來，更多的注目是在洲的概念與其文化認同上，如亞洲的、非洲的、歐洲的、拉丁美洲的。民歌、傳統音樂，和國家的音樂，均是重要的要素以達成構建認同的成覺，和在現其社會的內在與外在。樂器，以其特別的形狀、形式、功能、演奏調式、國家裡的種類等作為文化及其認同之一個不可或缺的部分，常被理解作為國家的象徵。

The substance and meaning of identity has far-reaching consequences in the humanities, in social sciences, arts, and music, as well as in many other research programs. It is a basic aspect in defining societies, ethnic groups, nations, lands, regions, and different cultural entities. It offers possibility to identify and characterize different cultural phenomena, their origin, historical background and presence. Musicology has different strategies to overcome the problem of identity, especially by comparison, style analysis, and classification procedures. Language and music as special forms of communication belong to most effective criteria influencing our cultural tradition, social consciousness and behavior. Some examples are presented concerning the development of liturgical and non-liturgical music (Gregorian chant), the unifying musical tendencies in reformatory movements in the 15th and 16th centuries, in the case of social and ideological changes throughout of Europe, in the 18th and 19th century etc. In the last decades much attention is given to concepts of continental and cultural identity, the Asian, African, European, Latin American one etc. Folk music, traditional music and national music are important elements in achieving and building identity feeling and representing it inside and outside of the societies. Musical instruments are often understood as national symbols, with their special shape, form, function, playing mode, national repertory being an integral part of the cultures and their identity.