The Contemporary Music Centre supports the work of composers throughout the Republic and Northern Ireland. It is located in the west end of Dublin’s Temple Bar. Its library contains a collection of over 9,000 works by over 220 Irish composers. The audiovisual archive contains some 10,000 recordings of music by Irish composers alongside talks and interviews in various formats from CDs to LPs, cassettes and quarter-inch reels. The library and sound archive, which are open to the public free of charge, comprise the only comprehensive collection of music by Irish composers in existence. Most of the works are unpublished and copies of scores and parts are available for reference, sale, hire or inspection.

The centre is used, nationally and internationally, by performers, composers, promoters and members of the public interested in finding out more about music in Ireland. Extensive reference and advice services are available and the centre's website provides access to resources for those who cannot visit in person.

The Contemporary Music Centre engages in an ongoing programme of development work to promote new Irish music at home and abroad, and is a member of the International Association of Music Information Centres (IAMIC).