Early manuscripts of such compositions are a major focus of the website, which provides access to high-resolution digitized versions of many of these.

Scholarship on manuscripts and versions of compositions is summarized on separate pages, with references to scholarly sources and editions.

[8] With Uwe Wolf as a leading designer,[9] the development of the website began in 2008,[10] and the database went online in 2010.

[2][10] Apart from the sponsoring by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, funding for access to international documents has been granted by the national Beauftragter der Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien [de] since 2013.

Libraries also contributing have included the Frankfurt University Library, Bachhaus Eisenach, Universitätsbibliothek Johann Christian Senckenberg, Württembergische Landesbibliothek, Stadtbibliothek Leipzig [de], Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Heimatmuseum Saalfeld, Herzogin Anna Amalia Bibliothek, and Stiftelsen Musikkulturens Fraemjande in Stockholm.

He sees another possible use of the website: it allows interested readers to check the quality of published editions of Bach's music and assess editorial choices by comparing such editions with the original manuscripts, displayed in high resolution on the website.

[10] In the month of December, 32,537 views were counted, 896 of them for the autograph of Bach's Christmas Oratorio, the manuscript creating the most interest.