A music genre is a conventional category that identifies some pieces of music as belonging to a shared tradition or set of conventions. It is to be distinguished from "musical form" and "musical style", although in practice these terms are sometimes used interchangeably. Recently, academics have argued that categorizing music by genre is inaccurate and outdated. 

Music can be divided into different genres in many different ways. The artistic nature of music means that these classifications are often subjective and controversial, and some genres may overlap. There are even varying academic definitions of the term "genre "itself. In his book "Form in Tonal Music", Douglass M. Green distinguishes between genre and form. He lists madrigal, motet, canzona, ricercar, and dance as examples of genres from the Renaissance period. To further clarify the meaning of "genre", Green writes, "Beethoven's Op. 61 and Mendelssohn's Op. 64 are identical in genre – both are violin concertos – but different in form. However, Mozart's Rondo for Piano, K. 511, and the "Agnus Dei" from his Mass, K. 317 are quite different in genre but happen to be similar in form." Some, like Peter van der Merwe, treat the terms "genre" and "style" as the same, saying that "genre" should be defined as pieces of music that share a certain style or "basic musical language." Others, such as Allan F. Moore, state that "genre" and "style" are two separate terms, and that secondary characteristics such as subject matter can also differentiate between genres. A music genre or subgenre may also be defined by the musical techniques, the style, the cultural context, and the content and spirit of the themes. Geographical origin is sometimes used to identify a music genre, though a single geographical category will often include a wide variety of subgenres. Timothy Laurie argues that since the early 1980s, "genre has graduated from being a subset of popular music studies to being an almost ubiquitous framework for constituting and evaluating musical research objects".
What is music often divided into?
Are these objective categorizations?
Is there distinct boundaries between all genres?
What did Green publish?
How many categories of Renassiance music did he list?
Is dance one of those?
Did he argue that genre and form were essentially the same?
Which pieces did he argue with the same genre but had different forms?
Which works were examples of the exact opposite of that?
What genre would The Beethoven and Mendelssohn pieces be listed as?
Do van der Merwe and Moore argue the same point?
Which one of them thinks genre and style are the same?
How does he define it?
Is musical technique one way define a genre?
What is another?
Is geographical origin ever used?
What is one issue with that?
Who said that the term has graduated from being a subset of popular music studies?
What type of framework has it become in his opinion?
What do recent academics think  about this type of categorization?
different genres
Music can be divided into different genres
no
these classifications are often subjective
no
some genres may overlap
"Form in Tonal Music"
In his book "Form in Tonal Music", Douglass M. Green
Five
He lists madrigal, motet, canzona, ricercar, and dance
yes
dance
no
Douglass M. Green distinguishes between genre and form
Beethoven's Op. 61 and Mendelssohn's Op. 64
"Beethoven's Op. 61 and Mendelssohn's Op. 64 are identical in genre – both are violin concertos – but different in form.
Mozart's Rondo for Piano, K. 511, and the "Agnus Dei" from his Mass, K. 317
Mozart's Rondo for Piano, K. 511, and the "Agnus Dei" from his Mass, K. 317
concertos
 "Beethoven's Op. 61 and Mendelssohn's Op. 64 are identical in genre – both are violin concertos
no
ome, like Peter van der Merwe, treat the terms "genre" and "style" as the same
Peter van der Merwe
Peter van der Merwe, treat the terms "genre" and "style" as the same
as pieces of music that share a certain style
"genre" should be defined as pieces of music that share a certain style
yes
A music genre or subgenre may also be defined by the musical techniques
the style
A music genre or subgenre may also be defined by the musical techniques, the style,
yes
Geographical origin is sometimes used to identify a music genre
a single geographical category will often include a wide variety of subgenres
a single geographical category will often include a wide variety of subgenres
Timothy Laurie
Timothy Laurie argues that since the early 1980s, "genre has graduated from being a subset
for constituting and evaluating musical research objects
an almost ubiquitous framework for constituting and evaluating musical research objects
that it is inaccurate and outdated
ecently, academics have argued that categorizing music by genre is inaccurate and outdated