This paper aims to present a systematic literature review of research in music information seeking and its application to musical creativity and creative activities and in particular composition, performance and improvisation, and listening and analysis. A seed set of 901 articles published between 1973 and 2015 was evaluated and in total 65 studies were considered for further analyses. Data extraction and synthesis was performed through content analysis using the PRISMA method. Three thematic categories were identified in regard to music information needs: (a) those related to scholarly activities, (b) musically motivated, as well as (c) those which are related to socializing and communication. In addition, 3 categories of music information sources were connected to musical creativity: (i) those that are related to Internet and media technologies, (ii) those that are related to music libraries, organizations, and music stores, and (iii) those that are related to the subjects' social settings. The paper provides a systematic review, with the aim of showcasing the effect of modern information retrieval techniques in a creative and intensive area of information‐dependent activity such as music making and consumption.