This is a list of composers who wrote for lute and similar period instruments: theorbo, chitarrone, vihuela etc. Composers who worked outside of their country of origin are listed according to where they were most active, i.e. German-born Johannes Hieronymus Kapsberger is listed under Italy. Within sections, the order is alphabetical by surname (or, in cases of, for example, Pietrobono and Lorenzino, by first name).

• Giovanni Maria Alemanni (fl. 1500–1525, no compositions survive)
• Pietro Paolo Borrono (c. 1490–1563)
• Franciscus Bossinensis (fl. 1510)
• Vincenzo Capirola (1474 – after 1548)
• Marco Dall'Aquila (c. 1480 – after 1538)
• Joan Ambrosio Dalza (fl. 1508)
• Francesco Canova da Milano (1497–1543)
• Francesco Spinacino (fl. 1507)
• Giovanni Angelo Testagrossa (1470–1530, no compositions survive)

• Bellerofonte Castaldi (1580–1649)
• Francesco Corbetta (c.1615–1681), composer for Baroque guitar
• Fabrizio Dentice (c.1539–1581)
• The Galilei family:
  • Vincenzo Galilei (late 1520s – 1591)
  • Michelagnolo Galilei (1575–1631), his son
• Johannes Hieronymus Kapsberger (c.1580–1651, of German descent)
• Simone Molinaro (c.1570 – after 1633)
• Alessandro Piccinini (1566–1638)
• Giovanni Zamboni (fl. second half of the 17th century)

• Francesco Bartolomeo Conti
• Ludovico Roncalli (1654–1713)
• Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741)

• Pierre Attaingnant (c.1494 – c.1551, publisher, possibly composer)
• Robert Ballard (1575–1649)
• Julien Belin (c.1525/30–1584)
• Jean-Baptiste Besard (c.1567 – after 1616)
• Pierre Blondeau (fl. 1st half of the 16th century, treasurer, possibly composer)
• Mlle Bocquet (fl. 1st half of the 17th century)
• François de Chancy (1600–1656)
• François Dufaut (before 1604 – before 1672)
• Jacques Gallot (died c. 1690)
• The Gaultier family:
  • Denis Gaultier (1597/1603–1672)
  • Ennemond Gaultier (1575–1651), his cousin
• Jacques Gautier (Gaultier) (fl. 1st half of the 17th century, died before 1660)
• Pierre Gautier (Gaultier) (1599 – after 1638, active in Italy)
• René Mesangeau (fl. 1567–1638)
• Germain Pinel (c. 1600–1664)
• Guillaume Morlaye (born c. 1510)
• Charles Mouton (1617–1699)
• Jean-Paul Paladin (died before September 1565, Italian-born)
• Julien Perrichon (1566 – c. 1600)
• Jakub Reys (c.1550 – c.1605, Polish-born)
• Albert de Rippe (1500–1551, Italian-born)
• Adrian Le Roy (c.1520–1598)
• Robert de Visée (c.1655–1732/3)

• Esteban Daza (c.1537 – 1591/6)
• Miguel de Fuenllana (fl. 1553–1578)
• Francisco Guerau (1649–1722, composed for Baroque guitar)
• Luys Milan (c.1500 – after 1560)
• Alonso de Mudarra (c.1510–1580)
• Santiago de Murcia (c.1682 – c.1740, moved to Mexico, composed for Baroque guitar)
• Luys de Narváez (fl. 1526–49)
• Diego Pisador (1509/10 – after 1557)
• Lucas Ruiz de Ribayaz (born probably before 1650, composed for Baroque guitar)
• Gaspar Sanz (mid-17th century–early 18th century, composed for Baroque guitar)
• Enríquez de Valderrábano (fl. 1547)

• Daniel Bacheler (1572–1619)
• Thomas Campion (1567–1620)
• Francis Cutting (c.1550 – c.1596)
• John Danyel (1564 – c.1626)
• The Dowland family:
  • John Dowland (1563–1626)
  • Robert Dowland (1591–1641)
• Alfonso Ferrabosco the elder (1543–1588, Italian-born)
• Cuthbert Hely (fl. 1620–1640)
• Anthony Holborne (c. 1545–1602)
• The Johnson family:
  • John Johnson (c. 1545–1594)
  • Robert Johnson (c. 1580–1634)
• Robert Jones (fl. 1597–1615)
• Peter Philips (c. 1560–1628)
• Thomas Robinson (fl. 1589–1609)
• Philip Rosseter (1567/8–1623)

• Emanuel Adriaenssen (c.1554–1604)
• Joachim van den Hove (1567–1620)
• Constantijn Huygens (1596–1687, no compositions survive)
• Philips van Marnix van Sint-Aldegonde (1540–1598, no compositions survive)
• Johannes Matelart (1538-1607)
• Josquin des Prez (c. 1450–1521)
• Jacques de Saint-Luc (1616–c.1710, worked in Paris, Vienna, etc.)
• Nicolas Vallet (c. 1583 – after 1642, French-born)
• Philip van Wilder (c. 1500 – 1554)

• Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)
• Jacques Bittner (fl. 1680)
• Ernst Gottlieb Baron (1696–1760)
• Adam Falckenhagen (1697–1754)
• Bernhard Joachim Hagen (1720–1787)
• Hans Gerle (c.1500 – 1570)
• Hans Judenkünig (c. 1445/50–1526)
• David Kellner (1670–1748)
• Karl Kohaut (1726–1784)
• Johann Kropfgans (1708-1770)
• Wolff Jakob Lauffensteiner (1676–1754)
• Elias Mertel (c.1561 – 1626)
• Hans Neusidler (c.1508/09 – 1563)
• Esaias Reusner (17th century)
• Sebastian Anton Scherer (1631–1712, no lute compositions survive)
• Arnolt Schlick (c. 1460 – after 1521)
• Silvius Leopold Weiss (1686–1750)

• Bálint Bakfark (Hungary, c.1526/30 – 1576)
• Diomedes Cato (Italy, 1560/65 – after 1607 or 1618, active in Poland)
• Wojciech Dlugoraj (Poland, 1557/8 – c.1619)
• Jan Antonín Losy (Bohemia, c.1643–1721)

• Dušan Bogdanović (US and Serbia)
• Johann Nepomuk David (Germany)
• Alexandre Danilevsky (France and Russia)
• Vladimir Vavilov (Russia)
• Paulo Galvão (Portugal)
• Jacopo Gianninoto (Italy)
• Sandor Kallos (Ukraine and Russia)
• Ronn McFarlane (US)
• Robert MacKillop (Scotland)
• Toyohiko Satoh (Japan and Netherlands)
• Roman Turovsky-Savchuk (US and Ukraine)
• Jozef van Wissem (US/The Netherlands)
• Andrei Krylov (Canada and Russia)