The largest collection is the Cancionero de Palacio (compiled 1474-1516), which includes 458 pieces, including most of the works of Juan del Encina (see below). Most of the works are in Spanish, though a few are in Latin, French, Portuguese, or a mixture of languages. The collection is a good representation of the polyphonic vocal music that could be heard at the court of the Catholic Monarchs. Many of the pieces are in the form of a villancico. In modern usage, the term villancico refers to a Christmas song. In the early Renaissance period, it referred to vernacular language composition with a folk-like or folk-derived melody (villano means villager), for 1-4 voices. 

The Cancionero de Segovia (compiled 1499-1503) is a collection of music by French, Franco-Flemish, and Spanish composers; the majority of the pieces are Franco-Flemish. This reveals the significance of Franco-Flemish influence on the development of polyphonic vocal style in Spain. Franco-Flemish style was dominant in Europe at the time. Composers traveling to and from Spain, which was now part of the Holy Roman Empire, carried the style with them.

The Cancionero de la Colombina (1451-1506) is a shorter anthology. In 1534, Fernando Colón, the second son of Christopher Columbus, bought the manuscript; it received its name from him.

The Cancionero de Uppsala (published 1556, Venice) is titled “villancicos by various authors, for 2, 3, 4, and 5 voices.” While the term villancico is still used to refer to the secular compositions that make up much of the book, there is also a section of specifically Christmas-themed, religious compositions; thus, we begin to see a shift in the meaning of the term. The compositions also begin to be clearly sectional, with solo and polyphonic sections. This collection is also significant in that it includes the first published Spanish compositions that were clearly conceived for instruments; namely, a set of duets on different pitches, or tonos, that end the collection.