In the course of her professional life the English contralto Kathleen Ferrier made a large number of recordings. In the summer of 1944 she signed a contract with Columbia, which lasted until February 1946. She then transferred to Decca, and remained with them until her death in October 1953. Apart from her studio recordings, many of her live performances and broadcast recitals were recorded, sometimes privately. Some of these were later issued as commercial recordings; others are held by individuals or in the archives of broadcasting companies.

The following list is neither up to date nor entirely accurate, particularly in regard to a CD issue, entitled 'Kathleen Ferrier Remembered', released in June 2017, on SOMM264, comprising 26 tracks, 19 of which have never previously been issued. Most of these 19 are not listed below. They include Lieder by Schubert, Brahms, Wolf and Mahler and songs by Stanford, Parry, Jacobson and Rubbra, all taken from BBC broadcasts between 1947 and 1952.

In April 2019, a recording of Ferrier singing in Bach's 'Magnificat' during the 1950 Vienna International Bach Festival was issued for the first time. The CD catalogue number is SOMM Ariadne 5004 and it also features Irmgard Seefried and Friedl Riegler (sopranos), Hugo Meyer-Welfing (tenor) and Otto Edelmann (bass). The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus of the Vienna State Opera are conducted by Volkmar Andreae. The existence of this recording was not known until a vinyl disc was offered for sale on an internet auction site in 2018. In superb recorded sound, this discovery is a real treasure and completes the recordings available of the three works in which Ferrier sang at the 1950 Vienna Bach Festival.

Many of Ferrier's recordings were initially issued on 78 rpm discs. In due course these and later recordings were reissued in other formats: Long-playing (LP), cassette tape and compact disc (CD). The tables list only the dates and locations of the initial recordings.

In 2012 Decca issued a 14-CD + 1-DVD boxed set (Kathleen Ferrier: Centenary Edition - The Complete Decca Recordings) which comprises all recordings published by that company, including several important 'off-air' recordings to which they had the rights.

In the same year, EMI issued a 3-CD set (Kathleen Ferrier - The Complete EMI Recordings) comprising all her extant recordings for that company plus two previously unissued takes from the 1949 'Kindertotenlieder' and a complete recording of Gluck's 'Orfeo ed Euridice', to which they had the rights.

Paul Campion's book 'Ferrier - A Career Recorded' (second edition, published by Thames in 2005 and now distributed by Music Sales) contains details of all Ferrier recordings known at the time of publication.

Studio recordings, 1944–52 WorkComposerAccompanying forcesWhen/where recordedKFE Vol. no.NotesRef."What is Life?" GluckGerald Moore (piano)London: Abbey Road 30:6:1944From Orfeo ed Euridice (translated as "Orpheus".)Campion, pp. 3–4Constancy (Op. 3 No. 1)BrahmsGerald Moore (piano):London: Abbey Road 30:6:1944Feinsliebchen ("Sweetheart") BrahmsGerald Moore (piano)London: Abbey Road 30:6:1944From 49 Deutsche Volkslieder"My Work is Done" ElgarGerald Moore (piano)London: Abbey Road 30:6:1944From The Dream of Gerontius"I Will Lay Me Down in Peace"GreeneGerald Moore (piano)London: Abbey Road 30:9:1944Campion, pp. 5–6"O Praise the Lord"GreeneGerald Moore (piano)London: Abbey Road 30:9:1944"Spring is Coming"HandelGerald Moore (piano)London: Abbey Road 24:4:1945From OttoneCampion, p. 7"Come To Me, Soothing Sleep"HandelGerald Moore (piano)London: Abbey Road 24:4:1945From Ottone"Sound the Trumpet"PurcellGerald Moore (piano)Isobel Baillie (soprano)London: Abbey Road 21:9:1945From The Ode for Queen MaryCampion, p. 9"Let Us Wander"PurcellGerald Moore (piano)Isobel Baillie (soprano)London: Abbey Road 21:9:1945From The Indian Queen"Shepherd, Leave Decoying"PurcellGerald Moore (piano)Isobel Baillie (soprano)London: Abbey Road 21:9:1945From King Arthur"I Would that My Love" Op. 63 No, 1MendelssohnGerald Moore (piano)Isobel Baillie (soprano)London: Abbey Road 21:9:1945"Greeting" Op. 63 No. 3MendelssohnGerald Moore (piano)Isobel Baillie (soprano)London: Abbey Road 21:9:1945"Have Mercy, Lord, on Me"BachNational Symphony Orchestra cond. Malcolm SargentDavid McCallum (violin)London: Kingsway Hall 6:2:19463From St Matthew Passion ("Erbarme dich")Campion, p. 12"Art Thou Troubled?"HandelLondon Symphony Orchestra cond. Malcolm SargentLondon: Kingsway Hall 27:2:19463From Rodelinda ("Dove sei, amato bene")"What is Life?" GluckLondon Symphony Orchestra cond. Malcolm SargentLondon: Kingsway Hall 27:2:19463From Orfeo ed Euridice Stabat MaterPergolesiJoan Taylor (soprano); The Boyd Neel Orchestra cond. Roy Henderson; Nottingham Oriana ChoirLondon: Broadhurst Gardens 8:5:1946 and 28:5:19463Campion, p. 13"O Rest in the Lord"MendelssohnThe Boyd Neel Orchestra cond. Boyd NeelLondon: Broadhurst Gardens 2:9:19463From Elijah ("Sei stille dem Herrn")Campion, p. 14"Woe unto Them"MendelssohnThe Boyd Neel Orchestra cond. Boyd NeelLondon: Broadhurst Gardens 2:9:19463From Elijah ("Weh ihnen, dass sie von mir weichen")Campion, p. 14Gretchen am Spinnrade Op. 2SchubertPhyllis Spurr (piano)London: Broadhurst Gardens 14:3:19474Campion, p. 19Die junge Nonne Op. 43 No. 1SchubertPhyllis Spurr (piano)London: Broadhurst Gardens 14:3:19474Campion, p. 19Orfeo ed EuridiceGluckSoloists; Southern Philharmonic Orchestra cond. Fritz Stiedry; Glyndebourne Festival ChorusLondon: Broadhurst Gardens 22, 23 and 29:6:19471"Concise" version (although main arias are uncut)Campion, pp. 21–22St Matthew PassionBachSoloists; The Jacques Orchestra cond. Reginald Jacques; The Bach Choir; London: Kingsway Hall 30:6:47 and 4:7:47Ferrier's arias from abridged versionCampion, pp. 23–29Vier ernste GesängeBrahmsPhyllis Spurr (piano)London: Broadhurst Gardens 7/8:10:1947Not issuedCampion, pp. 30–31Gestillte Sehnsucht Op. 91 No. 1BrahmsPhyllis Spurr (piano); Max Gilbert (viola)London: Broadhurst Gardens 9:12:1947Not issuedGeistliches Wiegenlied Op. 91 No. 2BrahmsPhyllis Spurr (piano); Max Gilbert (viola)London: Broadhurst Gardens 9:12:1947Not issuedRhapsody for contralto, male chorus and orchestra (Alto Rhapsody)BrahmsLondon Philharmonic Orchestra cond. Clemens Krauss; London Philharmonic ChoirLondon: Kingsway Hall 18,19:12:194710 (in French)St Matthew PassionBachSoloists; The Jacques Orchestra cond. Reginald Jacques; The Bach Choir; London: Kingsway Hall 3:5:1948 – 11:6:19482Ferrier's arias from almost complete versionOmbra mai fuHandelLondon Symphony Orchestra cond. Sir Malcolm SargentLondon:Kingsway Hall 14:5:1948From Xerxes. Not issuedGestillte Sehnsucht Op. 91 No. 1BrahmsPhyllis Spurr (piano); Max Gilbert (viola)London: Broadhurst Gardens 22:6:1948Repeat of session 9:12:1947. Again not issuedGeistliches Wiegenlied Op. 91 No. 2BrahmsPhyllis Spurr (piano); Max Gilbert (viola)London: Broadhurst Gardens 22:6:1948Repeat of session 9:12:1947. Again not issued"Silent Night"GruberBoyd Neel String Orchestra cond. Boyd NeelLondon: Broadhurst Gardens 6:8:19484Campion, pp. 40–41"O Come, All Ye Faithful"TraditionalBoyd Neel String Orchestra cond. Boyd NeelLondon: Broadhurst Gardens 6:8:19484Fronde tenere...Ombra mai fuHandelLondon Symphony Orchestra cond. Sir Malcolm SargentLondon:Kingsway Hall 7:10:19483From Xerxes