The Robert Hernried Papers span from 1907 to 1951, with the bulk of the materials dating from 1937 to 1951. The Music series primarily consists of holograph scores for music Hernried composed and arranged, including lieder, motets, madrigals, sacred works, carols, solo works for woodwinds and piano, an opera, and a mass. Notably, there are four songs by Robert Schumann in the hand of his grandson Ferdinand.

The bulk of the letters in the Correspondence series are between Hernried and translator Theodora Lau. Though they primarily wrote to each other about the translations of his compositions from German to English, they also discussed their lives and families. Letters from other correspondents cover topics such as music and article publishing, guest lecturing, news from friends and colleagues, and employment opportunities. Hernried identifies two correspondents as belonging to the Nazi party.

The Writings series contains four articles written by Hernried and reviews of his opera The Peasant Woman (Die Bäuerin) .

Testimonials from professors, employers, and fellow artists; military records; and articles written about Hernried largely comprise the Biographical Information series. There are also letters terminating Hernried's teaching position in Berlin in 1934 and the passenger manifest for the ship on which he sailed to New York in 1939.

Programs and a poster comprise the Programs and Publicity series. The programs are for performances Hernried attended, performances of his works, or performances of his students, and the poster advertises a performance of his Mass in D.