Library Of Congress Receives Largest Single Audio Donation (NPR News)

From NPR News:

by Tom Cole
All Things Considered

The donation came from Universal Music Group and is made up of master recordings — the final metal discs used to press commercial releases; lacquer discs that were cut in the studio to capture full takes of tunes; and reel-to-reel tapes from the late 1940s. The material dates from around 1930 to around 1950 and marks the first time the Library has received commercial masters from a major label.


Universal retains the copyright to the recordings and, as is the case in most donations of this kind, will get digital copies of the Library's preservation work. The label's agreement with the Library of Congress allows for non-commercial streaming on the Library's website — a site the Library hopes to launch this spring. It's a collaboration with another major label — Sony-BMG — a project to be called the National Jukebox.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/therecord/2011/01/10/132803768/200-000-recordings-donated-to-library-of-congress