How do I obtain copies of sound recordings held by the Library of Congress

Copies of recordings in the collections of the Library of Congress can be made only with the written permission of the rights holders involved.

Copies are made in the Library's Recording Laboratory which charges $126.00 per hour of the engineer's time to make the transfers. Charges vary according to source material. We can deliver files to customers using Signiant Media Transfer service. This service allows users to securely download files to a computer's desktop after an email notification.  Charges are made in 15-minute increments with a 30-minute minimum, and the transfers are made in real time. Duplication of non-digitized materials may take four  to six weeks from the time the paperwork is completed. For further details and additional formats please see http://www.loc.gov/rr/record/audiodup.html .

ON-SITE COPYING OF RECORDINGS IS NOT PERMITTED.

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Last Updated: Aug 23, 2024   Views: 1335
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Recorded Sound Research Center
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Recorded Sound Research Guides
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Digitized historical sound recordings
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Search the non-digitized audio collection
Obtaining Copies of Audio Materials

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Additional Ways to Contact Us

Send written correspondence to:

Recorded Sound Reference Center
Library of Congress
101 Independence Ave. SE
Washington, D.C. 20540-4690

(202) 707-7833 (Phone)
(202) 707-7833 (Phone)
(202) 707-8464 (Fax)
(202) 707-8464 (Fax)

Please Note

We cannot provide lists of recordings in the public domain, perform copyright searches, provide extensive research including compiling discographies, provide language instruction tapes or books on tape for the visually disabled (see NLS), and/or offer appraisals.

Copyright Note: due to copyright restrictions the vast majority of sound recordings are not available online nor will they enter the public domain until the year 2067.