[78-L] ARSC CD Release Celebrates the New U.S. Public Domain for Sound Recordings

[Bill Klinger]

--- The New U.S. Public Domain for Recordings Uncovers Some Remarkable
Recordings ---

A First-Ever CD Release by the Association for Recorded Sound Collections

Eugene, Oregon -- March 25, 2022

The Association for Recorded Sound Collections, a nonprofit organization
dedicated to the preservation and study of sound recordings, is celebrating
the inauguration of a public domain for sound recordings in the U.S. by
issuing its first-ever album, an international tour of audio riches. This
new public domain for early recordings, including those imported into the
U.S., was made possible by provisions of the Music Modernization Act of 2018
that became effective on January 1, 2022. ARSC fought for these changes in
U.S. law for 20 years, on behalf of the public.

The celebratory CD is being distributed free to ARSC members, and made
available at cost to others. The CD comes with a special hundred-page issue
of the ARSC Journal, which contains a detailed essay on each track, color
images of rare labels, and other documents from the pre-1923 era, along with
articles on the fight to establish the public domain and on rights
management in archives.

The new public domain includes an estimated 400,000 recordings released
before 1923, with more years to be added later. How do you compile a CD
that's not full of records that aren't already available somewhere, legally
or illegally? Difficult, but not impossible when ARSC members contribute
their technical skill, historical knowledge, and spectacular collections to
make the project possible. A few of the tracks have not been available since
they were first released. Others are heard in better sound than ever before,
or were obscure enough that most people might never have found them.

The CD and Journal issue are available to non-members at cost ($12 plus
post), at:
https://www.arsc-audio.org/journal.html
where the full track list can be viewed. It includes 27 selections ranging
from early jazz to classical, spoken word and the music of immigrant groups.
In addition to the U.S., tracks were recorded in Germany, Cuba, England,
Spain, India, Japan, Rumania, Brazil, Italy and Mexico.

Contact:
Nathan Georgitis
Executive Director, ARSC
1299 University of Oregon
Eugene, OR  97403-1299

(541) 346-1852

execdir at arsc-audio.org