The Library of Congress and the Universal Music Group (UMG) announced today the donation of more than 200, 000 historic master recordings-many long out-of-print or never released-to the Library's Recorded Sound Section, which has more than 3 million sound recordings in its collections.
Totaling in excess of 5, 000 linear feet, UMG's gift is the largest single donation ever received by the Library's audio-visual division and the first major collection of studio master materials ever obtained by the nation's oldest cultural institution.
The donation of the UMG archive to the Library of Congress is a major gift to the nation that will help maintain the inter-generational connection that is essential to keeping alive, in our collective national memory, the music and sound recordings meaningful to past generations.