Over 10,000 rare concert recordings now available on Internet Archive
What's the story
Aadam Jacobs, a Chicago-based music enthusiast, has been recording concerts since the 1980s. His massive collection of over 10,000 tapes is now being digitized by volunteers from the Internet Archive. So far, some 2,500 of these recordings have been uploaded to the non-profit digital library's platform. The collection includes rare performances such as Nirvana's 1989 show and previously unknown recordings from iconic bands like Sonic Youth and R.E.M.
Diverse archive
Collection features performances from influential artists
Jacobs's extensive collection also features performances from artists like Liz Phair, Pavement, and Neutral Milk Hotel. Despite being recorded on mediocre equipment, the volunteer audio engineers at the Internet Archive have managed to enhance the sound quality of these tapes. One such engineer, Brian Emerick, visits Jacobs monthly to collect more boxes of these precious recordings for digitization.
Process
Digitization process and its significance
The digitization process involves playing the tapes on anachronistic cassette decks that convert them into digital files. After this, other volunteers clean, organize, and label these recordings. They even go to the extent of identifying song names from forgotten punk bands. This meticulous work is all part of a larger effort by the Internet Archive to preserve music history for future generations.