British Library Sound Archive

Based in London, U.K., British Library Sound Archive is the new name for Archival Sound Recordings (ASR). It has over 50 000 recordings from the British Library’s extensive collections of unique sound recordings from all over the world.

The selections available online were made during the Archival Sound Recordings (ASR) project. The project ran from 2004 to 2009 under a Digitisation Programme funded by the JISC (Joint Information Systems Committee).

The World and Traditional Music selection has been made available by the British Library for non-commercial research, study and private enjoyment. It should not be used in any manner derogatory to the indigenous communities of the recordings. The selection includes the Arthur Morris Jones Africa collection, Decca West African Recordings, Dinka songs from South Sudan, Giles Swayne Senegal Collection, Hans-Joachim Heinz Botswana Collection, Johns Brearly Botswana Collection, Kenneth Gourlay Uganda Collection, Kevin Volans Southern Africa Music Collection, Peter Cooke Uganda Collection, David Rycroft South Africa Collection, Trevor Wiggins Ghana Music Collection, Violeta Ruano Portraits of Saharawi Music and the Klaus Wachsmann Uganda Collection.

The British Library is open to the public on Mondays from 10h00 to 20h00, Tuesday to Thursday from 09h30 to 20h00, Friday and Saturday from 09h30 to 17h00. It is closed on Sundays.