Recorded Sound Archives at FAU Libraries

Did you know some of the vintage recordings featured in the BioShock video game series can be found in the Recorded Sound Archives? The game’s creators used historic music to help bring its alternate-history world to life—and our collection preserves some of those sounds.

Take a trip back to 1912… through the power of recorded sound. 📻🎵

Every recording tells a story.

This semester, take a journey through sound with the Recorded Sound Archives. Explore traditions preserved in our Judaic Collection, revisit the voices that captivated audiences in the 1920s and 1930s, and experience the timeless artistry of Louis Armstrong.

You never know what you might discover when you start listening.

🔗 Read the full blog post and hear history for yourself.

Start the Semester with a Sound from the Past - Recorded Sound Archives Explore history through sound with the Recorded Sound Archives, from High Holy Days recordings to 1920s vocalists and Louis Armstrong.

🎙️ Bill Armstrong, a pioneer of Australia’s recording industry and founder of Armstrong Studios, has died at 97.

Discover more about his remarkable seven-decade career and contributions to Australian music and recording history. 👇

Bill Armstrong, Pioneer of Australian Recording Industry, Dies at 97 - That Eric Alper Bill Armstrong, the Australian music producer whose seven-decade career helped build the country’s recording industry from its earliest days, died on August 7, 2026, at the age of 97. Armstrong grew up in Melbourne and began his career recording his friends’ bands onto wire before being hired to...

🎶 Big news for music preservation! The ARChive of Contemporary Music has found a permanent home, helping ensure millions of recordings remain preserved and accessible for future generations.

Every recording has a story worth saving. 🎧 Read more below!

Archive Of Contemporary Music To Move Permanent Collection To Ridgefield The Archive of Contemporary Music plans to move to 650 Danbury Road in Ridgefield and open in 2028.

This Fourth of July, and as we look ahead toward America’s 250th anniversary, we’re celebrating the music of Irving Berlin with a special vintage piano roll performance of God Bless America from the personal collection of Ben Roth. 🇺🇸🎹

Originally written by Irving Berlin in 1918 and revised in 1938, God Bless America became one of America’s most enduring patriotic songs. This player piano roll offers a glimpse into how audiences experienced popular music in the early twentieth century through the remarkable technology of the player piano.

Wishing everyone a safe and happy Fourth of July as we reflect on America’s musical history through these vintage sounds.

God Bless America by Irving Berlin | Vintage Piano Roll Performance Celebrate the music of Irving Berlin with this vintage piano roll p...

🎙️ Before tape, there was wire!

A restored 1947 wire recorder has brought rare Dave Brubeck recordings back to life, proving that preserving old playback technology is just as important as preserving the recordings themselves.

It's a fascinating look at how yesterday's technology is helping save today's history. 🎶

Discover How a Restored 1947 Wire Recorder Helped Iron Mountain Preserve Rare Dave Brubeck Recordings, Combining Vintage Technology with Modern Audio Restoration. There are certain moments in archival audio work where history suddenly becomes very tangible. Recently, our studio had one of those moments when we acquired a functioning 1947 wire recorder we found…

Old VHS tapes and cassette recordings transformed into woven art pieces, blending media preservation, memory, and creativity into something entirely new. 📼🧵
A fascinating look at how obsolete formats can still tell stories in unexpected ways.

VHS tapes and cassette recordings replace yarn in a woven archive of collective memory woven VHS tapes transform obsolete media into a tapestry In Stories Seen and Heard (2025), Polish artist Kuba Święcicki transforms discarded VHS tapes and cassette recordings into a monumental woven installation, asking what happens when obsolete technology becomes a craft material.  Encountered...