Fate and future of digitized audio material created by private collectors

Hundreds of private and individual collectors in India are engaged in digitizing their audio collections contained in gramophone discs, audio cassette tapes and open reel spool tapes. In addition to commercial recordings, large amounts of private and field recordings are also being digitized. Most collectors are using online free software and try to create audio files by following archival standards. Mumbai based Society of Indian Record Collectors is collecting information on such collections of digital material. This paper will discuss the fate and future of this material in terms of preservation, documentation and dissemination. Issues related to storage, data sharing and the need for advice, support and help from experts in this field will be discussed.