Recovery Speakers preserves historically significant audio recordings documenting the Twelve-Step recovery movement. Our collection includes over 5,000 reel-to-reel tape recordings, along with additional legacy audio formats such as cassettes and CDs. Many of these unique recordings exist solely on aging analog media and require professional digitization to prevent irreversible loss.
Our preservation strategy prioritizes high-quality digital capture, redundant storage, and long-term accessibility.
Digitization Standards
Preservation Masters
- Format: WAV or Broadcast WAV (BWF)
- Bit Depth: 24-bit
- Sample Rate: 96 kHz (or highest stable capture supported by source condition)
- No processing, remastering, or noise reduction applied
Preservation master files remain unaltered to ensure archival integrity.
Access Files
- Format: High-quality compressed audio (MP3 or AAC)
- Created for streaming and educational use
- Derived from preservation masters
Access files are optimized for usability while preservation masters remain the archival record.
Storage & Backup Strategy
Recovery Speakers maintains multiple copies of all preservation master files stored in separate locations, including secure cloud storage and offsite backup systems. This redundancy reduces risk of loss due to hardware failure, accidental deletion, or localized disruption.
Access files are stored separately from preservation masters to protect the integrity of archival originals.
Digitization Approach
When possible, digitization is performed by qualified external preservation vendors using professional-grade playback equipment calibrated to archival standards. Priority is given to recordings that are:
- Physically deteriorating
- Historically significant
- Unique or irreplaceable
- At risk due to format obsolescence
Digitization occurs in phases as funding allows.
Access & Sustainability
Digitized recordings are integrated into the Recovery Speakers digital archive for responsible public access, research use, and educational programming. Metadata is created to improve discovery and long-term usability.
Ongoing preservation efforts remain a core organizational priority, with continued digitization of reel-to-reel recordings serving as the primary objective.
