DRAM

 

DRAM

DRAM is a not-for-profit resource providing educational communities with on-demand streaming access to CD-quality audio (192kbps Mp4), complete original liner notes and essays from independent record labels and sound archives. Continuing in the tradition of DRAM's sister company New World Records, one of DRAM's primary focuses is the preservation and dissemination of important recordings that have been neglected by the commercial marketplace, recordings that may otherwise become lost or forgotten.
Currently DRAM's collection contains more than 3,000 albums worth of recordings from a distinctive set of 26 independent labels, and we are continually working to add more content. The basis for the current collection is the diverse catalogue of American music recordings by New World Records. From folk to opera, Native American to jazz, 19th century classical to early rock, musical theater, contemporary, electronic and beyond, New World has served composers, artists, students and the general public since its inception in 1975 with a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation.
DRAM also includes music from other contributing sources, including the CRI, Albany, innova, Cedille, XI, Pogus, Deep Listening and Mutable Music labels. In the future, alliances with other major and independent labels and archival sources will be crucial to enhancing DRAM's role of serving the needs of serious music scholars.

DRAM is accessible to anyone at a participating university, college or public library. At this time, individual subscriptions are not available, though DRAM intends to offer them in the future.
DRAM does not limit the number of users at any one time, and offers subscribers unlimited access to all its contents from either on or off-campus locations. DRAM observes all legal and industry mandated copyright and artist royalties.
DRAM has been made possible with an initial grant from the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation and by substantial ongoing support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, as well as all of DRAM's participating institutions.