wellrecorded

wellrecorded is a web-based platform and open data project that catalogs and evaluates the technical and contextual aspects of sound and moving-image recordings. It aims to document recording quality, provenance, and accessibility to assist researchers, educators, and archivists. Each entry includes metadata such as title, artist, date, venue, recording equipment, microphone configurations, room acoustics, and post-production notes, as well as qualitative assessments of capture quality and mastering. The project emphasizes transparency of methods and welcomes community contributions, with expert reviews to enhance reliability.

Origin and governance: wellrecorded began in 2015 as a collaboration among archivists, audio engineers, and musicologists seeking a shared reference for recording documentation. It operates as an open database with permissive licensing and an API for programmatic access. Institutions can contribute holdings and workflows, while individuals can annotate entries through structured tags and commentary.

Data structure and workflow: Data are organized into entities such as Recordings, Sessions, Equipment, and Venues, linked by provenance and version history. An editorial board oversees quality control, while a lightweight moderation system manages submissions and edits. The platform emphasizes licensing clarity and reproducible references.

Access and impact: wellrecorded is used by archival projects, education programs, and media studies to compare recording practices and to teach standards of documentation. It is cited for increasing transparency in provenance and techniques, while discussions note the ongoing need for broader coverage across genres and regions.

See also: Audio archival practice, Musicology, Sound studies, Digital humanities project.