About us

The Swiss National Sound Archives is the official depository of audio records in Switzerland. Its mission is the preservation of our country's audio heritage. Founded by law in 1987 as a private Foundation working in close collaboration with the Swiss National Library in Bern, the Phonotheque performs a part of the tasks assigned by law to the latter.

The Swiss National Sound Archives collects and catalogs audio documents related to the history and culture of Switzerland, both music and speech, for example: recordings of classical music, rock, jazz and pop, audio books, stories, theatrical works, interviews, research documents (field recordings) and private collections.