Project Gramophone (PrGr) is envisioned to be a non-profit organization which will digitally transfer, preserve and make available (via one or more online archives) older sound recordings which have passed into the Public Domain in the server host country. Since Canada and several European countries currently have 50 year copyright terms for sound recordings, most (if not all) sound recordings recorded prior to 1953 appear to be free to transfer from source material and put online in those countries once arrangements have been made with song publishers and their agencies.

Because some countries have copyright terms for sound recordings longer than 50 years (the length of which varies from country to country), and because it is possible that copyright terms for sound recordings may be lengthened by international agreement at some future time, and for other reasons, it is currently envisioned that PrGr will voluntarily restrict itself to pre-World War 2 recordings.

(Unfortunately, due to the unusual copyright situation for sound recordings in the United States, no U.S.-made recordings are Public Domain in the U.S. This includes recordings made in the late 1800's! Therefore, no one on U.S. soil may stream or download the online recordings from the Project Gramophone server.)

"Project Gramophone" is inspired from the similar and successful project for printed works, Project Gutenberg, which has put thousands of Public Domain books online. Project Gutenberg has mobilized a huge volunteer force, and we see Project Gramophone doing something similar.

The moniker "Project Gramophone" is not etched in stone, and should the project be formally started, we may decide to change the name to something else. But for now "Project Gramophone" should suffice. The domain "projectgramophone.org" has been reserved, just in case.