NYC's ARChive of Contemporary Music launches GoFundMe to help stay afloat

The ARChive of Contemporary Music (ARC), the not-for-profit archive, music library and research center in lower Manhattan, has been working to collect copies of every title released since 1985 and they’ve got the largest music collection in the world with over 3 million recordings (including 118,800+ 78rpm discs). Manhattan real estate has made it hard for the ARC to survive on their own, so they’ve launched a GoFundMe to help stay afloat:

Our Independence is important to us. We operate without any City, State or Federal funds. We cherish the ability to work on projects of choice and free from restrictions or the dependence on governmental/taxpayer support. Our once affordable rent on White Street has skyrocketed to $21,000 a month, making it increasingly difficult for a pure research organization to survive in Lower Manhattan. Our home is in New York and we would love to stay here.

Adds musician, producer and Chic svengali (and ARC Advisor Board member) Nile Rodgers, “It’s so important to preserve our music and have a place where it’s accessible, to go back and listen to old recordings and experience firsthand what life and the art form was like at that time. The ARChive is the only place that is saving our product.” You can donate to ARC here and you can become an ARC member as well. You can also donate your unwanted music to ARC — if you live in NYC they’ll come pick it up — and those donations are tax deductible.

The ARC also have semi-annual record sales of extra copies of titles and the 2019 Summer Sale happens June 8-23.