The collaborative digital platform Freesound, created in 2005 by the Music Technology Group at Pompeu Fabra University, is celebrating its 20th anniversary, having become one of the largest databases of creative-commons licensed sounds in the world. With nearly 700,000 shared recordings, Freesound has emerged as a reference for musicians, artists, researchers and creators around the world. To commemorate this anniversary, the CCCB is hosting a sound installation, curated by the Freesound team in collaboration with the artist Fito Conesa, which reflects on the concept of non-material legacies, the fragility of sound, and its value as intangible heritage. 

The project installs a series of cavities and acoustic devices throughout the CCCB, which promote an intimate, deep listening, connecting us with the landscapes and the situations that make up our intangible heritage. Additionally, various cultural agents and thinkers have been invited to explore the Freesound archive and select a playlist of “Sounds to Be Protected”: rare, unique or endangered recordings that spark a reflection on the future of our sound environment. 

Decades from now, will the sound of rain be just a memory? Or a rarity? The celebration of Freesound’s 20th anniversary is also a call to preserve the acoustic memory of the world we live in.