On Tuesday, March 11, 2025, a working meeting on the topic of digitizing musical heritage was held at the Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall, organized by the Croatian Music Information Centre (MIC). The goal of the meeting was to exchange knowledge and experiences among institutions involved in the digitization of musical materials and to define key challenges and opportunities for future collaboration. Representatives from various institutions attended, including the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts (HAZU), the Croatian Music Institute (HGZ), Croatian Radiotelevision (HRT), the Libraries of the City of Zagreb and Duga Resa (KGZ), the Music Academy, and the Croatian Music Information Centre (MIC).

Why is the Digitization of Musical Heritage Important?

The digitization of musical heritage is a crucial step in preserving and ensuring access to valuable cultural materials. It enables permanent storage, easier searching, and simplified access for both experts and the general public. However, this process comes with numerous challenges, including financial constraints, a lack of skilled personnel, and legal obstacles related to copyright issues.

Key Challenges of Digitization

One of the biggest challenges institutions face is the lack of financial and human resources. Many organizations operate with limited budgets and do not have enough specialized staff to carry out digitization processes. Additionally, legal regulations pose a serious challenge, as a significant portion of digitized materials cannot be made publicly available due to copyright restrictions.

Another important aspect is the need for technical standardization. To ensure long-term preservation and data interoperability, it is necessary to unify formats and metadata. Moreover, digitized musical materials are not currently consolidated into a single national database, making searches and usage more complicated.

Recommendations and Future Steps

To improve the digitization process, meeting participants agreed on several concrete steps. The first would be the creation of a national register of digitized and physical materials, which would provide a systematic overview of available resources and facilitate access for all institutions.

Additionally, it would be beneficial to utilize available resources, such as Muscat/RISM, a global database that enables standardized cataloging of musical sources.

Plans were also made to strengthen collaboration between institutions through workshops and training sessions to equip professionals with the necessary skills for working with new tools and technologies. As part of these efforts, the development of an updated guide to musical libraries and collections was mentioned.

To ensure sustainable funding for digitization, raising awareness about the importance of this process is crucial. Participants emphasized the necessity of informing the general public and relevant authorities about the significance of digital preservation of cultural heritage.

Conclusion

The meeting addressed important issues and laid the foundation for a more systematic and high-quality approach to digitizing musical heritage in Croatia. The clear need for coordination, standardization, and sustainable funding for digitization projects indicates that this is a key moment for joint efforts in preserving the nation’s musical heritage for future generations.