Due to copyright concerns, the Library of Congress is unable to post even sample audio of most Registry selections. Nevertheless, some clips can be heard via the following resources.

In 2012, the radio series “Inside the National Recording Registry” was honored with a Peabody Award for broadcast excellence. Episodes of the series, each profiling a different work from the Registry, can be heard here.

NPR: The Sounds of American Culture External
NPR honors recent additions to the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry.

• A Change Is Gonna Come”--Sam Cooke External
• The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart”--Bob Newhart External
• Adagio for Strings”--Samuel Barber External

Studio 360 External
Inside the National Recording Registry, produced by Ben Manilla Productions, highlights some of those selections.

• A Charlie Brown Christmas External
• The Wild Tchoupitoulas External

The Jukebox includes recordings from the extraordinary collections of the Library of Congress and other contributing libraries and archives.

• "The Laughing Song." George Washington Johnson. (c. 1896)
• "Gypsy Love Song." Eugene Cowles. (1898)
• Bert Williams and George Walker. Victor Releases. (1901)
• "Casey at the Bat." DeWolf Hopper. (1906)
• "You're a Grand Old Rag [Flag]." Billy Murray. (1906)
• "Vesti la giubba." Enrico Caruso. (1907)
• "No News, or What Killed the Dog." Nat M. Wills. (1908)
• "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot." The Fisk Jubilee Singers. (1909)
• "They Didn't Believe Me." Harry Macdonough and Alice Green. (1915)
• "Il mio tesoro" from "Don Giovanni." John McCormack; orchestra conducted by Walter Rogers. (1916)
• "Over There." Nora Bayes. (1917)
• "After You've Gone." Marion Harris. (1918
• "Tiger Rag." The Original Dixieland Jazz Band. (1918)
• "My Man." Fanny Brice. (1921)
• "Second Hand Rose." Fanny Brice. (1921)
• "Rhapsody in Blue." George Gershwin, piano; Paul Whiteman Orchestra. (1924)

Audio clips of other Registry titles can be listened to via the following links.

• Phonautograms. Edouard-Leon Scott de Martinville. (c. 1853-1861)
• Edison Talking doll cylinder. (1888)
• "Uncle Josh and the Insurance Company." Cal Stewart. (1904)
• Cylinder recordings of Ishi. (1911-1914)
• "Cross of Gold." Speech by William Jennings Bryan. (1921)
• National Defense Test (USA). (September 12, 1924)
• "Bacon, Beans and Limousines." Will Rogers. (October 18, 1931)
• "Fireside Chats." President Franklin D. Roosevelt's radio addresses. (1933-1944)
• "Fall of the City" ("The Columbia Workshop"). (April 11, 1937)
• "The Lone Ranger." Episode: "The Osage Bank Robbery." (December 17, 1937)
• Franz Boas and George Herzog Recdording of Kwakwaka'wakw Chief Dan Cranmer. (1938)
• "Grand Ole Opry." First network radio broadcast. (October 14, 1939)
• King James version of the Bible. Alexander Scourby. (1940-1944)
• Address to Congress. Franklin D. Roosevelt. (December 8, 1941)
• "We Hold These Truths." (December 15, 1941)
• "Mary Margaret McBride." Mary Margaret McBride and Zora Neale Hurston. (January 25, 1943)
• Fiorello LaGuardia reading the comics. (1945)
• The “Marshall Plan” Speech. George C. Marshall. (June 5, 1947)
• Harry S. Truman speech at the 1948 Democratic National Convention. (July 15, 1948)
• "Old Soldiers Never Die" (Farewell Address to Congress). Speech by General Douglas MacArthur. (April 19, 1951)
• "Songs by Tom Lehrer" (album). Tom Lehrer. (1953)
• Interviews with William "Billy" Bell, recorded by Edward D. Ives. (1956)
• President's Message Relayed from Atlas Satellite. Dwight D. Eisenhower. (December 19, 1958)
• "New York Taxi Driver" (album). Tony Schwartz. (1959)
• "Schooner Bradley." Pat Bonner. (June 11, 1960)
• Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong broadcast from the moon. (July 21, 1969)
• The old foghorn, Kewaunee, Wisconsin. Recorded by James A. Lipsky. (1972)
• Ronald Reagan radio broadcasts. (1976-1979)
• "Murmurs of the Earth." Disc prepared for the Voyager spacecraft. (1977)
• GOPAC Strategy and Instructional Tapes. (1986-1994)