The Recorded Sound Research Center provides access to the commercial and archival audio holdings of the Library of Congress. The Library's audio collections are now the largest in the United States and among the most comprehensive in the world. The collection dates from 1926 when Victor Records donated over 400 discs to the Library's Music Division to supplement its print and manuscript holdings. In the custody of the National Audio-Visual Conservation Center since 1978, the collection has grown to include nearly 4 million items encompassing audio formats from cylinders to CDs. The holdings complement the field recordings of the American Folklife Center, the moving image collections served in the Moving Image Research Center and the notated music of the Music Division.

Because most collections are stored offsite, researchers will need to schedule an appointment to access materials.