For World Digital Preservation Day 2026, the Digital Preservation Coalition has published a new essay by Melissa B., “When Music History Becomes Hard to Find: My Fight to Preserve an Independent Artist’s Legacy.”
Drawing on her experience as an independent recording artist, author, and network engineer, Melissa explores what happens when chart records, press coverage, and other evidence of an artist’s career become harder to access online.
The essay explains why preserving music also means keeping its dates, credits, sources, and context—and how artists can build records others can verify.
Explore Melissa’s Chart & Awards Archive and her earlier Hypebot essay on preserving independent artists’ career history.