The optimal playback of historical ethnomusicological audio collections is often difficult because the majority of material was recorded using inexpensive and poorly maintained equipment and the recording procedure and technology were frequently poorly documented. The playback parameters must be selected objectively on the basis of good familiarity with the given historical format, an understanding of the recording technology, the circumstances and field documentation methodology of the given period. Only recordings equipped with many types of metadata can be appropriately played back and digitized, allowing them to serve as a good audio resource in digital format for users and researchers in various disciplines.

This article discusses various problems in playback and digitization of historical audio material in the case of early sound recordings kept at the archive of the Institute of Ethnomusicology in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Using extensive audio and visual material, the article presents specific irregularities that may occur if the playback parameters are selected superficially or incorrectly, and demonstrates their influence on the interpretation of the recorded content.

Attention is drawn to the fact that the suitable selection of playback parameters requires interconnection and cooperation at various levels: between various experts (archivists, ethnomusicologists, technicians, etc.), between archives and the local communities (to obtain different metadata), and between various archives (exchange of knowledge and technology). The interconnection is especially important to research archives, which find it difficult to appropriately digitize and interpret historical audio material due to the specificity of collections and the general lack of adequate technology and expertise.