NOA GmbH has successfully won and delivered the initial phase of Portugal’s crucial national audio preservation initiative, the Arquivo Nacional do Som (ANS), commissioned by the Directorate-General for Books, Archives and Libraries (DGLAB). This landmark project, awarded via a competitive international public tender, involved the deployment of the complete NOA Digitization Factory and the mediARC Archive Asset Management System.
The ANS is tasked with digitizing and preserving a substantial collection of more than 600,000 items, spanning over a century of Portuguese sonic heritage. Of critical concern, approximately 170,000 items - including fragile magnetic tapes, instant discs, and cylinders - require urgent treatment to prevent irretrievable loss. DGLAB has earmarked 350,000 items for processing over the next decade.
Demonstrating efficiency, NOA transitioned from the closure of the tender process (late June 2025) to the full delivery and installation of the core systems by September 2025.
We are confident that NOA’s infrastructure can meet the demanding requirements of this project and provide the necessary reliability to safeguard the country’s valuable audio legacy. Delivering preservation at this scale, within a limited timeframe and to high archival standards, is essential to ensuring these recordings remain accessible for future generations.
says Pedro Félix, head of coordination and installation team at ANS.
The facility is built for industrial-scale preservation, featuring seven N7000c Compact Audio Hardware units and 24 NOARecord ingest channels, enabling high-resolution transfers. The entire process, from barcode-based logistics and media preparation (including thermal conditioning of tapes) to quality control and content cataloguing of relational metadata, is orchestrated by the powerful mediARC Archive Asset Management System. Advanced components like WaveScanner and AutoCut provide essential automation and precision for the mass-digitization workflow.
The establishment of a national sound archive is a defining step in cultural preservation, and the scope of Portugal’s audio heritage requires not only advanced technology but also outstanding commitment. With the rapid setup and launch of the Digitization Factory, ANS can now begin addressing its extensive backlog of fragile recordings, ensuring this irreplaceable cultural heritage is preserved for generations to come.
says Vladimir Hübner, Product Manager of mediARC.
About DGLAB/ANS
The Direção-Geral do Livro, dos Arquivos e das Bibliotecas (DGLAB) is Portugal’s public authority responsible for national policies on books, libraries, and archives, ensuring the preservation and accessibility of documentary heritage. Within DGLAB, the Arquivo Nacional do Som (ANS) serves as Portugal’s National Sound Archive, safeguarding the country’s audio heritage across analogue and digital formats.
The ANS will support long-term preservation, professional archival standards, and public access to Portugal’s cultural memory.
