Dust-to-Digital Radio Is Here + New Foundation Print
A first look at our new station, as we continue to build out the programming for 2026.
Earlier this year, the Dust-to-Digital Foundation partnered with the University of California, Santa Barbara to begin sharing something extraordinary: 50,000 recordings we spent the past 15 years digitizing from collectors, now available to anyone who wants to hear them. These rare performances and historical recordings can be explored on demand through UCSB’s platform — a deep well of musical discovery.
Today, we are bringing that same material to you in a new way: Dust-to-Digital Radio, broadcasting 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on the Dust-to-Digital website and via Apple iOS and Android apps.
Throughout 2026, we will be building out the station’s programming to draw from three main sources: the historic recordings the Dust-to-Digital Foundation has rescued and digitized, the Dust-to-Digital label’s catalog of award-winning releases, and the contemporary performances from around the world that we share on Dust-to-Digital’s social media. It’s a continuous journey through time and place, curated by us, always playing. Whether you tune in at noon or midnight, you will encounter music that deserves to be heard — recordings that might have been lost forever, performances etched in time, voices and instruments from across generations and continents. Additionally, the mobile app includes liner notes for what you are hearing, giving context and story to each broadcast. It is an infinite box set in your pocket.
We had planned to launch the station earlier this year, but the work has proven immense. A generous donor to the Dust-to-Digital Foundation has funded an intern position for 2026, which will be transformative. This work — preserving, digitizing, and sharing these important recordings — requires ongoing support. If you value what we do, please consider making a donation to help sustain it.
To mark the radio station’s launch, we have a new print featuring a quote from visionary jazz composer and philosopher Sun Ra (used with permission from the Sun Ra Estate). Sun Ra’s quote — included in liner notes in 1957 — sits at the heart of what we do: rescuing beauty and bringing it forward, trusting that it will find the people who need to hear it. You can donate to receive one, and know that your contribution directly supports this mission.
To our paid Substack subscribers: thank you! Your support matters deeply. Among the premiums we will be offering in 2026 is material connected to the radio station including playlists and direct access to exclusive audio.
The broadcast begins now.
Done and dusted! Uh… To Digital-ed!
Amazing! I downloaded it right away. Thank you.