The hidden history of recorded music—what recordings are made of and what happens to them when they are disposed of.

“Throws a necessary wrench into the mythology of musical purity.” — Alex Ross, New Yorker

Excerpted in the Guardian, animated on YouTube, podcasted on channels like Switched on Pop.

Covered in media like Rolling Stone, the New Yorker, and many others around the world.

Awards from the International Association for the Study of Popular Music (international, Canada, and United States branches) as well as the Association of American Publishers.

Order from MIT Press.