The Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision (Nederlands Instituut voor Beeld en Geluid) is one of the largest audio-visual archives in Europe. The Institute preserves a major part of the Dutch audio-visual heritage and makes it accessible to potential users. The collection totals over 750,000 hours of television, radio, music and film. But the Institute is more than just a collection. Apart from functioning as an audio-visual archive for the national broadcasting corporations and others, it also offers a unique media experience for its visitors.
Sound and Vision focuses on collecting and preserving most of the audio-visual heritage of the Netherlands and making it available to as many users as possible.
The Institute’s collection forms an important part of the Dutch cultural heritage. Programme makers use parts of the collection for new programmes and the archive is a unique source of information for research, not only for students and academics, but also for journalists, international production companies and broadcasting organisations.
New material is added to the Sound and Vision collection on a daily basis. The Institute is responsible for keeping the collection in optimal condition, for both present and future use. Digitalisation is an essential part of this preservation, both for efficient long-term management and for making the collection accessible.
Sound and Vision opened its new building in Hilversum in 2006. It was designed by Dutch architects Neutelings and Riedijk. In 2011 one million visitor had visited the Media experience.
