From Oral Performance to Intellectual Property: The Evolution of Musical Works Registration in Afghanistan

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From Oral Performance to Intellectual Property: The Evolution of Musical Works Registration in Afghanistan

Introduction

Music has historically been one of the most significant expressions of the social and cultural identity of Afghanistan. However, prior to the widespread development of recording and broadcasting technologies, a substantial part of Afghanistan’s musical heritage was transmitted through live performance, collective memory, master–apprentice instruction, and family and social gatherings. Although these modes of transmission contributed to the continuity of musical traditions, they also left musical works and performances vulnerable to being forgotten and lost. The introduction of communication technologies, particularly radio, marked a turning point in this process, as music could, for the first time, be recorded, replayed, and disseminated on a considerably broader scale.

Radio was introduced into Afghanistan’s communications sphere in the 1920s and, in subsequent decades, developed into one of the country’s most important cultural and media institutions. In addition to providing information and education, radio played a significant role in introducing artists, promoting urban and folk music, and establishing audio archives. With the advancement of recording technologies, the use of magnetic tapes and cassettes, and subsequently the introduction of digital equipment, the methods of producing, recording, and preserving musical works also underwent significant transformation. From this perspective, the history of sound recording in Afghanistan can be regarded as an integral part of the broader history of media and technological development in the country.

Afghanistan’s political and social transformations have also had a direct impact on this process. Civil wars, the migration of artists, the destruction of cultural infrastructure, and restrictions imposed on music during the first period of Taliban rule resulted in serious damage to part of the country’s capacity for musical production and archival preservation. Conversely, following 2001, the expansion of private media and the introduction of digital technologies created new opportunities for the production, recording, dissemination, and archiving of audio works. During this period, private studios, audio software, and digital equipment gradually assumed an important position within Afghanistan’s audio and music industry.

Accordingly, this article examines the evolution of the recording and preservation of Afghanistan’s audio and musical works, from traditional and oral forms to digital technologies. The discussion focuses primarily on the role of radio and the media, the evolution of recording technologies, the condition of audio archives, and existing technical and managerial challenges. The objective is to demonstrate how sound-recording technology, in conjunction with media and political transformations, evolved from a relatively simple means of recording and broadcasting sound into an important instrument for preserving and transmitting Afghanistan’s cultural heritage.

The Evolution of Music Recording and Dissemination Technologies

In Afghanistan’s cultural history, the introduction of radio can be regarded as one of the most significant turning points in the development of music. Before the emergence of radio, Afghan music was transmitted primarily through live performances, oral transmission, family and court gatherings, public assemblies, and the master–apprentice system. Under such circumstances, many melodies and compositions were neither documented in written form nor recorded, and their survival depended largely on the memories of musicians, singers, and members of the community. With the introduction of radio technology, music became available for recording, preservation, rebroadcasting, and dissemination across the country on an unprecedented scale. Therefore, the history of musical works registration in Afghanistan should not be understood solely in terms of the modern legal concept of “registration of a work”; rather, it initially involved sound recording and archival preservation and only subsequently developed into administrative and legal registration of intellectual property rights.

The earliest efforts by the Afghan government to utilize radio date back to the 1920s. During the reign of King Amanullah Khan, a radio transmitter was installed in Kabul. However, the equipment was destroyed during the political upheavals of 1929 and was subsequently re-established. During the reign of King Mohammad Zahir Shah, radio facilities were expanded, and in 1940 a more powerful transmitter replaced the earlier equipment, transforming Radio Kabul into an important communications and cultural institution. In addition to news and educational programming, radio broadcasts included musical performances.

The significance of radio for Afghan music became evident at this stage. In the past, a singer or musician might have been known only within a particular city or among a limited audience; radio, however, could transmit that artist’s voice to different parts of the country. As a result, musical works gradually moved beyond their exclusively local and oral contexts and entered a stage that may be described as a “culture of recording and broadcasting.” This transformation had a particularly significant impact on the development of urban music in Kabul, regional and folk music, and Afghan classical music. Historical accounts indicate that Radio Afghanistan played an important role during the Zahir Shah period in promoting folk music and introducing artists and composers to broader audiences.

At this stage, the concept of “registration of a musical work” was still distinct from the contemporary concept of copyright and intellectual property registration. Recording a song on tape or preserving it in a radio archive primarily served the purposes of preservation and broadcasting and did not necessarily constitute legal evidence of ownership by the composer or singer. Nevertheless, these recordings were of immense importance because a musical performance that previously might have disappeared after the artist’s performance could now survive as an audio document. In this manner, radio effectively became one of the earliest major institutions for the preservation of Afghanistan’s sound heritage.

In subsequent decades, the expansion of recording studios, magnetic tapes, and later cassettes introduced another stage in the documentation of musical works. Artists could record their works in studios and maintain copies for radio broadcasting or public dissemination. This development meant that the works of singers and composers became accessible not only through live performances but also through recorded versions. During this period, artists such as Ustad Brishna, Ustad Mohammad Hussain Sarahang, Abdul Jalil Zaland, Nashenas, Ahmad Zahir, Mahwash, Sarban, and Zahir Howaida, among many others, played important roles in the formation of modern Afghan music, while radio was instrumental in introducing their works to wider audiences. Historical sources likewise emphasize that Radio Afghanistan was one of the principal institutions responsible for the development and promotion of music in the country during the cultural flourishing of the twentieth century.

Nevertheless, Afghanistan’s political and social developments in subsequent decades had a direct impact on the production and documentation of musical works. The collapse of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan in 1371 SH (1992) and the beginning of the Mujahideen period, accompanied by civil war, insecurity, the migration of artists, and the destruction of cultural infrastructure, weakened musical activities and contributed to the dispersal of parts of the country’s audio archives. With the establishment of the Taliban regime in 1375 SH (1996), the situation became even more severe, as extensive restrictions on musical performances and artistic activities virtually halted the production, recording, and public dissemination of musical works. During this period, part of Afghanistan’s musical heritage was preserved through personal tapes, private collections, and archives maintained outside the country.

Following the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001, Afghanistan’s media structure underwent extensive transformation. The expansion of mass media and the emergence of numerous private radio and television networks alongside state-owned media created conditions for increased production, recording, and dissemination of audio and audiovisual content. This transformation increased demand for more advanced equipment for sound recording, editing, production, and archiving and gradually facilitated the transition from analog to digital technologies.

Private media organizations played an important role in this process. The growing number of radio and television networks, together with competition to produce faster and higher-quality content, increased demand for new audio technologies and equipment. Consequently, digital equipment—including professional microphones, audio mixers, computers, digital recording devices, and specialized software for sound editing and processing—gradually replaced or supplemented older tape-based equipment. This transformation made the processes of sound recording and production more flexible and efficient and enabled private studios, journalists, artists, and independent producers to gain greater access to modern technologies.

One of the most important consequences of this transformation was the gradual digitization of audio and audiovisual archives. Digital technology made it possible to convert old tapes into audio and video files, create backup copies, record and organize metadata, and facilitate access to historical collections. In this context, the 2016 project for the digitization of portions of the audio and audiovisual archives of Afghanistan’s National Radio and Television, undertaken in cooperation with the Franz Liszt School of Music Weimar, represents an important example of efforts to preserve and digitize the country’s audio and audiovisual heritage. In addition to digitizing materials, this collaboration contributed to the development of systematic approaches to cataloguing and managing information relating to archival resources.

Despite these advances, the development and digitization of Afghanistan’s audio archives have faced numerous challenges. War and insecurity, the destruction of cultural infrastructure, shortages of financial resources and specialized equipment, the migration of skilled personnel, and the absence of a comprehensive and coordinated archival management system are among the most significant obstacles. Furthermore, following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021 and the imposition of extensive restrictions on music and media activities, the environment for the production and dissemination of audio content has become increasingly constrained. These circumstances have made the continuation of professional activities in music, audio production, and the preservation of sound heritage more difficult.

Overall, state-owned media organizations played a fundamental role in establishing the initial infrastructure for the production, recording, and preservation of historical archives, while private media organizations made a significant contribution to the expansion of digital equipment, the development of professional studios, and broader access to modern sound-recording and processing technologies. The outcome of this process has been Afghanistan’s gradual transition from an analog system of recording and preservation toward digital production, storage, and archiving. Nevertheless, the continuation and expansion of this process depend upon political stability, institutional support, the training of specialized personnel, and sustained investment in the digital preservation of the country’s sound heritage.

Conclusion

An examination of the historical development of sound recording and preservation in Afghanistan demonstrates that the evolution of this field has been directly interconnected with the country’s media environment, technological developments, and political circumstances. In the pre-radio period, most music was preserved and transmitted through live performance, oral transmission, and the master–apprentice system. Consequently, many musical works remained vulnerable to disappearance and collective forgetting. The introduction of radio in the 1920s and its expansion in subsequent decades constituted a major turning point, as it made possible the recording, rebroadcasting, and widespread dissemination of music and transformed radio into one of the most important institutions for preserving and promoting Afghanistan’s sound heritage.

In later stages, the introduction of magnetic tape, cassettes, and recording studios enabled musical works to be recorded in a more professional and systematic manner. Radio and state-owned media played a fundamental role in establishing the initial infrastructure for production and archival preservation, and many works by prominent Afghan artists were recorded and preserved through these institutions. However, the civil wars, the migration of artists, the destruction of infrastructure, and the restrictions imposed during the first Taliban period inflicted significant damage on the production and preservation of audio works and resulted in the dispersal or loss of part of this heritage.

After 2001, the expansion of private media and the introduction of digital technologies marked a new stage in the history of sound recording in Afghanistan. Digital equipment, modern studios, and specialized software improved the quality and flexibility of audio production and enabled broader participation by artists and independent producers. At the same time, the digitization of older archives created better opportunities for protecting audio resources and producing backup copies and systematically organized metadata. The cooperation between Afghanistan’s National Radio and Television and the Franz Liszt School of Music Weimar in the digitization of archival materials represents an example of such preservation efforts.

Despite these advances, Afghanistan’s sound heritage continues to face serious challenges. The deterioration of older physical carriers, shortages of equipment and specialized professionals, weaknesses in archival management systems, limited financial resources, the dispersion of collections, and the political conditions prevailing after 2021 constitute some of the principal obstacles to the sustainable preservation of this heritage. Therefore, the future of sound recording and preservation in Afghanistan depends not only on technological development but also on cultural policymaking, professional training, the establishment of a national archival system, standardized digitization practices, and cooperation among media organizations, cultural institutions, and domestic and international academic centers.

Ultimately, sound recording in Afghanistan has evolved from a limited practice dependent on live performance into a system based on recording, archiving, and digital technology. This transformation has not only altered the ways in which music is produced and disseminated but has also created opportunities to preserve an important part of Afghanistan’s historical memory and cultural identity. The future preservation of this heritage requires digital technology to be integrated with specialized knowledge and scientific archival management so that existing audio works can be preserved and remain accessible to future generations.

References

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3.     Ministry of Justice. (2016). Law on the Protection of the Rights of Authors, Composers, Artists, and Researchers (Copyright). Kabul: Sadaf Printing Press.

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