And indeed many field recordings of traditional singers and musicians are well blocked from non-academics accessing them such as the Howson's collection of traditionl English singers.

"John Howson English, Irish & Scottish Folk Music Collection

Number of items in collection: 4382

Recordings in this collection are available for Higher and Further Education institutions only."

https://sounds.bl.uk/World-and-traditional-music/John-Howson-Collection

But see here how they have a different attitude in the US. The field recordings made by Alan Lomax and Seamus Ennis in Southern Irelend from 1951-53 are freely available to all.

http://research.culturalequity.org/get-audio-ix.do?ix=session&id=IR51&idType=abbrev&sortBy=abc

Many of these recordings featured in the BBC's Irish Radio Ballad 'Stone of Tory' (which was only aired but once).

http://research.culturalequity.org/home-radio.jsp

"Stone of Tory, 1950. A full-scale ballad opera, broadcast from Dublin, featuring Irish rural singers and a cast from the Abbey Theatre."

https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2004004.ms300403/

https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/643c0c98d96849b6bf5e215978c2695c

https://modernismmodernity.org/articles/archival-airwaves

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