What is the Museum of Portable Sound?
We’re a museum you listen to, exhibiting hundreds of sounds recorded around the world!
Our visitors make an appointment – with us and themselves – to listen!
(Visit online or meet us in person – alone or in a group!)
Our sounds are organised by topic – the same way other museums exhibit visual objects.
We maintain a Physical Objects Collection, a Research Library, and a Video Gallery.
We also curate temporary exhibitions!
We offer classes & workshops, organise conferences, and publish writing about sound.
What our visitors say:
‘A thing of beauty!’
—Londonist.com
‘An amazing project – magical.’
—Judith Clark
‘Has changed the way I’ll think about every museum I visit going forward.’
—Kevin McKinney
‘I’ve never thought about sound in this way before!’
—First Year Student, Bournemouth Film School
‘The coolest thing I’ve done in a long time!’
—Dominique Russell
‘*****, would go back’
—Seth Cluett
‘Plays with sound as media and media as sound…investigates the many facets of a young and quickly evolving culture of sound and listening.’
—Reviews in Digital Humanities
Our Director was awarded a PhD from University of the Arts London for the thesis he wrote about his creation of this museum, Listening to Museums: Sounds as Objects of Culture and Curatorial Care.
Latest News
In Person Visits Now Booking
SOUTHSEA, PORTSMOUTH, UK — The Museum of Portable Sound is pleased to announce that it is officially back open for in person visits. Based in Southsea, UK, it is easiest to book in person visits there. However, since the museum is portable, we are able to bring it along wherever our Director and Chief Curator…
Our 2,000th Visitor!
MUSEUM OF PORTABLE SOUND LABORATORIES, SOUTHSEA – This morning we welcomed a group of three online visitors to our museum who took a guided tour. As a result: • Today we welcomed our first visitors of 2023; • Today we welcomed our first visitors based in the Philippines; • Today we welcomed the 2,000th person…
MOPS Director Talks Death of the iPod on Sky News
LIVERPOOL/SOUTHSEA – MOPS Director John Kannenberg appeared on the 10 o’clock Sky News last night as part of a three minute segment marking the death of the iPod.
We bring the culture & history of sound beyond music to the world, one listener at a time.
Who We Are
Social Media
Gift Shop
The Museum of Portable Sound is a member of these professional organisations:
The Museum of Portable Sound 