Digital Preservation & Migration

Preserve digital files and migrate from obsolete formats and media

Startup Cost
$8,000-$30,000
Difficulty
Advanced
Time to Profit
6-12 months
Profit Potential
$8,000-$42,000/month

Overview

Digital preservation services charge $75-$150 per hour or project rates.

Completing 30-80 projects annually generates $100,000-$500,000 annually with 70-85% margins.

In 2025, digital files at risk from format obsolescence, media degradation, and technology change.

Services include obsolete media migration (floppy disks, ZIP drives, old hard drives), file format conversion and migration, digital archive creation, metadata creation, cloud storage setup, backup strategy development, and digital preservation planning.

Successful digital preservation businesses handle obsolete formats and media, understand digital preservation standards, work with various file types, provide organized digital outputs, maintain equipment for old media, and serve institutions and individuals.

Can serve archives, businesses with legacy digital records, families with old media, and researchers.

Many have boxes of old floppy disks, CDs, or hard drives with important data.

Marketing through archives, genealogy groups, businesses, and online presence.

Required Skills

  • Obsolete Media Equipment
  • File Format Knowledge
  • Digital Preservation Standards
  • Data Recovery
  • Metadata Creation
  • Cloud Storage

Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Growing problem as digital media ages
  • Both institutional and consumer markets
  • Can work from home studio
  • Technical specialization valued
  • Important work preserving digital history

Cons

  • Need equipment for obsolete media
  • Some media damaged or unreadable
  • Fast-changing technology requires updates
  • Price sensitivity from consumers
  • Data recovery challenging

How to Get Started

  1. Acquire equipment for obsolete media
  2. Learn digital preservation standards
  3. Develop file migration workflows
  4. Target archives, businesses, families
  5. Provide obsolete media migration services
  6. Create organized digital archives
  7. Market digital preservation importance

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