Audio Player Timeline

  • Phonograph

    Phonograph
    Thomas Edison makes the first functioning audio player.
  • Gramophone

    Gramophone
    Emile Berliner made the gramophone; the basis of the contemporary record player.
  • Record Player

    Record Player
    In the 30's and 40's, the record player became publicly available.
  • Portable Transistor Radio

    Portable Transistor Radio
    A radio that was portable created by Idea Incorporated.
  • Multi-Tracker

    Multi-Tracker
    The muti-tracker allowed for musicians to record in a new format, created by Ampex
  • Cassette Tape/Player

    Cassette Tape/Player
    Created by Lou Ottens, the cassette offered a simpler way of audio playback with higher quality.
  • 8-Track

    8-Track
    William Powell Lear created the 8-track in 1964 which uses magnetic tape recording.
  • Boombox

    Boombox
    Created by Phillips in 1966, the Boombox was a loud portable speaker.
  • Walkman

    Walkman
    Invented in the late 70's by Sony, the Walkman was another portable audio player.
  • CD's

    CD's
    Created in 1982 by Phillips and Sony most of music began to be produced onto disks or CD's.
  • Diskman

    Diskman
    In 1984 Sony launched the Diskman as a portable player of CD's and Disks.
  • Mp3

    Mp3
    Created in 1997 by a Japanese company called SaeHan
  • Ipod

    Ipod
    Launched in 2001 by Apple, the Ipod was a groundbreaking introduction to the industry of music streaming.
  • Ipod Touch

    Ipod Touch
    In 2007, Apple improved on the model of the Ipod to turn it touchscreen, modernizing it and laying the groundwork for what would eventually become the first Iphone.
  • Iphones

    Iphones
    January 9th, 2007, the release of the first Iphone was announced. This allowed for people to stream music anytime, anywhere.
  • Streaming Services

    Streaming Services
    With the production of the Iphone, apps dedicated for streaming music began to release. Like Spotify in 2008, Apple Music in 2015, Pandora in 2000, and YouTube in 2005, music streaming services have been around for many years and are the main reason why streaming music is so popular now.