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Phonograph
In 1877, Thomas Edison invented the phonograph, the first sound recording device. A cylinder five inches wide by fifteen inches long, recorded sound onto a sheet of tinfoil. A hand crank was used to turn the cylinder under a recording sound stylus. -
Gramophone Disc
Similar to Edison's phonograph, the gramophone was capable of recording and replaying sound. The gramophone's vinyl record increased the speed and quality of music playback. -
Juke Box
Originally known as the "Nickel-in-the-Slot" machine, the juke box earned over $1000 within the first 6 months of its use. This machine made recordings of the age popular. -
Victrola
The Victrola contained an internal horn and looked like a fine cabinet in appearance. Originally priced at $100, the victrola was usually seen in the homes of the wealthy. This invention also gave way to other record players and turn tables. -
Cassette Tape
By 1963, The Phillips Company introduced the compact cassette to the public. It was made out of polyester, and its playback speed was higher than any other device at the time. -
Sony Walkman
The Phillips Company introduced the compact cassette to the public to be used portably by the Sony Walkman, which was created in 1979. -
Compact Disc
The Philips Company introduced the compact disc in 1981. This early form of digital music allowed playback without unwanted surface sound or wear to the recording. -
MP3
Finally, in December of 1991 the Faunhofer Institute invented the MPEG Audio Layer III aka, MP3 file after a year of researching how to compress files. The MP3 is a method of compressing an audio file so it's small enough to be downloaded from the internet, which of course was popularized by Apple's ipod. -
iTunes
The iTunes music store quickly became the primary source of legal digital music. Since its release, iTunes has sold over 25 billion songs.
