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The Gramophone
The German-American inventor Emile Berliner patented the Gramophone, which used zinc discs to capture recordings. Zinc was soon replaced by a rubber-based compound, which in turn was replaced at the dawn of the 20th century with shellac. Edison's phonograph was regarded as a novelty "talking machine" the National Gramophone Company saw the potential in their clockwork-mechanical device for music and entertainment. Shellac disc remained primary for music until the 1940s. -
Birth of North American Phonograph Company
The phonograph and graphophone are joined under the North American Phonograph Company in a failed attempt to market the machines for dictation. After North America's collapse in 1894, the Columbia Phonograph Company merges with America Graphophone and becomes Edison's major competitor -
Flat Disc Record Appears
Publication of the first list of Berliner Gramophone records for sale begins the first recorded sound format battle. For nearly 20 years of ferocious competition existed between the flat record and the cylinder, with the disc leading by a narrow edge. Some companies such as Edison and Columbia issue recordings on both formats. -
Phonograph as Consumer good
Edison and Columbia begin offering spring-motor phonographs at affordable prices, allowing the phonograph to become a household object, and sound recordings a consumer good -
Records starting to develop
By this time, a global market for 10" double-sided 78 RPM (Revolutions per minute) records was starting to develop. The early stars of recorded music were opera singers such as Nellie Melba and Enrico Caruso, whose voices echoed beyond the confines of the opera house thanks to the early record player -
First Jazz Recording
The first jazz record is made for the Victor Talking Machine Company by the Original Dixieland Jazz Band. Released in May of that year, the two titles "Livery Stable Blues" and "Dixie Jass Band One-Step" would begin a flow of recordings in this new style -
Disc's and Cylinders competition
Disc's and cylinders were in competition as music formats, but demand for the letter now died off. Records were easier to produce, handle and store -
Record Industry
The record industry and, consequently the record-player were in dire straits. The Great Depression all but wiped out sales of both. It was the direst crisis ever to hit recorded music, bigger even than the impact of digitalized, non-physical music at the start of the 21st century. Meanwhile, DJ's playing records on the radio were known as 'pancake turners' -
An All-in-one system
The popular domestic choice was an all-in-one system in a wooden cabinet, but hobbyists - 'audiophiles' - developed component systems with separate turntables, leading to a subculture of kit building, utilizing the likes of Garrad or Thorens turntables. -
Tape Recording Miniaturized and Quieted
Phillips introduces the cassette tape which was intended to replace open reel tapes. The advent of cassettes and cassette players provided a medium for the 1966 introduction of the various Dolby systems of reducing noise and hiss -
Traveling Music
Sony introduces the Walkman, a palm-sized stereo cassette tape player, making it easy for listeners to be walkabout this program, travel, and exercise while listening through lightweight headphones -
CD's and Digital Audio and Another Format War
The compact disc and the compact disc player are marketed by both Phillips and Sony corporations. Stereo LP's will eventually lose out to this new, convenient format that is both sonically and visually appealing -
Digital Encoding
A U.S Patent is issued for the MP3, a high-quality, low bit-rate audio format that has become the most commonly used audio medium -
Digital Miniatures
iTunes is developed and introduced by Apple Inc. in 2000. Both media player and library, iTunes allows users to purchase downloads of music, organise and store the files in numerous ways. In 2001 Apple introduces the iPod, a portable player. -
Major Transitions
Sony Music Entertainment and Bertelsmann Music Group merge, bringing together under one corporate umbrella, after a century of rivalry, Columbia and Victor Records -
Announcement and Launch of Apple Music
Apple Music was launched on June 30, 2015, in 100 countries. New users receive a three-month free trial subscription, which changes to a monthly fee after three months
