A Brief History of Music Technology

Last Edited: July 6, 2025

I was reading about Edison’s phonograph the other day, and I realized that looking into how music technology progressed over the years would be cool. So here’s a brief post on that.

The 1870s highlighted the beginning of sound recording. While Thomas Edison was not the first person to invent sound recording technology, his phonograph was the first to both record and play sound. The earliest phonautograph was invented by Martinville, but it recorded sound waves visually. Tinfoil was wrapped around the cylinder in Edison’s phonograph, and as the cylinder rotated, the sound vibrations would be indented onto the cylinder by the recording needle. The recording is pretty cool, although the sound quality is fuzzy. Not long after, wax cylinders were preferred over tinfoil because the tinfoil didn’t last after a few playings. Bell’s Volta Laboratory designed the graphophone in 1886, which used a “floating” stylus that would incise, instead of indent, the stylus in a zig-zag pattern. This method was cleaner, more accurate, and more lasting.

Phonograph records co-existed with the aforementioned phonograph cylinders when they were first introduced in the 1880s, and became the dominant form of musical recording by 1912. Records retained the largest market share all the way through the 1980s, which is quite impressive. The beginning of phonograph records was the 78 rpm disc (78s). 78s were made of shellac, a material composed of natural waxes, which made them easily breakable. Most records were 10- or 12- inch, which contained 3 or 5 minutes of sound per side, respectively. Quite unfortunately, that can barely fit in one song. Even then, the standard of 78.26 rotations per minute made a lot of sense at the time, since it’s just a 3600 rpm motor with a 46-tooth gear. (3600/46 = 78.26)

Up to this era, sound was recorded acoustically, meaning that the musician would stand in front of a large recording horn, and the sound grooves were carved into a rotating blank cylinder or disc. Mass production was possible with the stamper; companies like Victor and Columbia were able to produce millions of discs using electroplated stampers from wax masters. This means that each disc was a copy of the full live take; the musician had to re-record from the beginning if something went wrong, and they had to sing or play loudly. Electrical recording was introduced in 1925, and sound was captured with a microphone, amplified with vacuum tubes, and recorded with an electromechanical recording head. The sound was much clearer and fuller this way; you can see for yourself in this video, which is a good comparison between the two modes of recording.

Back to storage technology, now comes the more familiar form of sound storage: the LP! The record companies at the time wanted to have discs that could play for at least twenty minutes per side, and after years of research, Columbia Records unveiled the LP (from long playing) in 1948. Also called the 33s, they were introduced in two formats, the 10- and 12- inch, had better audio fidelity, used PVC (vinyl), and rotated at 33 ⅓ rpm. Another record company, RCA Victor, had released a 33 ⅓ rpm disc in 1931, but they ended up as a failure because of consumer rejection during the Great Depression.

While the LP was a massive success, not everyone needed the 40 minutes of listening time (20~25 per side) the LP had to offer. Jukeboxes, for instance, still operated on 78s. Consequently, RCA Victor released the 45s, which were 7 inches and held 4~5 minutes per side. These were perfect for hit singles and short EPs (Extended Plays). This sparked the War of the Speeds between the two companies. 33s became the standard for albums and 45s for singles.

Vinyl records dominated the music scene all the way through the 1980s, but they slowly got replaced by cassette tapes. Combined with the Walkman, they were the first technology to make music portable. By the 1990s, CDs (Compact Discs) became much more affordable than before and soon replaced both LPs and cassettes. They used digital encoding to store audio, had 74~80 minutes of runtime, and were durable. The real game changer, after all of this, was digital audio files, and the rest is history.

So what does all of this mean in terms of music? As mentioned earlier, the possibility of acoustic recording meant music was no longer a one-time event. It had its limitations, however, because ranges were limited, and recording wasn’t a fun process. By the 1920s, once electronic recording was made popular, the dynamic range improved. Both softer instruments and bigger ensembles could be recorded, and jazz and blues artists found a broader audience.

78s had a huge influence on songwriting; the 3 minutes per side listening time encouraged the creation of catchy hit songs to be played on the radio. With the introduction of 45s and LPs, the divide between the album and the single began. LPs enabled concept albums and longer storytelling, while 45s focused on short, radio-friendly singles (e.g. rock ‘n’ roll music).

Advancements in music technology directly reshaped music: which genres are made popular, how long songs should be, and how they are recorded.

Thanks for reading! I would love any feedback or recommendations as I continue the series of posts!