Mass Media & Society: Recorded Sound, the Eras

Study Notes

1877: Thomas Edison invented the phonograph, employing a mechanical needle to etch sound waves onto a rotating cylinder made of tin foil.
Edison's phonograph was primarily designed for spoken word recordings; he famously recited "Mary Had a Little Lamb."
Edison aimed to utilize the phonograph for business dictation purposes.
1887: Emile Berliner created the gramophone, utilizing disc technology with flat discs for sound recording.
Berline's trademark featured Nipper, a pitbull listening to a gramophone, symbolizing "His Master’s Voice."
In 1924, the Victor Talking Machine Company acquired Berliner’s company, later merging with RCA in 1929 to establish RCA Victor.
Early recordings were characterized by low fidelity and a limited frequency range.

Marked by the introduction of microphones and electronic amplifiers, vastly enhancing sound quality.
Introduction of sound-on-film technology transformed the film industry by enabling synchronized sound.
Vinyl records gained popularity from the 1950s to the 1980s.

Magnetic tape recording technology became commercially available after World War II.
Enabled multi-track recording, allowing for complex and higher-quality audio recordings.
Widespread adoption of magnetic tape in both professional and consumer markets, including formats like 8-track and cassette tapes.
Magnetic tape technology was initially pioneered by Valdemar Poulsen in 1898.

The late 20th century witnessed a revolution with digital recording, offering higher fidelity and easier sound manipulation.
1979: The compact disc (CD) was introduced, a thin, circular storage medium capable of holding about 80 minutes of music.
CDs became the most popular format for music storage and playback via CD players.
The rise of digital audio formats like MP3 further transformed music consumption, leading to the dominance of streaming services, enhancing music accessibility.