Date
Event
1800
Music boxes appeared to represent the earliest examples of music
technology
1870
Fairground organs began to appear powered by steam engines
1877
American Thomas Edison invents the ‘tin foil phonograph’ the first recording
and playback technology
1877
Alexander Graham Bell is credited with invention of the first microphone in
his other new invention - the telephone
1885
AlexanderGrahamBell(inventor of the telephone) produces wax cylinder
recorders, and Edison also adopts wax as a recording medium.
1890
Emile Berliner(Germany)develops the Gramophone, which leads to the
development of the 78 RPM record
1907
American Leede Forest invents the triodevalve. This device is used to build
electronic amplifiers.
1930
Adolph Rickenbacker & George Beauchamp market the first electric
guitars (fitted with electric pickups).
1935
Fritz Pfleumer and the AEG company produce the first viable tape recorder.
This was adopted by the German radio authorities in 1938 and was used
by the Germans for propaganda broadcasts during the war.
1935
Laurens Hammond produces the ‘Hammond Organ’. Using tonewheels
driven by an electric motor, the Hammond organ is an electric instrument
rather than an electronic one. Originally produced as a substitute for
church organs, it soon found a place in jazz, gospel and rock music.
1947
Les Paul modifies an Ampex tape recorder allowing him to record
overdubs. “Lover” (Capitol Records) is the first example of multitrack
recording as we know it today. Les Paul also made the first recordings
using ‘close mic’ techniques.
1948
12 inch LP vinyl record introduced by Columbia Records
1954
Sony produces the first pocket transistor radio.
1956
Stereo tape recordings appear
1962
Beatles release 'Love me do' in mono.
1964
Philips produce the Compact Cassette.Until now,all tapes have been of
the reel-to-reel type, which is not very robust or portable.
1979
Sony introduces the Walkman.
1980
The first digital multitrack recorders are introduced.
Date
Event
1982
Philips&Sony launch the digital Compact Disc or CD.
1992
SonyMiniDisc(MD)
1993
MP3 format developed
1996
First portable MP3 player
1997
DVD discs and players become commercially available.
1999
Napster launched
2001
Apple introduces the iPod.
2001
Napster closes as a free peer to peer site following a court case
2001
itunes released
2003
itunes music store developed
2006
More MP3 players were sold in phones than as a stand alone technology
2009
4 members of pirate bay found guilty of copyright infringement and
sentenced to 12 months in prison
2010
10 billionth song sold on itunes
Spotify launched