TIMELINE
1954
In 1954, the first transistor radio allowed listeners to take music with them, as the radio was now small and portable.1896
By 1896, the gramophone was on the market as a Victrola, playing disks of recorded music. This is the first commercially available record player.
1905
The 78 RPM standard was introduced. This enabled shoppers to be sure that their records would play on their Victrolas, and play correctly. This remained the standard until the introduction of the LP in 1940.
1962
The first portable stereo integrated speakers into a record player, allowing people to take their record player with them, moving it wherever they went.1896
By 1896, the gramophone was on the market as a Victrola, playing disks of recorded music. This is the first commercially available record player.
1963
The audio cassette offered music in a smaller and more portable format than ever before. Audio cassettes also enabled the first mix tapes.
1896
By 1896, the gramophone was on the market as a Victrola, playing disks of recorded music. This is the first commercially available record player.
1965
The 8-Track tape brought recorded music into cars, long before audio cassette players were integrated into car stereos.
1896
By 1896, the gramophone was on the market as a Victrola, playing disks of recorded music. This is the first commercially available record player.
1896
By 1896, the gramophone was on the market as a Victrola, playing disks of recorded music. This is the first commercially available record player.
1984
The Compact Disc offered higher quality recording, and increased durability compared to an audio cassette. By 1984, portable CD players were available.
1998
The first MP3 player, playing audio files, was released in 1998. The player eliminated the need for another media to hold music.
2001
Apple released its first iPod, taking the MP3 player mainstream in 2001. The iPod made digital music significantly more popular.
Now
Streaming (verb): delivering content, usually audio or video, to computers and mobile devices using the Internet. When streaming music, you listen to songs in “real time” instead of downloading and storing the file to a device to listen later.