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Humanities LibreTexts

Media Chronology

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1877 Edison phonograph invented

1910s 78 rpm records widely available (not the only recording speed)

1925 Electric recording available (via microphones)

1930s Magnetic tape used by German government for propaganda recordings

1946 Only 0.5 percent of US households have television sets

1947 Magnetic tape available for commercial recordings; can be spliced to edit

1948 33 1/3 rpm long-playing (LP) records available

1949 45 rpm “singles” (1 song on a side) cheaply available

1954 More than 55 percent of US households have television sets

1958 Stereophonic sound, multitrack magnetic tape

1966 Compact cassette tape in wide circulation

1983 Compact discs introduced

1980s Internet access available to consumers

1998 First music stores appear on the internet

2001 Apple begins selling the iPod. More than 98 percent of US households have color television sets

2002 Streaming begins to become widespread

2006 Apple’s iTunes surpasses one billion songs sold

2018 Apple announces it will phase out downloadable music files

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