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EVOLUTION OF MUSIC FORMATS | History of Listening to Music (Vinyl vs Cassette vs CD vs Digital)

Starting with the vinyl in the 70s to the streaming services of today, how we listen to music has changed tremendously. That’s why; let’s take a quick look at the evolution of music formats in the last 50 years or so. Stay tuned as you will see major transformations throughout history.

Evolution of music formats

Listening to music requires a medium in one way or another. Else, the audio cannot be transmitted or played.

Though, the type of medium we use hugely depends on the era we’re living in. They evolve to become more relevant to fit our needs, wants and desires of the time. This way, we can look back and appreciate all the media formats up to this day, which includes:

  • Vinyl
  • 8-Track Tape
  • Cassette Tape
  • CD
  • Video
  • Downloads
  • Ringtones
  • Streaming & Subscriptions
  • Synchronization

History of listening to music

In order to arrange these music formats in a representative manner, we need a timeline in which they occur in combination with their popularity. Therefore, we have used this source at riaa.com. We have gathered the correct data and used it to create today’s video. So, make sure to watch it until the end.

What is your favorite music format?

After you’re done watching, leave a comment and let us know: which music format brings back your best memories?

For me that’s easy. It’s the cassette tape. I remember recording songs from the radio as a kid. Waiting for hours for that one awesome song to press the record button. Of course, always a few seconds too late, but that couldn’t spoil the party. This slight imperfection and the ability to record any song gave it that unique and exciting experience.

So, which music format did that for you? Comment below or underneath the video. It would be great to hear your story.

Stay tuned and I’ll see you next time…

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