Exploring the Evolution of Music Recording

A Brief History Of Music Recording

Music recording has over a century of history. Though it is easy to take the accessibility of present-day digital media for granted, it took a technological revolution to capture the sounds of music store them in a form that can be played back forever.

In 1877, Thomas Edison invented the phonograph. For the first time ever a person could hear their own voice returned to them. Phonographs would use a thin sheet of metal on a cylinder to record sounds using a stylus that created grooves on the surface of the cylinder. The first people to have heard the phonograph speaking to them must have truly felt like the technology was magic.

Many brilliant inventors and businessmen realized the potential of sharing music and by the mid and by the end of the 19th century the gramophone was invented by businessman Emil Berliner. The flat disc shape of a gramophone record made it a lot easier to store than phonograph cylinders, so gramophone records became the dominant form of recording music. Later innovations would lead to the invention of vinyl records. These developments lead to a new era in which people could have their own musical libraries at home to enjoy at anytime.

Music became more portable as decades passed. Cassette tapes and Compact discs (CDs) made music even more shareable, eventually culminating into the digital environment we live in today, where music can easily be shared worldwide.

The Tradeoffs Of Evolving Technologies:

More accessible mediums allow art to be consumed by a wider audience. This comes with benefits as well as tradeoffs. Centuries ago, musicians could only reach a limited amount of live audiences, and many historically famous musicians were only appreciated after their deaths if their sheet music was preserved and published. Analog technology allowed musicians to have a wider reach during their lifetime. With the internet today, anyone can find an audience that might be on the other side of the world. However, with increasing accessibility, competition is more difficult because past artists only needed to stand out in their community; artists today need to stand out against national and worldwide competitors. The impact of technology on music is evident in how it has expanded the reach of musicians, while simultaneously intensifying competition.

It might seem surprising, but many early 20th century musicians were opposed to recording their music. Their logic was that if anyone could play their music at home, they would end up out of a job. Most musicians’ livelihoods were earned through live performances, and that music recording without adequate compensation would mean that musicians would end up in poverty. In a way, some musicians of an earlier era believed that technology would be a liability to their careers. Nowadays musicians work to find a balance between publishing recorded music and playing for live audiences.

What Is The Appeal Of Vinyl Records

Sometimes the limitation of a medium can be an asset. Vinyl records are a new “retro” trend, reaching nearly 50 million sales in 2023 in the United States. One of the reasons that vinyl records are favored is the feeling that music is more “natural,” or “authentic” on a vinyl record, which is actually due to its limitations. Vinyl has a smaller dynamic range than digital, which means that its quietest sounds are less quiet, while the loudest parts are less loud. In theory, digital should sound better, however, digital music is ruined by the fact that many artists and producers compress their music and crank up the volume in an effort to stand out. Since this is not possible to do on the vinyl medium, songs are instead carefully mixed and mastered to make full use of the dynamic range available on vinyl. Also, due to the medium of recording, vinyl is able to capture the full quality of a sound while recording. On the other hand, digital mediums translate an analogue sound into digital information, which is later converted back into an analogue sound. This process of translating sound from one form back to another can cause the final result to lose some of its quality. When it comes to technology, sometimes older forms have their perks.

The Power of Digital Sharing

One great benefit of technology today is that the internet and the digital format make it easy to share music around the world. Many people live and have lived under oppressive dictatorships that restrict or censor many forms of art. Nowadays, with digital technology, anyone anywhere can still relatively easily find music to nourish their soul and find inspiration. No matter how tough their life is, they can still listen to someone that understands and sympathizes with their struggles, and to find hope for a better day. In the past, it was a lot more difficult for people to get music through the censors. However, in the time of the Soviet Union, there were brave bootleggers who spread forbidden western music by engraving music by copying popular foreign songs on x-ray film. With nicknames such as “Bone Music” or “rock on the bones” x-ray film would be cut into a disc shape and have music engraved on the grooves, using gear that Soviet soldiers salvaged during World War II. Though the quality was lacking, these x-ray film discs could be played on record players the same way as any vinyl. Illicit music dealers would sell their music on the streets, people would learn about these dealers through word of mouth. If caught music, they would face many years in prison or labor camps. Now that we have digital technology, less people need to take these risks to listen to the songs that they love and music that inspires them.

The Value of Art in Today's World

Many people that question the value of art today should remember that people have found music worthy enough to risk their life and freedom for. Now that people have the opportunity to share music everywhere, artists should take a chance and share the best that their talent and efforts can muster. A piece that an artist might feel ambivalent about just might be what someone needs to hear to get through a tough day. Another song might end up as a popular hit that becomes a favorite at elevating the mood at a birthday party or holiday celebration. Carpet Jam is all about sharing the beauty of music and sharing the best to reach far away audiences.

Take a chance, and submit your music to Carpet Jam today!