Media Law & Lit - Grace Alfone: The Phonograph

Have you ever thought about the origins of the recording device? Nowadays music platforms, like radio and streaming services heavily depend on recording to produce content across media forms such as music videos and movies too! This essential technology dates back to a creation, by Thomas Edison back in 1877. The phonograph! It was an invention because it was the ever machine that could both capture and play back sound.

Edison first started working on recording while working on a project to enhance telegraph technology initially with the goal of capturing messages but later realizing its potential to store and reproduce human voices instead. He then proceeded to create a device – the phonograph – to experiment with this concept which included a cylinder covered in thin tin foil that would vibrate upon receiving sound waves from a voice interacting with a diaphragm connected to a needle. As the cylinder turned around slowly and smoothly the needle made marks on the foil that mirrored the vibrations of the sound. When the cylinder was replayed these marks produced vibrations that replicated the recorded audio essentially playing back the recording.

The first sound ever recorded on the phonograph was Edison’s own voice reciting “Mary had a little lamb.” The success of this initial test quickly revealed the device’s revolutionary potential. After refining his design, Edison envisioned the phonograph being used in various ways: to record phone conversations, create audio books for the blind, and preserve the voices of loved ones. These initial ideas were just the beginning of what would become a lasting impact on society, communication, and entertainment.

The phonograph laid the groundwork for the modern audio recording industry, influencing everything from music production to broadcasting and dictation. At the peak of the Industrial Revolution, Edison’s invention spurred other inventors to explore recording technology further. For instance, Emile Berliner developed the gramophone in the late 19th century, which used flat discs instead of cylinders. This design became popular because it allowed for mass production, enabling recorded music to reach wider audiences and making audio recordings more accessible to the general public.

Beyond the technology, the phonograph’s impact extended to social and cultural life. The phonograph brought entertainment into people’s homes, allowing individuals from different social classes to listen to the same music and spoken-word recordings. This democratization of sound helped bridge class divides, as both working-class and affluent families could enjoy recordings in their homes. The phonograph also played a role in shaping social interactions, as families and friends gathered around it to share in listening experiences. Music became a central part of social gatherings, and the phonograph transformed how people interacted with music and sound.

Edison’s phonograph was much more than a device; it was the beginning of a new era. By enabling the capture and reproduction of sound, it laid the foundation for nearly every form of audio-based media we know today. Music and recording is a key part of billions of people's lives across the world. Recording has expanded cultures, created job opportunities, and enhanced entertainment. From music to broadcasting, the phonograph’s legacy endures, underscoring the revolutionary power of capturing and sharing sound.