When Edison snapped and unveiled the phonograph in 1877, enabling playback and acoustic recording, he laid the initial bricks for modern music’s evolution. Despite some governments (shoutout UK Parliament!) granting musicians ownership of their work, today’s licenses (e.g. Music fans have two options: Play music themselves or hear someone else play it live. Late 1800s: Early Patents & Publisher Supremacy Hop in the time machine and explore how we got here. Throughout the past 100-plus years, however, one constant has held firm: The minds behind the music almost always walk away with less than the powers that be. While record deals have been around since the early days, their structure, standards, and consequences have evolved. Each new step changed the music industry, and, subsequently, how it worked for artists. Singles drove the business until they didn’t until they did again. An album held little cultural or commercial value until the 12-inch came along. “Vinyl” wasn’t a thing until vinylite plastic replaced brittle shellac. Ever since, new technology has recalibrated the status quo. When you retrace our industry’s steps, macro changes - the way songs are made, heard, valued, and ultimately exploited - start with patented inventions, clever innovations, and vertical integrations that shift creative norms & consumer behavior.Įdison paved the way with the phonograph in 1877. Artists have always shaped music’s future, and tech has always shaped how they do it.
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