Click on the following links. Please note these will open in a new window.

Visit a site dedicated to the history of recording technology, such as

David Morton’s The History of Sound Recording Technology

Home page:
http://www.recording-history.org

Technology:
http://www.recording-history.org/HTML/tech.php

Recording business:
http://www.recording-history.org/HTML/business.php

Cultural impact:
http://www.recording-history.org/HTML/culture.php

Jeremy Norman’s site From Cave paintings to the Internet covers all manner of the history of information and media.
http://www.historyofinformation.com/index.php

Thomas Edison described uses for his phonograph in North American Review in June 1878. The reproduction of music was fourth on the list after dictation, narration of books to the blind, and the teaching of elocution.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/edhtml/edcyldr.html