Topic summary
Voice recording
Extracted from the Wikipedia article Sound recording and reproduction.
1950s to 1980s
The compact cassette was introduced by the Philips electronics company in 1964. Initially a low-fidelity format for spoken-word voice recording and inadequate for music reproduction, after a series of improvements it replaced the competing consumer tape formats: the larger 8-track tape and open reel tapes. The compact cassette became a major consumer audio format and advances in electronic and mechanical miniaturization led to the development of the Sony Walkman, a pocket-sized cassette player introduced in 1979. The Walkman was the first personal music player and it gave a major boost to sales of prerecorded cassettes.