I could ony tune in briefly to a talk show about Spottify the other day
(Kojo Mnambi, WAMU). Someone commented that the from earliest cylinder
recording to the near present, the model was to purchase the object or a
file that contained the music.
I seem to recall that music cylinders first were sold to exhibitors who
streamed the audio to interested listeners via earphones in phongraph
parlors. Only a couple of years later could wealthier members of the
general public buy players and the cylinders to play upon them. The dates I
recall are 1889 and either late 1890 or 1891. Since this aspect of research
is revises so frequently, can anyone supply the proper dates?
Steve Smolian
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