A Brief History of the Music Industry, From Wax Cylinders to Spotify

A video showing how the music industry has had to adapt to technology like no other

From the invention of the phonograph in 1877 to the boom in streaming services today, the music industry has had to constantly adapt to emerging technology. In this video, we explore whether music can continue to reinvent itself to survive. Photo: Liliana Llamas/WSJ

Liliana Llamas,

Anne Steele and

Thomas Di Fonzo

April 27, 2018 5:30 a.m. ET

Until the late 1800s, we could experience music only as it happened live. But with the rapid acceleration in technology over the past century, the way we consume music has fundamentally changed.

From Thomas Edison’s invention of the phonograph in 1877 to the endless music-streaming options available today, this video tells the story of an industry that has had to adapt to new technology like no other.

The...