In 1920, the First Music Download Service Was Created

It was called the Acoustograph. To say it was ahead of its time is an understatement. It had features one would recognize as prophetic. Music was sent over wire (telegraph to be exact). Multiple songs could be stored — up to three. Every month, new compositions could be downloaded.

From what I ascertain, one could request a new song through morse code. Then an operator would send back morse that would in turn puncture a paper roll. In this respect, it was quite similar to a player piano. If you wanted to listen to a different song, you would press down on one of the buttons on the top of the Acoustograph.

It was brilliant technology for its time. So why did it disappear into obscurity? There were a couple factors, I believe. The phonograph disc was more durable than paper and hence was seen as more permanent. There were less telegraphs to be found in the common home than telephones (for obvious reasons). Finally, buying a record outright for a one time fee was more satisfactory to the average consumer than paying monthly for a new song.

So while the Acoustograph was the precursor to iTunes, the RIAA should take take note. Customers would rather buy music they see as permanent. iTunes will be successful only inasmuch as customers feel it can be used on multiple devices. And while Apple has instituted FairPlay, they still made each song burnable to a CD. This is an important point. Customers don't want songs that are usable only on one device and unusable after a few listens (Zune, I'm looking at you).

To see more pictures of the Acoustograph, and watch an old commercial, took a look at the Museum of Lost Interactions page on it.