Sound reproduction, whilst a relatively new concept, has quickly evolved over the last 151 years. Let’s throw it down with a quick and dirty bulleted list:

• 1857: Phonautograph invented, recorded sound to paper. Pro: Paper is cheap. Con: The first Phonautograph player was developed in 2008. Ouch.
• 1877: Thomas Edison invents the Phonographic Cylinder. Pro: High Fidelity (for the Time) Con: Was made of wax and could break easily.
• 1889: Emile Berliner develops Phonographic Disk, aka Vinyl. Pro: Easier to transport, and more durable than cylinders. Con: Try playing a scratched one.
• 1935: Germans develop Reel to Reel Magnetic Tape. Pro: Can be arbitrarily long, similar quality to live broadcast. Con: Tape can wear out and break, need big machine.
• 1963: Compact Cassette tape developed. Pro: Portable, rewindable, two-sided. Con: Poor quality of sound, tape wears down easily.
• 1965: Stereo 8 (8-Track) developed by Lear (yes the Jet Company) Pro: ? Con: Pretty much everything.
• 1982: Compact Disc (CD) developed. Pro: Digital Sound, Small Size, Can double as drink coaster. Con: Vulnerable to scratching, does not play well with analog.
• 1991: MiniDisc, developed by Sony. Pro: Introduced concept of skip protection. Con: Proprietary format is heavily DRM’ed.
• 1994: MP3 introduced by Fraunhofer. Pro: Digital file has no DRM, can be played on a plethora of devices, small storage footprint. Con: Can be lossy.

It still amazes me that 119 years later, we’re still making new Vinyl LP’s. In fact, with the exception of Paper, Cylinder, and 8-Track, we’re still producing all of these.
But if you look at the list, from item-to-item, they are all fairly different ways of recording and playing back sound. But where do we go from here? I’m sure some format will supplant MP3, be it AAC or FLAC or some other such malarkey. However, it will still be the same basic concept. Create sound file on computer, playback on computer or iPod, lather, rinse, and repeat. Improved storage space and fidelity, sure. Something revolutionary? Not really. It’s been 14 years since MP3’s were introduced. If you look at the chart above, you’ll see that big innovations happen on average about twenty years apart. So we should be do for the next big thing by 2015. A whole new process for a whole new generation.

My prediction? Something that will playback music stored in your brain. It’s something they’re getting close to achieving now. I’ve seen a video game controller that goes on your head and uses your thoughts to control the action. I’ve seen someone make a cell phone call while never opening their mouth. Sony has a patent on something that can beam smells into your brain. This stuff is coming at us, and fast.

Just think about the possibilities. You wouldn’t have to spring for that band’s new live album, cause you were at the show, and the music is now in your brain. That song that is stuck in your head? Share it with the co-workers, through mind2mind song sharing. A term that will be ever-prevalent in the upcoming mind-age. This isn’t to say it will all be in your head, either. Some sort of receiver will be able to play it back to you. You’ll be able to transfer it to your computer (which will be painted on a wall somewhere in your house) to send it to other people’s minds. Sadly, though, we still won’t have flying cars (*shakes fist futilely in the air*).

Well, what do you think? Do you agree, disagree, think I’m a nutjob? Let me know.