Compact Disc Logo

The inception of the compact disc, or CD, technology was a collaborative effort between Philips and Sony in the late ’70s and early ’80s. This digital medium was designed to store and play audio, revolutionizing how we interacted with music and sound. The first public prototype introduction came in 1979, with commercial versions hitting the shelves in Japan by 1982 and spreading to Europe and North America by 1983.

Initially, a compact disc could house up to 74 minutes of stereo audio and had a diameter of 12 centimeters. This original version became recognized as the CD-DA, short for Compact Disc Digital Audio. Within a few years of its launch, by 1985, CDs began to win the hearts of consumers as they started to prefer them over traditional vinyl records and cassette tapes.

Towards the late ’80s and throughout the ’90s, technological advancements in manufacturing techniques allowed these discs to store up to 80 minutes of audio and, eventually, up to 700MB of data by the end of the century. This evolution didn’t just stop at music; the CD’s technology paved the way for variations like the CD-ROM for data storage, the writable CD-R, and even adaptations for automotive and portable CD players.

CDs remained the primary mode for audio storage and playback for nearly two decades. However, the landscape began to shift toward the end of the 2000s as digital distribution channels and streaming services gained momentum. Although CDs were a ubiquitous part of global culture – evidenced by over 200 billion units sold by 2007 – their popularity took a nosedive post-2008 as alternative means of accessing music, such as streaming and downloading, became more prevalent.