How Technology Transformed Music in the 20th Century

Music changed dramatically in the 20th century as radio, gramophone records and later digital tools made songs available far beyond concert halls and homes with sheet music. People who could not afford live performances could now listen to operas, symphonies, jazz and popular music from their homes. Classical composers explored unfamiliar rhythms, sounds and recording techniques. Figures such as Igor Stravinsky, Arnold Schoenberg and John Cage helped shape modern art music, while electronic approaches such as musique concrète emerged from advances in sound recording and editing. Jazz grew from African American musical traditions, combining improvisation, syncopation, polyrhythms and blue notes. Rock later developed from rock and roll, blues and country music, with electric guitars, bass and drums at its core. Multitrack recording, synthesizers, drum machines and computer software eventually enabled producers to create complex music from home studios.

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