The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

One thing I've been curious about is how recordings were marketed to people before the advent of commercial radio broadcasting. With the amount of recorded cylinders and discs that pre-date radio, how were people exposed to the music to get them to purchase the material? I know quite a bit of it might be through exposure to dance bands or vaudeville, but unlike listening to a radio daily, I have to believe that was somewhat limited. With some of the prices on the labels going upwards to $3.00 per disc, it's hard to imagine someone shelling out that kind of money back then for a gamble of what's in the grooves.

There was a lot of newspaper and magazine advertising and direct mailing to customers. And local ads would invite the public to come by and hear the newest releases. And in the early days when phonographs were still a novelty that drew crowds, dealers would put on public demonstrations.

Clay

Also (Clay may have hinted at this) you were able to play the record in the store before you purchased it. I recall a record store in downtown Cleveland in the 1950s that still had playing booths with a choice of selecting 78 rpm for the playback.

Even in the seventies you could still go into record stores and listen to LPs before you bought them. This was a favorite pastime on my way home from high school.

Andreas

FloridaClay wrote:There was a lot of newspaper and magazine advertising and direct mailing to customers. And local ads would invite the public to come by and hear the newest releases. And in the early days when phonographs were still a novelty that drew crowds, dealers would put on public demonstrations.

Clay

Here is an example of direct marketing from 1906. The Johnson talking Machine Co.Ltd of Liverpool had no connection with Eldridge R.Johnson of Victor. Their gramophones were marketed under the Academy brand name.

There was cross promotion- many pieces of sheet music would say "This piece is available for your talking machine and player piano". Sometimes it was very specific- I've seen pieces that give the record label and catalog number.

I think sheet music had some play as well. In those days, people bought lots of sheet music, and that might lead one to seek out the same song on a record.

And as if it needs repeating, listening booths were an integral part of the record trade. Some of the booths could even be quite ornate.

Here's the sort of promo that appeared in every music dealer's window when the new releases came. The music dealer's window display was a very important marketing tool. Dealer publications like The Edison Phonograph Monthly exhorted the dealers incessantly to create effective window displays.

Music stores always had a piano in the sheet music department( even in the days of my youth) and even the small shops had someone who could play over....and often sing... the new tunes for the customers. Sheet music sales in those days reached astronomical levels.

Jim

I have never seen Whiteman that slender