Phonograph Records

music · technology · vintage

Spiral groove magic. A phonograph record has a tiny spiral groove that spirals from the outside edge all the way to the center, kind of like a maze. A needle rides in this groove and vibrates to turn the wiggles into sound.

Analog sound storage. Records store sound as physical bumps and wiggles in the groove, not as computer code like digital music. The shape of the groove exactly matches the original sound waves that were recorded.

Playing it back. When you place a record on a phonograph and lower the needle, the vibrations from the groove travel up the needle and through speakers to create music. It's like the record itself is singing to you.

Spinning and listening. Records spin around and around while the needle slowly moves toward the center, reading the groove the whole time. Most records spin at 33 or 45 rotations per minute, which affects how much music they can hold.