Ongoing History Daily: Whatever happened to the MiniDisc?

April 14, 2025 Alan Cross 0 Comments 0 min read

Even after the CD took off in the 1990s, the music and electronics industries were looking for the next format. Sony thought they had a solution with the MiniDisc, a portable digital music device that combined the best attributes of the CD (it sounded good), the Walkman (it was portable), and the cassette (it was recordable).

But as cool as the MiniDisc was, it never caught on outside of Japan. Why?

Sony Electronics wanted open formats and the ability to copy and play back music everywhere. Sony Music was worried about digital music piracy. And the leadership at the top of Sony never took a clear stance. With no coordination within the company, there was plenty of confusion and the MiniDisc failed.

Probably just as well. The iPod and other MP3 players would have killed it in a few years

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

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