Retro Gadgets: Sony Walkman

These days we can store up to thousands of songs on our MP3 or smartphones and with the availability of streaming platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music, we have access to millions of songs on the go no matter where we are. However back in the day, the device that changed our music habits was the Sony Walkman, which enabled music to be portable. The first Walkman was released in 1979 and the last Compact Cassette tape Walkman was sold in 2010.

Sales

The Walkman enabled music to be portable via the cassette tapes which were introduced in 1963 by Philips that enabled users to listen to music on car stereos. The first Walkman featured an all blue and silver metal case which retailed at $150.00. Sony predicted at the time that they would sell 5,000 units a month however they sold 50,000 in the first two months. The Walkman was later introduced to the American market in 1980. Since then the Walkman continued to sell until it was no longer being manufactured in Japan and became discontinued in 2010. A total of 385 million Walkman units were sold (as of March 31, 2009) were sold during its lifespan. After the discontinuation of the cassette tape device, the digital version still bears the Walkman name and continues to serve the purpose of being the dedicated music player for the digital age.

Marketing

One marketing feature that the Walkman had was the ability for it to be customisable to the customers themselves. Before the only portable music player was the portable radio. However, the introduction of the Walkman allowed consumers to select what they wanted to listen to on the move, giving consumers the ability to create custom playlists if they wished. Another selling point was the fact that the Walkman allowed you to listen to music privately without having to interrupt other people, which appealed to teenagers. Throughout the marketing, Sony maintained the idea that the product was made for the individual.

Impact

The impact of the Walkman is felt today as it paved the way for music to be portable and customisable to the consumer’s interests and music habits. Over the years technology has evolved from CD Players and MP3 players. Now streaming platforms dominate the market with the inclusions of smartphones, however all these devices foundation stem from what the Walkman was made to provide a portable platform to consume music. A lot of people do think the Walkman was a device that changed the world, especially in the music industry allowing the ability to share music with everyone.

Lately, the Sony Walkman has been highlighted in modern media such as in the hit Marvel Film, Guardians for the Galaxy. The main character ‘Star Lord’ can be seen using the original Sony Walkman to listen to 80’s and 90’s music.

Sony Walkman 40th Anniversary Edition

2019 marks the 40th Anniversary of the release of the Sony Walkman. To celebrate the special occasion Sony has unveiled a special anniversary edition of the Walkman however without the ability to play a cassette tape. Instead, they have replaced the cassette tape function with a 3.6-inch LCD display. The device boasts an impressive 26-hour battery life and has a 16GB storage. The device itself encompasses the original design with its blue and silver colour scheme.