1979

In 1979, Sony introduces the first Walkman, a small portable cassette player with headphones.
People can now listen to their favorite music anywhere – while walking, traveling or commuting.
Music becomes a constant companion in everyday life.
The Walkman is lightweight, compact and powered by batteries.
For the first time, many people listen to music privately through headphones rather than loudspeakers.
The compact cassette becomes even more popular.
Young people in particular embrace a new personal music culture.
Homemade mixtapes become an important part of music sharing.
The Walkman quickly becomes a symbol of the 1980s.
Portable players permanently change how people listen to music.
They pave the way for devices like the Discman, MP3 players and smartphones.