The Sony MiniDisc and Why it Failed

Rewind back to the 90s: both the cassette tape and compact disc were in the market, each offering perks that the other didn’t (smaller size of the cassette, versus the spacious memory of the CD).  Enter the MiniDisc, a device that had the best of both worlds: the reduced physical space and the expansive storage space.  Moreover, it was highly touted by audiophiles as a superior alternative to the older formats in the categories of audio quality, lower skipping propensity, and the ability to re-record (the CD-R was yet to be released).  In more ways than one, the MiniDisc was cutting edge… so why did it fail?  Mainly, it was too expensive.

Sony priced the MiniDisc player at approximately $550, and that’s just the playback-only version; for $200 more, you gained the ability to re-record.  While overpricing is typical of new technology, it wasn’t the first time Sony tried that trick, and people weren’t biting this time around.  It didn’t help that Sony’s target audience for this product were teenagers, who neither cared much for MiniDiscs, nor could even afford it if they did.  To add insult to injury, record labels weren’t buying into the new format either, meaning that the catalog of pre-recorded MiniDiscs was limited only to Sony artists.  Setbacks aside, it would be just a matter of time before the technology became commonplace, cheaper, and more readily available, right?  Wrong, because it soon faced competition that completely erased the MiniDisc from the equation.

Much like the Nintendo DS completely overshadowed the nifty Game Boy Micro, the MiniDisc was left in the dust when a certain company based in Cupertino released an MP3 device that shook the nation.  That’s right: Apple’s iPod entered the scene and stole the show, which was terrible timing for the failing MiniDisc.  To make matters worse, the CD-R lowered in price enough to become a better alternative than the MiniDisc, effectively dooming the format for good.  Strangely enough, there was enough of a cult following for Sony to continue selling the MiniDisc and its accessories all the way up to September 2011.  At that date, the format bid the world farewell.

References:

Faulkner, J. (2012, September 24). MiniDisc, the forgotten format. Retrieved May 25, 2015, from http://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2012/sep/24/sony-minidisc-20-years

Parsons, J. (2013, February 1). MiniDisc: The format that failed. Retrieved May 25, 2015, from http://www.t3.com/news/minidisc-the-format-that-failed

Peckham, M. (2013, February 4). The Ides of March: Farewell, Sony MiniDisc Player. Retrieved May 25, 2015, from http://techland.time.com/2013/02/04/the-ides-of-march-farewell-sony-minidisc-player/