The Rise and Fall of the Sony MiniDisc: Why It Failed

The Format That Never Stood a Chance

When Sony launched the MiniDisc in 1992, it felt like a glimpse of the future. Smaller than a CD, tougher than a cassette, and capable of recording your favorite songs in digital format, it seemed designed to solve every music lover’s problem at the time. Sony didn’t hold back in promoting it, either—there were flashy ads, in-store demos, and a lineup of sleek devices to go with it. Yet, for all that effort, the MiniDisc never became the household name Sony envisioned.

So, why didn’t it catch on? Let’s take a closer look at what happened.

A Solution to the Cassette Problem

By the late 1980s, cassette tapes were wearing out their welcome. Sure, they were portable and easy to record on, but their sound quality wasn’t great, and they weren’t built to last. CDs, on the other hand, sounded fantastic, but they couldn’t record music and were frustratingly prone to skipping.

Sony’s first attempt to bridge this gap was Digital Audio Tape (DAT) in 1987. But DAT was expensive, with prices pushed eve…