Engineering the Magnetophon and the Accidental Birth of Modern Audio Media

By Allison Marsh · IEEE Spectrum · 2026-08-02

According to IEEE Spectrum, the modern reel-to-reel tape recorder originated from Fritz Pfleumer's attempt to use magnetized paper as a cheaper alternative to gold-leaf cigarette tips. This detour into material science eventually allowed German engineers at AEG and I.G. Farben to

According to IEEE Spectrum, the modern reel-to-reel tape recorder originated from Fritz Pfleumer's attempt to use magnetized paper as a cheaper alternative to gold-leaf cigarette tips. This detour into material science eventually allowed German engineers at AEG and I.G. Farben to