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The Evolution of Musical Greeting Cards: A Symphony of Technology and Sentiment​
来源: | 作者:Haiyan Guangren Trade Co., Ltd. | 发布时间 :93 days ago | 82 次浏览: | Share:
Brief Summary of Musical Greeting Cards' Evolution
This brief summary condenses the century-long development of musical greeting cards, which blend sound with emotional connection amid tech progress.
Key Stages
Proto Era (Early 1900s–1950s): 1904 saw "musical postcards" (mechanical/paper sound storage); 1946 innovators tested humorous tall-format cards, lacking full musical integration.
Mechanical Revolution (1950s–1970s): 1958’s Musical Postcard Company (Sol S. Bernstein) made turntable-playable "singing postcards"; 1974’s Donald Sanford Patent 3,798,806 (hinged plastic card with music box) set modern mechanical standards.
Electronic Transformation (1980s–1990s): 1990s microchips replaced music boxes (Hallmark popularized these); late 1990s brought CD-integrated cards (e.g., Jason Holladay x Osmond family).
Digital Age (2000s–2020s): 2015 prank card startup raised \(92k on Kickstarter; 2024 China’s market split evenly (physical \)312.5B, virtual $321.2B) – high-end physical cards added Bluetooth, eco-brands used biodegradables; Tencent/NetEase led virtual.
Future & Conclusion
2025 will see AI-melody smart cards (recyclable electronics). Their appeal lies in sound’s emotion plus physical warmth.
cards in retail aisles, while independent creators like Bill Box added edgy humor to compete with corporate giants .
The late 1990s saw another leap: CD-integrated cards . Before streaming dominance, designers like Jason Holladay partnered with artists (e.g., the Osmond family) to include full-song CDs, merging physical greeting with tangible music collections.

4. Digital Age & Personalization (2000s–2020s): From Kickstarter to Smart Cards

The 21st century brought two parallel trends: digital customization and physical innovation. In 2015, a prank card startup raised $92,073 on Kickstarter with a relentless-play mechanism that only stopped when the battery died—demonstrating viral demand for interactive, humorous designs . Meanwhile, online platforms enabled consumers to tailor music, images, and messages, turning mass-produced cards into personalized keepsakes .
By 2024, the market split evenly between physical ((312.5B) and virtual ()321.2B) cards in China alone . High-end physical cards now incorporate Bluetooth, app-linked content updates, and voice recognition , while eco-conscious brands adopt biodegradable materials to address environmental concerns . Tech giants like Tencent and NetEase dominate the virtual space, offering cloud-based music greetings with social sharing features .

5. Future Horizons: Sentiment Meets Sustainability

As of 2025, the global industry stands at a crossroads. While market growth has stabilized , innovation persists—smart cards with AI-generated personalized melodies and recyclable electronic components are on the horizon. The enduring appeal of musical greeting cards lies not in technology alone, but in their ability to merge sound’s emotional resonance with the tangible warmth of a physical card.


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