Thomas Edison invented the phonograph in 1877, but did not seriously begin to market it as a commercial product until the late 1880s, when he saw competition from patents that could lead to similar products by other manufacturers. During the 1890s, the phonograph was primarily a business machine, although very early in the 1890s, it was apparent that the phonograph as entertainment device would be a lucrative product.

Edison developed a strategy to market the phonograph at several price points, aiming at the lower class, middle class, and upper class and allowing such luxury options as choice of premium cabinetry (at extra cost), special decoration (extra cost) and a choice of horns or accessories (extra cost). In this way, a phonograph in the 1890s could be had for as little as $10 and as much as hundreds of dollars.

The system for playback, that of a rounded stylus riding up-and-down in a groove, was a closely protected feature of the Edison cylinder, and later disc, phonographs. However, other makers such as Columbia began making similar records and phonographs, and Edison was unable to stop them due to the phrasing of the respective patents.

Beginning in the late 1890s, the Edison line included the Gem, the Standard, the Home, and the Triumph, in order of cost to the buyer, and each phonograph had a well-thought name for its market position. All these early phonographs played for 2 minutes using wax cylinder records. Each phonograph went through design and engineering changes over the period of up to 20 years or so of production. By 1902, modified composition of the wax cylinders necessitated changes to the soundbox. By 1908, technology advanced to the point of being able to manufacture 4 minute cylinders, again requiring changes to the mechanism and accessories. Some new models were introduced over time, although they all retained key features of the Edison phonographs dating back to the 1890s.

Just prior to World War I, Edison introduced a line of disc phonographs in order to compete with the Victrolas and like instruments playing the conveniently stored flat disc 78 rpm records. Although retaining the up-and-down (rather than lateral) grooves of the Edison cylinders, the new "Diamond Discs" were thought to provide excellent sound quality due to their permanent diamond stylus, independent drive over the surface of the record, and the practicality of storage in albums rather than bulky cylinder boxes or cabinets.

Despite the long history of pioneering recorded sound, Thomas Edison ceased making phonographs in the late 1920s and returned to his various interests in electricity. However, as millions of phonographs bearing his name were made during a period of decades, many are still around to be enjoyed today.