While waiting for a table at a Lyon’s, we pondered the delivery mechanism for Muzak. I had this faded memory that the music was delivered over telephone lines, and also remembered seeing a switch on a restaurant wall that basically said “Muzak, On/Off”. Telephone lines seemed like a low quality delivery mechanism, but it turns out I didn’t make it up. According to the history on their website, Muzak originally used a cutting edge technology known as phonograph-through-telephone lines. Yup. They evolved to other delivery mechanisms such as tapes and satellite transmissions. Nowadays they also provide a myriad of services such as producing specially branded CDs for companies (that explains the proliferation of CDs branded with Starbucks, Victoria’s Secret, etc. that you see while shopping), customizing the music for companies’ on-hold and in-store experience, and designing the sound systems for their clients.