First compact disc made in Britain

First compact disc made in Britain (The amazing Mr. Smith, NIM 5013, recorded 12/13 July 1983)

Compact discs, or CDs, are a format for storing digital information. They were first released in Japan in 1982, and rapidly gained popularity, especially as a way of storing and playing back music. They are made of a thin piece of metal pressed between plastic. Tiny dents in the surface of the metal called 'pits' hold the digital data on the disc. Although they could hold all sorts of information, they were best known for being one of the most popular ways of storing and distributing music. By 1991 they outsold other types of audio formats such as cassette and gramophone discs, and quickly gained dominance. The arrival of the web gradually chipped away a the CD's dominance as people began streaming music over the internet instead.