What was the first 78 rpm record made of?

The first 78 rpm records were primarily made of shellac, a natural resin secreted by the lac bug, which was mixed with other materials to create a durable disc. These records were relatively brittle and could hold about three to five minutes of audio per side. The shellac was molded into discs and played on mechanical phonographs, marking the beginning of commercial music recording in the late 19th century.