In the latter half of the 19th century, many approaches to capturing sound were investigated. Mechanical reproduction in band organs used adaptations of the original Jacquard loom punched cards (arranged in a book). Later, rolls were used for band organs and player pianos.
Grooved cylinders and later discs were able to capture, preserve, and distribute sounds. Flexibile discs were developed for dictation purposes and EvaTone developed a manufactured flexible disc used for distributing sound as part of publications and other pathways. Dictaphone developed a grooved belt for recording dictation.
Caution: Many discs and cylinders are fragile and becoming more so with age. Even a single playing may damage the recording further, making professional restoration more difficult and costly and may result in an inferior final product.
Here is a breakdown of different mechanical media: