[medical citation needed] According to a review by Cherif et al., discrete wavelet transform DWT is better at not affecting S1 or S2 while filtering heart murmurs.

The idea of developing an instrument to record it may date back to Robert Hooke (1635–1703), who wrote: "There may also be a possibility of discovering the internal motions and actions of bodies - whether animal, vegetable, or mineral, by the sound they make".

[7] A phonocardiogram system manufactured by Beckman Instruments was used on at least one of the Project Gemini manned spaceflights (1965–1966) to monitor the heartbeat of astronauts on the flight.

The original patent description indicates that it is a device which via electrical voltage mimics the human heart's sounds.

Fetal phonocardiography has become an important tool in prenatal care, as it allows clinicians to detect and monitor potential heart problems in the fetus before birth.

Khandoker et al. developed a multi-channel fetal phonocardiogram (fPCG) with four sound transducers applied in a simple and consistent pattern across the maternal abdomen.