Sales of oldfashioned tapes were up 74% in america last year, according to nielsen, which tracks music sales in. Cassettes are making a comeback, but cds are the superior vintage. Nov 28, 2017 you may have thought the cassette tape was dead, relegated to the dustbin of history. Like reading a book or a paper magazine, listening to vinyl or cassettes pulls us out of the digital ocean for 45 minutes or so and forces us to focus on one thing. Using relatively old equipment from the 1970s to produce all of its cassettes, national audio, which opened in 1969, produced 10 million tapes in 2014, according to a bloomberg report. Mulann is a european company that produces magnetic strips for items like debit and credit cards. Books on tape make a modern comeback audiobooks on tape.
Fans of diy music cant help but have noticed in recent years the seemingly unlikely comeback of the cassette, with tapes turning up on merch tables and traded among musicians. Nov 08, 2017 cassette tapes make a comeback test your knowledge in our quiz. Inspire a love of reading with prime book box for kids discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers new books every 1, 2, or 3 months new customers receive 15% off your first box. In an age of digital downloads, it seems cassettes are making a comeback. It was cheap, portable and simple to duplicate but, unlike a vinyl album, never a thing of beauty. Audio books cassette for sale in uk view 91 bargains. Why the cassette tape is still not dead rolling stone. Yet quite a bit has been made of the increase in tape sales in 2018. Dec 26, 2016 in an age of digital downloads, it seems cassettes are making a comeback. The walkman and cassette tapes are making a comeback. Cassettes are making a comeback published thu, apr 17 2014 10.
Tape cassettes, once seen as an outdated musical format, are returning to the music scene. It seems that the tape is making a comeback not so much as a way of listening to music, although people undoubtedly are doing this, but more often as a collectable. While cassettes are making a comeback, this doesnt necessarily imply that they rose from the dead. Tempes rubber brother records is the latest label to use cassette tapes to get local music to a. The invention of the cassette tape allowed people to make recordings without having the level of training or expertise. Cassettes make a comeback as sales of albums on tape more than. For my ears, the old plastic discs sound better than everything except. Stepp estimates the company accounts for 95% of all audio cassettes in the western hemisphere, selling tapes all over the world and even supplying smaller manufacturers in the. Of course, the cassette tape has long since been replaced by mp3s burned from itunes, but according to newsweek magazine, its making a comeback. It is clear from looking at which names were the bestsellers. Mar 30, 2016 how cassettes survived the digital revolution nac, founded in 1969, isnt the last cassette factory in the country, but it is the last one operating on a large scale. You may have thought the cassette tape was dead, relegated to the dustbin of history. Tapes have actually been alive andwell, maybe crippled, for use of a better word in the less mainstream punk, experimental, and diy music scenes. Cassettes are making a comeback, but which artists are.
And the one media of real lasting value, the audio cd, is going the way of the dodo. Books on tape thousands of audio books on cassette, cd. I think youre a little unfair regarding the sound of cassettes vs. Sales are up as some artists now choose to release new material on tape. The existing reeltoreel recorders were expensive and cumbersome to use. Time to check out uos selection of cassette tapes new releases, cult classics and movie soundtracks. The cassette comeback isnt what you think it is discogs blog. The new fox analog cassette tape made in france and making a revival. But id love to have one with a tape player that works, but the last momandpop electronics store in my neighborhood that still carried them closed years ago. If audio cassettes are making a comeback,where are the new players. Cassettes make unexpected comeback in the age of digital.
Hipster embrace of cassettes fuels demand for magnetic tape. As sarah offin reports, both collectors and record labels are trying to keep on. People hipsters, or whomever are stupid, and the capitalists feed on their stupidity. Apr 17, 2014 cassettes are making a comeback published thu, apr 17 2014 10. But before you go diving into the closet or under your bed to dig up all those old tapes, keep in mind that listeners bought a total of 129,000 cassettes last year, barely a blip on the radar when compared to the. Oct 26, 2017 the biggest audio tape seller of last year was guardians of the galaxy awesome mix. Dec 14, 2009 audio cassettes make comeback audio cassettes are making a comeback because elderly listeners are rejecting new technology. The tapes comeback has caught the industry off guard, with. Apr 22, 2018 cassettes are making a comeback, but cds are the superior vintage music format the wrong format is making a resurgence as music fans flocked to indie shops again saturday for record store day. Also over 400 of their titles are available for digital download on and can be linked to through the books on tape site. The company says analog is complementary to digital music. Audio is just one of the companies churning out cassettes these days. Maxell 108562 brick packsmaxell 108562 low noise surface 90 min recording time audio cassettes, great for everyday recording pack of 5 protective case included.
Once an 80s staple, cassette tapes are making a comeback. Most people would probably think there arent 100,000 cassettes left in the world, national audios owner steve stepp tells me. Looking for a dual cassette player with auto reverse and there basically seems to be nothing. Miss read scarce cassette audio book over the gate read by gwen watford 6hrs. Jan 26, 2017 hot on the heels of the resurgence of vinyl, cassette tapes are making a comeback. Why cassette tapes are making a comeback how justin bieber, the weeknd and other artists are sending the humble cassette tape on a comeback tour. As far as we can tell there are 3 main reasons why people are flocking back to these clear, plastic, magnetic ribbon holding pieces of yesteryear. Maxell 108575 optimally designed for voice recording brick packs with low noise surface 90 minute audio cassettes, 7 tapes per pack 4. Thanks to the work of one french company, the personal audio cassette player is making comeback. Though vinyl has made a recordsetting and muchpublicized comeback in recent years, its still not musics fastestgrowing physical medium. The compact cassette or musicassette mc, also commonly called the cassette tape, audio cassette, or simply tape or cassette, is an analog magnetic tape recording format for audio recording and playback.
The complete sherlock holmes audio books cassettes. If you like our tape cassettes, be sure to check out our band tshirts to double up on your. D uring its heyday, the audio cassette was easy to take for granted. Are cassette tapes realy making a comeback louder than war. Ive got some unopened bbc branded blank cassette tapes from the early 1990s, and im considering just for a bit of fun making a mix cd of songs from the past 4 years and then recording it onto one of those blank cassettes, then playing it back on my grandads cassette deck from 1982, itll seem strange hearing modern music being played on very old media and on a very old playback device. These tapes were very quick to arrive, and were packed very well so there was no damage whatsoever. Mar 29, 2010 d uring its heyday, the audio cassette was easy to take for granted.
Cassettes are making comeback, but are cds the superior. This company is still making audio cassettes and sales are. I seen a marantz on ebay but dont know if its still available. Cassette tapes make a comeback test your knowledge in our. Rewind to the 1980s as the cassette tape makes a comeback. Whether you place your orders online, call our customer service staff, or walk in our door, we express a big thank you thank you to all of you who come back again and again.
Jul 23, 2018 first it was vinyl, but now it appears that analogue audio cassettes are set for an unlikely return as demand from the business and consumer market continues to surge. Please continue to make us your source for cassette tapes, digital media, and audio services. The audio cassette, also called the compact cassette or simply the tape, is a recording format that was first introduced in 1963 to fill a need in the then available audio recording media options. In 2014 national audio company, one of the largest and busiest cassette manufacturers in the us, produced more than 10 million tapes. Cassettes are making a comeback, but cds are the superior vintage music format the wrong format is making a resurgence as music fans flocked.
May 08, 2017 vinyl is currently the hottest thing in the music world, and another format that many believed was dead and gone is also making something of a comeback, though only select names are offering their. Originally invented by philips back 54 years ago 1964, the magnetic tape recording technology had all but disappeared, having been replaced by cds and digital technology. Total sales jumped 35% last year in the us, and 112% in the uk. Opinion our misplaced nostalgia for cassette tapes the. But young, independent artists around australia are bringing them back. Nevertheless, it is highly unlikely the compact cassette will be making any comeback soon. However, an increasing number of bigname artists, such as eminem and metallica, are. Most people would probably think there arent 100,000 cassettes left in the world. I very much prefer the sound of a well recorded tape to a cd.
National audio companys competitors closed or turned to cd production in the 1990s, and as they did stepp. All tech considered tape sales continue to drop, but some new labels are embracing cassettes as an integral part of their art and craft. Music talk if audio cassettes are making a comeback,where are the new players. As sarah offin reports, both collectors and record labels are trying to keep on beat with demand.
Compact cassettes come in two forms, either already containing content as a prerecorded cassette. Tempes rubber brother records is the latest label to use cassette tapes to get local music to a wider audience. After lying dormant for decades, unused and unloved by anyone, the cassette tapes have been resurrected by audiophiles all over the world. May 02, 2009 rewind to the 1980s as the cassette tape makes a comeback audio cassettes, which were cast aside in the digital revolution by the arrival of compact discs and internet downloads, are making a. How cassettes survived the digital revolution nac, founded in 1969, isnt the last cassette factory in the country, but it is the last one operating on a large scale. Cassette tapes could be making a comeback despite being killed off by cds in the 1990s. Oldschool cassettes make comeback as consumers yearn for the. I got them mostly for nostalgia fun and to keep my tape decks going. Recently, the audio cassette format has witnessed a modest revival with some independent record labels choosing this format for music releases, taking advantage of the lowcost and the difficulty of sharing music over the internet. In 2015 their duplicated cassette sales increased 31% over 2014. For the rest of us, mix tapes were the soundtrack to our 8th grade romance. Audio cassettes make comeback audio cassettes are making a comeback because elderly listeners are rejecting new technology.
Cassettes are making a comeback, but cds are the superior vintage music format. The walkman isnt dead cassette players are making a. The real cassette comeback there are many articles out there, talking of the cassette comeback most articles are written by people who either have no love of the format, are too young to have that insight or are just writing using common stereotypes. The tape has made a comeback, as listeners rediscover the delights of. Cassette sales skyrocketed by 74 percent last year, thanks in part to strong showings from prince and eminem reissues combined with new albums from justin bieber and the weeknd. Oct 14, 2019 the real cassette comeback there are many articles out there, talking of the cassette comeback most articles are written by people who either have no love of the format, are too young to have that insight or are just writing using common stereotypes. Go to any indie show and inevitably, among the tshirts and knickknacks, there will be tapes. None of my sony walkmans play tapes anymore, but the radio still works so thats what i listen to around the house. The sales of tapes have seen big increases in recent years with another increase of 125% in 2018, but is this really a return of the cassette in the words of ll cool j, dont call it a comeback.
This company is still making audio cassettes and sales are better than ever it waited out 20 years of technological advances in audio and is now cashing in. Cassette mix tapes have a cult following and theyre becoming hip again among the audio crowd. Oldschool cassettes make comeback as consumers yearn for. If audio cassettes are making a comeback,where are the new. Cassettes are making a comeback, but which artists are actually selling them. Popular audio cassette books meet your next favorite book. For those of a certain age, hearing the term cassette tape harkens back to a simpler time of making a super special mixtape for a loved one using a frankie goes to hollywood greatest hits with scotch tape over the holes because it was cheaper than a blank cassette. Cassette tapes making a comeback with youth in japan. Cassette tapes make a comeback the washington post. Forget vinyl, lets talk about the cassette comeback forbes. If youre of a certain age, you know well the rise and fall of cassettes. Cassettes are making a comeback, but cds are the superior vintage music format the wrong format is making a resurgence as music fans flocked to indie shops again saturday for record store day. Apr 18, 2018 though vinyl has made a recordsetting and muchpublicized comeback in recent years, its still not musics fastestgrowing physical medium. The format was developed by philips in 1962 as a lowfi media.
418 1023 57 361 580 702 1258 286 815 75 1389 1458 262 243 846 320 1427 227 981 1209 7 612 764 1073 524 939 877 1309 363 1159 954