When Taylor Swift’s releases her new album, “Life of a Showgirl,” in October, it can be heard on the usual places, including streaming, vinyl and…cassette tape?
The cassette tape was once one of the most common ways to listen to music, overtaking vinyl in the 1980s before being surpassed by CDs. But the physical audio format has become an artifact of a bygone era, giving way to the convenience of streaming.
Or, that’s what many thought.
In 2023, 436,400 cassettes were sold in the United States, according to the most recent data available from Luminate, an entertainment data firm. Although that’s a far cry from the 440 million cassettes sold in the 1980s, it’s a sharp increase from the 80,720 cassettes sold in 2015 and a notable revival for a format that had been all but written off.
Cassettes might not be experiencing the resurgence of vinyls or even CDs, but they are making a bit of a comeback, spurred by fans wanting an intimate experience with music and nostalgia, said Charlie Kaplan, owner of online store Tapehead City.
“People just like having something you can hold and keep, especially now when everything’s just a rented file on your phone,” Kaplan told CNN.
“Tapes provide a different type of listening experience — not perfect, but that’s part of it. Flip it over, look at the art and listen all the way through. You connect with the music with more of your senses,” he said.
I did a collaboration once where we were considering doing a limited release of a one-off song on an Edison cylinder recording.
Turns out that yes, there are firms that produce them, but those fuckers are expensive.
And notice that nobody wants to release on 8-track tape cartridges. That’s because those things sucked.
There are a number of collectors and enthusiasts who enjoy alternative types of media. It was an experience listening to music on tape and hearing the hiss of the tape. It has a different sound to it, sort of like vinyl.
If there’s money to be made, they’ll find ways to get it. If that means selling tapes, they’ll sell tapes again. Records are still back in style and being mass produced again.
Wait until this guy hears about a certain genre called black metal…
There is a large subset of hipster types who are notalgic for VHS, cassette, film and early digital cameras.
It’s because of ‘vibes’. It makes them feel different, special, more important than the ‘normies’ listening to stuff on Spotify, watching stuff on Netflix, or using iphones for photography. They think it’s more ‘authentic’, ‘analog’, etc.
Yes, they are insufferable people to be around. I grew up with Cassettes and VHS. It sucked balls. I vastly prefer my 4K streaming and high bit rate audio. But I understand that for younger people or hipster types, the ‘retro’ aspect is super appealing and it makes them feel special. I have several friends like this over the years and they love to go on long rants about how superior they are for this stuff and how ignorant the Spotified masses are.
Record collectors mostly and obsessed fans. Vinyls and CDs may have done a comeback back, still are expensive.
I’ve seen various artists selling those on bandcamp, and they’re often sold out
me. i am buying those.
fun nostalgia. it’s physical, tactile, the sounds that come along with a physical cassette. and yes, the audio is imperfect, but that’s part of the experience and charm.
i already have lossless digital files. this is a different experience.
nostalgic audiophiles
You’d be surprised.
As a matter of fact, many well known and famous artists have been releasing dbrwnd new albums on old media for years and years.
For example I have a casset of 10000 days by tool.
I’m also an idiot audiophile with a stereo that’s way way too expensive for my own good. (I’m not rich but I am broke.)
I swear to God I can hear a difference and theres all kinds of warm fuzzy feelings when I put a casset in.
Perhaps a reason to dust off my walkman! … if this cassette is even affordable.
properly new cassettes are usually not expensive. it’s only original classics from 30-40 yrs ago that are marked up.
I figure normally, yeah, but I feel like Taylor Swift playing around with a new medium probably comes with a heavy price tag.
oh maybe, i’m not actually a Swift fan. i’m just here for cassette talk. XD
i tend to get my new cassettes for around €7-€12.
Me neither honestly, I just know she seems to have a massive following of fans that will do or pay anything that she touches lmao But it would be cool to buy some in general. I can’t remember how many times I listened to one Joan Jett tape as a kid
word, exactly.
i tend to get them from Bandcamp on Bandcamp fridays, if you’re interested.
I am, thank you! I’ll definitely be on the lookout.
it’s actually super common for underground music. I have a collection of new music on cassette. it costs a lot of money to press vinyl, and a lot of bands just aren’t there.
Swift is a billionaire. She did not become a billionaire by releasing her albums in single formats. Streaming, cds, multiple collector editions in vinyl and now cassettes. Agree writes music to appeal to the most people possible and then creates as many different sources for her fans to give her money as she can.
Collectors? Idiots?
I saw a bunch in Japan, along with Vinyl and CD, even saw some 8-track in Tower Records.
I don’t like touch screens, or screens in general. I miss Minidisc so much. It was and is the absolute best for me.
The iPod with the click wheel would be my next choice but they’re too expensive now. CD cases were cumbersome, and when lined up it’s hard to read the spines. They skip too when I’m walking.
I’d go back to cassettes again if they were released to the same standard as back in the day (Dolby NR, etc). I like handling the cases and they look better lined up on a shelf.
