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 don’t subscribe to any streaming services. I have vinyls and tapes. If I want to listen to music on the go, I use my walkman with music I’ve recorded from vinyl or, in very rare cases, YouTube.
My 9 year-old has a walkman too and it’s the greatest thing ever. She doesn’t have a smartphone, but the walkman enables her to listen to her own mixtape when we’re traveling. She loves it.
Actually, I’ve seen quite a few people with feature phones around lately, a walkman would be perfect for them for the same reason.
Also, making mixtapes is still as great as it was back then. A playlist is not the same, not by a long shot. I made one for my little sister recently and it was all kinds of fun to make sure both sides were filled, that the mood and energy was cohesive, that it was tracks I genuinely believed she would enjoy but also tracks that I knew she wouldn’t seek out on her own. (Fuck algorithms for recommending music — they won’t challenge you or surprise you.)
Edit: Also, releasing on cassette isn’t even that new this time around. For instance, all of Mac Miller’s stuff has been available on cassette for at least a few years. Like, check out HHV’s listing of cassettes: https://www.hhv.de/en/records/catalog/filter/tape-D2M74N4U9 and https://imusic.dk/exposure/8138/kassettebaand has a surprising number of metal albums on cassette.
How is it any different than making a playlist? You said a long shot, that’s not true.
I am not talking about Spotify, I never use it, but unless you are talking about the level of effort to make the tape, then what’s the difference?
Records are bulky, heavy, and horribly environmentally bad. Cassettes aren’t as bad but are really inconvenient.
I got rid of all of those years ago and I am so glad I did.
I still have a music collection, I don’t use streaming services though. And no no CDs either.