Why Are Cassette Tapes Making a Comeback?

from The Gear Patrol Podcast · host Nick Caruso, Tucker Bowe

There's a lot more to the Cassette Boom that nostalgia alone. Episode Navigation:01:40 – Why are Cassette Tapes Making a Comeback?04:00 – Cassette Audio Quality Is Different Than You Might Recall05:45 – Memories of Cassette Tapes (and CDs) Are Powerful08:45 – The Last Car With a Tape Deck, and Tapes in Current Pop Culture10:45 – Current Artists Are Selling New Cassettes12:00 – The Cassette Boom, by the Numbers13:48 – Where Are We Supposed to Play Cassettes?17:16 – Will Companies Make New Tape Decks?18:25 – Companies Making New, High-Quality Cassette Tapes20:00 – Where Do We Go Now (from MP3s)?22:55 – Predictions: Will This Cassette Tape Trend Continue?24:35 – Tucker's Advice for Aspiring Cassette Tape CollectorsFeatured:Classic Cassette Tapes Are Making a Comeback Gear Patrol Magazine – Get an Annual Subscription for Just $39Check out the Just Cassette blog and Instagram Profile From Forbes – The Walkman And Cassette Tapes Are Making A Comeback Buy New Cassette Players from Urban Outfitters ($30+)Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix Vol. 1 ($10)Taylor Swift Evermore Album Deluxe Cassette ($13)

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published May 27, 2021

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What this episode covers

In this episode, we discuss the renewed popularity of cassette tapes. Cassettes–those plastic cartridges you sometimes rewound with a pencil eraser–were eventually overcome by the popularity of CDs in the mid '90s. But maybe you've noticed, and possibly been confused by, the recent Cassette Renaissance. It's not just indie bands driving the surge, either. Even megastars like Taylor Swift are launching their albums on cassettes. Cassettes are officially back. But why is an outmoded media format surging into the mainstream again? And furthermore, how would you even go about playing a tape these days? Senior Staff Writer Tucker Bowe answers those questions and more. Tucker recently did a deep-dive into researching the Cassette Boom for a story in the latest Gear Patrol Magazine issue, and there's a lot more to the movement that nostalgia alone.