Written by Matthew Whitaker

If something wasn’t on my bingo card for the 2020s, it’d have to be the resurgence of audio cassettes. A quick intro: an audio cassette is a type of physical audio media that stores music on magnetic tape and can be played back on a cassette deck or portable cassette player. Audio cassettes were huge during the 1980s and still quite popular during the 1990s. 

When CDs came into the mainstream, audio cassettes fell out of use and were mostly extinct by the 2010s. 

The audio format was not forgotten though, with Stranger Things as well as Guardians of the Galaxy featuring the use of audio cassettes and Sony’s beloved portable cassette player, the Walkman. With the popularity of both media franchises, interest in audio cassettes boomed as new generations of listeners explored the medium. The renewed interest in audio cassettes led to usage and sales increasing exponentially in the past few years.

Today, major artists like Taylor Swift and Metallica are releasing their newest albums on audio cassette. Cassette hardware is beginning to see production again, with the electronics company FiiO producing a new portable cassette player, as well as We Are Rewind developing its own player. The future of audio cassettes is looking bright. Why are so many jumping into this new hobby? The answer:  the simple fun of using audio cassettes.

Audio cassettes are an analog audio format and inherently possess a warm and distinctive sound that can’t be found in digital formats. Audio cassettes are customizable. Creating – and listening to – a playlist of your favorite songs on magnetic tape makes you the DJ. Listening to a prerecorded album on tape lets you appreciate the full experience the artist provided without the temptation to skip or quickly switch to a different album. Audio cassettes also are great collectibles; artists go to great lengths these days to make striking cassette box art and colorful shells for the audio cassettes themselves. 

I love listening to the cassette release of Metallica’s 72 Seasons which comes on a bright yellow audio cassette. Listening to and collecting audio cassette tapes can turn into an exciting hobby. How does one start exploring the world of audio cassettes?

It’s easy. I recommend that you purchase a FiiO CP-13 cassette player from Amazon or B&H for $99.99. The player should work out of the box after a charge via the included USB-C cable. Many popular albums on cassette are available from major retailers like Amazon, Walmart, as well as Barnes & Noble – and don’t forget eBay! Put a tape in the player, press ‘Play’ and enjoy. 

Like I said…easy!

Curating your own mixtape is slightly trickier. For that, you’ll need a tape deck. Tape decks are fairly large in size and are considerably more expensive than a portable cassette player. While some portable cassette players and boomboxes can record mixtapes, the sound quality is usually quite poor compared to a tape deck. TEAC currently produces two models which are good options but on the pricey side at $499.99 for either. You can pick up a refurbished cassette player or tape deck from the medium’s heyday, though vintage machines may often have age-related problems.

If you are just looking to try out the medium, buy a portable cassette player first and see how you enjoy it – you may be content just listening to prerecorded albums!

Audio cassettes let you experience music in a fresh way. The medium is gaining more popularity with each passing year, with no signs of slowing down. The growth of cassette culture is exploding, so now is the time to join the mix!