Demand actually increasing for cassette tapes

Demand actually increasing for cassette tapes
After having its downfall predicted for over a decade, it appears that demand for cassette tapes is actually increasing, with sales of the blank tapes increasing year-on-year.

TDK, the current market share leader for cassettes, has said it has sold one million of the blank tapes in the Q1 2009 already, blasting past expectations.



"We're pretty surprised actually because tape sales seem to be holding up very, very well," TDK spokesperson Craig Hill added. "We thought that they would tail off dramatically, year on year. In the last 12 months, we've seen a resurgence."

In the 90s, over 50 million blank tapes were sold every year, and by 2007 that number had dropped to just over 5 million.

Why demand is increasing however is the bigger question.

Says Andy Borthwick of aandcaudio.co.uk, "Cassettes for us over the last few years have actually increased in sales, for various reasons. There's a lot of people looking for them and they're not available on the High Street, so they're coming to specialist companies like ourselves."

Police also are big buyers of the tapes, as lawyers "don't trust digital technology for interviews" so they keep cassettes as the standard.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 18 May 2009 23:59
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  • 31 comments
  • 5fdpfan

    I could understand lawyers using them for that purpose, but I'd be really surprised if demand for those ancient things spreads beyind them to the general public. I for one have no use for cassettes any longer.

    19.5.2009 00:21 #1

  • cart0181

    LOL, it's because of the frivolous lawsuits.

    On the other hand, wouldn't those be MICRO-cassettes? I couldn't see a serious big-shot lawyer carrying around a huge desktop cassette recorder everywhere he went.

    19.5.2009 02:27 #2

  • Postoast

    Learning a foreign language using optical disks sucks. You cannot rewind back say, 5 seconds to hear the sound again. With a cassette tape it's easy. I remember taking a test where the test questions were placed on a DVD and sectioned off by chapters. It was pure hell to navigate when you wanted to only listen to a particular portion. Setting up DVD menus is also a pain in the butt.

    19.5.2009 03:17 #3

  • ZippyDSM

    Originally posted by Postoast: Learning a foreign language using optical disks sucks. You cannot rewind back say, 5 seconds to hear the sound again. With a cassette tape it's easy. I remember taking a test where the test questions were placed on a DVD and sectioned off by chapters. It was pure hell to navigate when you wanted to only listen to a particular portion. Setting up DVD menus is also a pain in the butt.
    DVD has rewind and fast forward, but tapes are more simple for stuff under a hour length and not as costly as digital recordings.
    --------------------
    It seems devices have not really caught up to using removable flash as its meant to be used IE you buy a 20-100 recorder and then your storage medium be it SD,Micro SD or flash.

    Hell I have had cheap working devices to use normal USB flash drives up to 4GB on mini MP3 players and boomboxs there is no reason they can not be used for other devices such as recorders and what not.

    The media industry has damaged the innovation in the audio and video market for far to long......

    19.5.2009 07:28 #4

  • JOHNSTARR

    Well since cassettes are making the "big come back" I can't see any reason why mini disks can't rise from the grave.

    No time for Leap frog!!!

    19.5.2009 07:49 #5

  • ZippyDSM

    Originally posted by JOHNSTARR: Well since cassettes are making the "big come back" I can't see any reason why mini disks can't rise from the grave.I dunno how hard is it to get devices and blanks?

    I prefer my mp3 player that holds 20+ hours worth of junk....

    Ah modern gaming its like modern film only the watering down of fiction and characters is replaced with shallow and watered down mechanics, gimmicks and shiny-er "people".

    19.5.2009 08:20 #6

  • hendrix04

    music students use tapes a lot. They have not figured out the whole digital recording thing yet ;)

    19.5.2009 08:20 #7

  • ZippyDSM

    Originally posted by hendrix04: music students use tapes a lot. They have not figured out the whole digital recording thing yet ;)MD's are digital... so are CDs....

    speaking of cds analog sound to digital device for analog data is so very redundant.... 0-o

    19.5.2009 08:22 #8

  • blueboy09

    Yea I have an MD collection that i supposedly cannot listen to cause my damn MD player broke, and i found out that to get a recorder for MD costs almost twice that. All good things must come to an end. -
    BLUEBOY

    19.5.2009 08:33 #9

  • ZippyDSM

    Originally posted by blueboy09: Yea I have an MD collection that i supposedly cannot listen to cause my damn MD player broke, and i found out that to get a recorder for MD costs almost twice that. All good things must come to an end. -
    BLUEBOY

    I dunno a quick google search finds player/recorders from 20-200.... kind like cassette recorders... LOL

    19.5.2009 08:35 #10

  • xyqo

    Well for me this is really odd because personally I like to be a few years ahead of my own prediction. So I don't even use optical media anymore i stopped using cassette tapes so long ago that I can hardly remember.

    19.5.2009 09:54 #11

  • DXR88

    i am one of those that still use cassette, i find there ability to ignore anything digital useful. i back up cd to tapes, records to tapes 8track to tapes, and mp3 to tapes, i also find that cassettes have a better deep compared to cd's and mp3s.

    19.5.2009 15:19 #12

  • joe777

    I remember when you copied over a cassette tape to many times, the original track came through the new 1. Is that how all that rap nonsense made it? Cause they made a mistake by not changing the tape regularly:P
    What shall we call it when the tape has messed up? Ah thats it REMIX. Lol.
    No folks the tape has had its day, and hey cds have had their day also, even with all those linux distros that can boot from USB(if your old pc supports it) The MD never took off even seen them for car radios once upon a time and they were a flop. DAT machines are still being used in the studios but their time is also shortening. And lets not forget that all optical storage is on its way out. Ah mean once SSD has come down in price then its bye bye to the good old HDD. SSD with its no moving parts, blistering transfer speeds and portability make it the winnar by far, well that is except for the cost. Holy sugar and spice have you seen the cost for 250Gigs of SSD!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Soon they will be affordable and @ read speeds of 250MB/s and writing @170MB/s we all want that. And hey there's no typo here thats MegaBytes not Megabits.

    19.5.2009 17:08 #13

  • ivymike

    It's easy to understand why vinyl records & cassette tapes are making a comeback...You cannot put DRM on a record or casette. People are tired of having to break DRM just so they can upload their favorite music to their computer or mp3 player.

    19.5.2009 17:32 #14

  • iamgq

    People being cheap is the real deal.

    20.5.2009 07:41 #15

  • DXR88

    Originally posted by iamgq: People being cheap is the real deal.No just realistic, not everybody has buckets of money at there beckon, tapes are very useful more so than people realize.

    20.5.2009 13:35 #16

  • burninmad

    I'm on my fourth DVD recorder(standalone)VCR combo too!After all of my recordings ,I thought this would be "the way to go"?But per my previous threads such as:"The Death Knell of the DVD recorder(stanalone)",I don't see ANY ads at Beat buy or the "other" Box stores?My brother and I had both got SV2000s(Funai) ,well priced(CHEAP!),his is still working(2007),my two ,both "fried"during a Thunderstorm.Nothing else did,although plugged in to an AR10S Acoustic Research Surge suppressor! I'm talking a single Lightning strike somewhere in the area,NOT direct hit here.The AR10S did protect my TV,Surround sound receiver,and a DVD/VCR player!Acoustic Research engineers said nothing was malfunctioning in the Surge suppressor,but kept it.AND sent me a "High End" NEW one!Technology of DVDrs? I still got 5 or 6 VCRs and find blank tapes(new) at Thrifts,etc.! So,Wassuupp? I got my VHS tapes from 10-15 years ago,but these DVds,will they "Live"?

    20.5.2009 14:31 #17

  • iamgq

    Quote:Originally posted by iamgq: People being cheap is the real deal.No just realistic, not everybody has buckets of money at there beckon, tapes are very useful more so than people realize.
    Buckets of money? Comn now... Ill buy you a roll of 50 CDRW'S, bet theyll last you a lifetime.

    20.5.2009 14:35 #18

  • DXR88

    Quote:Quote:Originally posted by iamgq: People being cheap is the real deal.No just realistic, not everybody has buckets of money at there beckon, tapes are very useful more so than people realize.
    Buckets of money? Comn now... Ill buy you a roll of 50 CDRW'S, bet theyll last you a lifetime.
    thanks for the offer but i already have a spindle of 30 CDRW's.

    20.5.2009 14:38 #19

  • miketrev

    Originally posted by cart0181: LOL, it's because of the frivolous lawsuits.

    On the other hand, wouldn't those be MICRO-cassettes? I couldn't see a serious big-shot lawyer carrying around a huge desktop cassette recorder everywhere he went.
    The police buy the tapes for the interview here in the UK

    22.5.2009 15:42 #20

  • varnull

    yeah.. nazi uk

    not surprised people are turning their backs in digital formats with the scumbag yankee impeeeeerialist behaviour of owning everything digital...

    long live vinyl eh? .. they never killed it off in 30 years of cd's because we can still tape anything we can hear XD



    Free open source software = made by end users who want an application to work.
    I would rather you hate me for who I am than love me for what I am not.
    “It is poor civic hygiene to install technologies that could someday facilitate a police state.” - Bruce Schneier

    22.5.2009 16:47 #21

  • wazzat

    1. CDs fall flat on their face because they can't be rewound or fast forwarded in a portable audio device or car player. 2. cds require more storage space per unit, when in cases. 3. USING A GOOD RECORDER. GROUNDING YOUR EQUIPMENT, AND USING PREMIUM RECORDING MEDIA, you get a great clean sound with tape. 4. As for cleaning your player/recorder, it was disappointing to learn that optical drives require cleaning too. Just drive down a bumpy road when your player needs cleaning. Another letdown, it tooks years to develop skip free cd players. DVDs- freeze or don't play when cloned, backed up in different machines. DVDF*B clones/full discs won't play in my upconvert LG. Don't have that problem with tapes.

    25.5.2009 10:04 #22

  • wazzat

    1. CDs fall flat on their face because they can't be rewound or fast forwarded in a portable audio device or car player. 2. cds require more storage space per unit, when in cases. 3. USING A GOOD RECORDER. GROUNDING YOUR EQUIPMENT, AND USING PREMIUM RECORDING MEDIA, you get a great clean sound with tape. 4. As for cleaning your player/recorder, it was disappointing to learn that optical drives require cleaning too. Just drive down a bumpy road when your player needs cleaning. Another letdown, it tooks years to develop skip free cd players. DVDs- freeze or don't play when cloned, backed up in different machines. DVDF*B clones/full discs won't play in my upconvert LG. Don't have that problem with tapes. As for the US being scumbag Imperialists owning everything digital, Most of us don't have the money for all the crap. Where are you from Varnull? I'm sure we can run you down.

    25.5.2009 10:12 #23

  • wazzat

    Anyone interested in purchasing/trading cassette tapes? Just inherited my dad's collection. Polka's, country. Anyone have Homer and Jethro tapes?

    25.5.2009 10:20 #24

  • joe777

    Originally posted by wazzat: 1. CDs fall flat on their face because they can't be rewound or fast forwarded in a portable audio device or car player.Yes they can, unless the cd players you are using are coal powered


    2. cds require more storage space per unit, when in cases.

    Wrong. How many mp3's can you fit on a 700MB cd-r compared to a 90Min tape?

    3. USING A GOOD RECORDER. GROUNDING YOUR EQUIPMENT, AND USING PREMIUM RECORDING MEDIA, you get a great clean sound with tape.Not as clean as a digital recording. Thats why ad converters were born.

    4. As for cleaning your player/recorder, it was disappointing to learn that optical drives require cleaning too. Just drive down a bumpy road when your player needs cleaning. Another letdown, it tooks years to develop skip free cd players.Heads need to be cleaned more than lasers. As for the bumpy road syndrome, I think thats got everything to do with buying a cheap head-unit. I never experienced that with the head-unit or a multichanger when they first come out. Or maybe you lived near a scrapyard where the roads are designed to wreck your car on the way there so you have to buy something from them:P

    DVDs- freeze or don't play when cloned, backed up in different machines. DVDF*B clones/full discs won't play in my upconvert LG. Don't have that problem with tapes.Again this is you being tight and not buying decent media. Try verbatim or tayo-uden and burn at a slower rate and with a decent burner.

    As for the US being scumbag Imperialists owning everything digital, Most of us don't have the money for all the crap. Where are you from Varnull? I'm sure we can run you down.As always everyone speaks about the people who run the US. You know the ones!!!!! The corps of course not the politicians

    3.6.2009 12:26 #25

  • burninmad

    OK! You Got Me! I can't SAVE a dime! I spend ALL my "Big Bucks" on DVDs,DVDRs,ALL the Premium Channels,(wife don't know yet?)Anybody know her?She only "thinks" she knows how much my Premium pkg. costs!!I'd be "grounded" Forever! LOL! Just kidding Honey!Yes I bought TWO SV2000s at WalMart online that lasted until "Lightning" "killed" them! SO,I went for a more expensive,allegedly Better manufacturer?Panasonic!I can't even see any Newspaper ads for a DVD standalone ,now?But AGAIN,after twice in Panasonic's Service center:Elk Grove Village,Il.,I had another(third!)Return Authorization Request form sent to me!I begged for a replacement,to no avail,and it was ONE day before the Warranty expired,really,no joke!At least unlike the "Cheap" brands: One year warranty,PARTS&LABOR! Those Funai,Magnavox,Philips,Sylvanias,had One year Parts,90 days LABOR!You may consider that if one is looking for a GOOD DVD recorder!But GOOD?I must say,I "Burn" daily,Above average I'd say! I have ONLY time now that I'm Retired,so my Hobby IS DVD recording!But unlike my Forefathers ,I Stimulate the economy,FREQUENTLY!P.S.,I played with my Panasonic resets,ETC.,Got It going again anyway,But Will it last until my Return Auth.Form expires? Only GOD knows! What is the Component in these recorders thats so sensitive? Panasonic,engineers at Audiovox(Acoustic Research)AR10S Surge Suppressor,Can't tell me?

    3.6.2009 13:01 #26

  • wazzat

    TO JOE777:
    the portable/auto CD players, NOT DVD, players I've experienced may be able to play mp3s but not FF or FR just skip to next/last track. And my newest vehicle is a 2002 Pontiac w/ 8000 miles. Yes I use Verbatim or Memorex or Fujifilm and burn dvds, cds mp3s. You may be right about the media I'll have to try more Verbatim. Have tried slower speeds, same problem. Using Samsung burners, they update their firmware from time to time.

    3.6.2009 20:09 #27

  • joe777

    Originally posted by wazzat: TO JOE777:
    the portable/auto CD players, NOT DVD, players I've experienced may be able to play mp3s but not FF or FR just skip to next/last track. And my newest vehicle is a 2002 Pontiac w/ 8000 miles. Yes I use Verbatim or Memorex or Fujifilm and burn dvds, cds mp3s. You may be right about the media I'll have to try more Verbatim. Have tried slower speeds, same problem. Using Samsung burners, they update their firmware from time to time.
    Try holding down the 'next track' button and there should be no problem forwarding or rewinding.
    Also try tayo-yuden for media. Its a little more expensive but dam good media. As for players liteon used to be pretty good but not as good as plextor.

    But the big question is, are you gonna trade in the pontiac for a real drivers car:P he he he he am only joking with you. Ah got myself a '93 E36 M50(stroked with M3 crank) beemer running FI with a garrett GT2871R got 300WHP at the mo and looking for more, but the prob now is the compression ratio. I cant go any further until I lower the CR even further. I have to install new pistons which will cost alot. So I will have to do some saving. Lol.
    American cars are good for straight lines, but european cars are made for going round corners eh!!!

    4.6.2009 13:37 #28

  • wazzat

    Just purchased some new Verbatin DL dvds from newegg but haven't tried them yet. They changed the orange label from orange to blue. Shocked me when they arrived. They are manufactured in Singapore. Used my usb tv tuner to record a 2 hour program? and burned it to a memorex dvd using nero vision adding chapters and it works in the upconvert player just fine. Also just recorded Jimi Hendrix electric ladyland from cassette to pc and will modify it using goldwave to burn to cd. Hadn't had it on cd but on tape. http://c1.neweggimages.com/NeweggImage/P....jpg[img][/img]

    8.6.2009 10:57 #29

  • wazzat

    Still can't get the image thing to work.
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/ShowImage....0Branded%20Disc
    That's a link for verbatim DL orange? now blue label discs at newegg. Did some searches and they had the best deal on that product. Anyone search the net for High Quality blank cassettes lately? As for money, have you heard of the farmer in Winner who won the powerball for 238 million usd? Lumpsum takehome is 88 million. Sure beats unemployment income. [url=http://www.newegg.com/Product/ShowImage.aspx?Image=17-130-007-02.jpg&S7ImageFlag=0&WaterMark=1&Item=N82E16817130007&Depa=0&Description=Verbatim%208.5GB%208X(Up%20to%2010X)%20DVD%2bR%20DL%205%20Pack%20Branded%20Disc][/url]

    8.6.2009 11:08 #30

  • wazzat

    Okay tried burning movie on other media with new version dvdfab and on Verbatim orange/blue label. Other media won't play in upconvert dvd player. Movie on Verbatim plays.

    3.7.2009 08:46 #31

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