I was skeptical at first thinking it was solely a nostalgia-chasing trend, but I found out quickly that tape cassettes can sound really great! I think the lo-fi bias comes from our collective memory of car decks that were never cleaned and tapes that baked on Toyota Corolla dashboards for years. I was able to find a decent used Sony player, and then I realized the real benefits:
1. A lot of bands still release cassettes. It's cheaper for them to make, which means you don't have to drop $25 just to support a band you like
2. Used cassettes are SO CHEAP. It's a bit of a gamble on the quality, but when we're talking a couple dollars for a decent copy of your favorite album, it's a no-brainer. I have a local shop where I'm able to get them to check out whether they look ok or not.
3. It's the perfect middle ground between the frictionless aspect of streaming (where we fall into that "analysis paralysis"), and the slow, purposeful ritual of listening to a vinyl record from front to back. When you pop a tape in, you still get to bring it wherever, but you'll likely commit to it all the way through.
I can say so much more about the technical aspects, but maybe I'll save it unless people have questions.
Related Recs
Started collecting Cassettes a year ago. Results?
Pros;
-great to show off to house guests
-less expensive in the long run
-physically playing music = good for the soul
-keeps you off your phone
-keeps you patient and makes you appreciate the music more
-good excuse to go into music shops and have fun!
-cheaper than vinyl!
Cons;
-Static noise underneath music
-Expensive in the short-term than a Spotify subscription
-requires batteries
-less options for albums/artists than vinyl (newer music = more money)
-tape can get ruined easily if not taken care of
In the end, it's up to you! Collecting things is a fun hobby anyways and collecting something that gives back (tunes and sick beats!) is worth it.
Feb 9, 2025
a cassette will cost you a third of what an LP will, while offering you that same sense of physical ownership. but it puts everyone β major label, indie label, local band, bedroom improviser, mixtape compiler, bootlegger β on the same level. cheap to make, easy to do in very tiny limited runs, easy to make into beautiful objects.
the affordability and the small form factor make them easy to keep picking up - at any merch stand, bandcamp page, overseas record store or charity shop. even if I do most of my listening digitally these days, it's a lovely treat to bring the walkman out if I'm walking into town.
Dec 4, 2024
πΌ
now i love buying vinyl. i think the sound quality is better and it's fun to build out a physical collection of my favorite music. BUT, they are SO expensive that for a person not made of money like myself, i can only splurge on one every once and awhile. seriously, like 30 dollars for a vinyl i just cannot justify sometimes.
BUY A CASSETTE PLAYER AND BUY CASSETTES!!! this has become my new favorite way to build out a music collection while still enjoying the physicality of a tape. also tapes are just so cheap compared to vinyl. go to your local record store and they should have boxes just overflowing with tapes going anywhere from 1 dollar to like 10 MAXIMUM. at this point i just buy random 1 dollar tapes in the hope that i am exposed to some new music i haven't heard before, and i am always pleased!!
now is the sound quality a little worse? yes, but that is a trade-off i am willing to make at this point. also most portable cassette players have radio functions, and nothing is better than falling asleep to AM radio.
Feb 14, 2025
Top Recs from @theclack
The perfect lil snack for when you donβt want a big snack
Apr 3, 2024
Here it is, folks! Volume I of what could very well be a continuous project. Thank you so much to everyone that submitted - I smiled the entire time I was putting this together. It's best listened to with headphones βΊοΈ
Liner Notes:
This collection of field recordings is a collaborative effort with users of PI.FYI, each of which recorded their own pieces. It features audio from all over the world and exhibits eclectic moments from London Underground commutes to cuckoo bird calls in Dhaka to the sounds of a century-old American diner.
Online communities like PI.FYI often represent a diverse set of people, places, and experiences, but together, the submissions form a living collage that highlights the commonalities of modern life - a unifying message for such a tumultuous time. The first track features all of the sounds played at once in an attempt to create an audio snapshot of an online community but in their offline lives.
The individual recordings are unedited except for minor gain and compression adjustments for consistency across the collection.
Mar 29, 2025
