Analog Cassette Tape is Mounting a Comeback

The Nikkei is reporting a robust revival in Japan of sales of prerecorded analog cassette tapes, a format once thought dead and gone. Now, the report says, the humble cassette tape “is experiencing a renaissance, charming a new generation of music enthusiasts with its nostalgic appearance and distinctly warm and rich sound.”

First vinyl and now cassettes, what’s going on?

The humble cassette tape is growing in popularity in Japan, so much so that music stores are opening up whole departments dedicated to the analog category. In fact, there are even specialty stores that are completely dedicated to carrying nothing but prerecorded cassette tapes for sale – both new and used.

I have previously reported on the continued growth of vinyl albums here in the states, which are enjoying the same kind of popular resurgence. At first, it seemed like this return to analog might just be some kind of fad. But now, more than a decade later, it is clear that vinyl has a large number of enthusiasts supporting the category.

Young Enthusiasts in Japan are Powering a Rebound in Cassette Sales

Upon learning of the statistical data, the Nikkei deployed reporters around Tokyo to investigate these cassette tape-dedicated departments and speak with users to try and understand the appeal. What’s interesting is that many of the user comments from cassette tape enthusiasts remind me very much of how vinyl fans describe what attracts them to that format as well.

The data in Japan shows that sales of both new and used cassettes are growing in popularity. A visit to a Tower Records store in Tokyo revealed that the popularity is particularly strong with the younger enthusiasts in their 20s or 30s, according to the staff there.

“A cassette tape is for when I want to listen to music carefully,” a male 21-year-old university student at a Tokyo Tower Records told the reporter. He noted that he also streams music, but he has begun to collect cassettes which he reserves for more serious listening sessions as he prefers their “warm, unique sound.”

For the Younger Generation, Cassettes are Different and New

It’s interesting to note that this younger generation that appears to be most interested in cassettes never experienced them back in their peak times in the 1980s. In fact, these young enthusiasts didn’t even exist then. So for them, it is a bit of a curiosity, something different and new.

The report notes that the Tower Records Shibuya store has expanded its assortment of new and used cassettes to more than 3,000 titles to take advantage of the market growth. The report notes that this is six times the number they had been stocking up to now.

Tower Records Manager: Cassettes Attract Younger Listeners and Foreign Tourists

The head of the cassette department at Tower Records, Ko Takeda, said, “The age of purchasers varies from teenagers to people in their 50s, with 30-somethings forming the biggest group. Cassettes seem to come across to the younger generation as ‘new and cute’ things.”

The cassette selection also seems to attract quite a few foreign tourists, the department head added.

Tower Records has also seen strong growth in the sales of vinyl records as well. However, Takeda added that cassettes are a less expensive analog format – which may be another reason why the younger crowd likes them. The typical cassette sells for about ¥1,000 (about $6.65) which is well under the cost of a typical vinyl LP.

‘Waltz’, A Cassette-Only Store, Says Modern Artists are Helping Drive Interest in the Format

Also in Tokyo is a store called “Waltz,” which is a specialty store that only sells cassette tapes. This kind of blows my mind because, like New York City, commercial real estate in Tokyo is incredibly expensive. But Waltz, which started by offering only used cassettes, now offers both used and new titles.

Taro Tsunoda, who runs Waltz, notes, “Major artists are also paying attention to the trend, and the value of cassettes in the music market is rising.” He adds the business environment surrounding cassettes has “drastically changed from how it used to be when we opened.”

Manufacturers are Cranking Up Cassette Player Production

Tsunoda believes that there is more behind the appeal of cassettes. “Cassettes are something you can own and feel attached to. For the younger generation, they are novel, and for those who used them before, they evoke nostalgia about their early days of listening to music.”

Predictably, the popularity of cassettes has created a market for players. And companies have risen to serve the market. Toshiba Lifestyle based in Kawasaki has rolled out a new portable cassette player modeled on those from the 1980s, but updated with, for example, wireless earbuds which fits in better with today’s consumer lifestyle. They call their player “Walky” a clear nod to the first such players from Sony back in the day known as a Walkman.

Manufacturer: Cassettes are ‘Tangible Items to Own and Cherish’

Another manufacturer called “Side-B Creations” also offers cassette players (and tapes). Takamasa Endo, President of Side-B Creations tells the Nikkei that over the last 7 years, sales have grown 10-fold.

“For consumers, cassette tapes offer tangible items to own and cherish,” Endo said.

This resurgence of the generations-old technology is even entering the pop culture in Japan. Top fashion brands are said to be handing out cassettes as either invitations to fashion shows, or keepsakes with the music used during the fashion show as something to remember the event by. This is increasingly seen as hip or savvy by the high fashion community.

But What About Here in the U.S.?

You may be surprised to learn that even here in the U.S. there are signs of a resurgence of cassettes. According to Billboard, an entertainment industry media site, in 2022 sales of cassette tapes increased 28% to 440,000 units, as compared to 343,000 units sold in 2021. While this is small in comparison to overall music and album sales, it is strong growth for a category that has been growing for several years now.

In 2015, sales of cassettes were just 74,000 units. That means that the product category grew by 495% in the seven years from 2015 to 2022. With 7-years of strong growth under its belt, I’d say cassette tapes may not have yet stimulated the mania here they are having in Japan…but it is beyond a short-term fad here, as well.

One final note about the cassette comeback – while you and I may not have noticed it happening, many professional artists have. Major music stars like Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, and Billie Eilish now routinely release all of their latest material on multiple formats, including physical ones like vinyl LPs, CDs, and cassette tapes.

Sometimes…what’s old is new again…