In recent years, the market for officially released music on cassette tapes has seen an unexpected surge in multiple places around the globe. Sales data is somewhat fragmented, but the trend is clear. According to analytics firm Luminate, in 2023, 436,400 cassette albums were sold in the U.S., just about matching the 439,700 sold in 2022.
Cassettes accounted for 0.41% of the 105.32 million total album sales in the United States across all formats—including vinyl, CDs, digital downloads, and more. While this figure may seem small, it actually signals a resurgence of what was once considered a dead format.
The top-selling albums included four soundtracks from Guardians of the Galaxy, Taylor Swift's 1989 (Taylor’s Version), Nirvana's Bleach, and Metallica's 72 Seasons.
In 2024, interest in cassette tapes continued to grow in the U.S., supporting a global trend toward the return of physical media. In the first half of 2024, sales of physical music (including vinyl, CDs, and cassettes) in the U.S. increased by approximately 3.2% compared to the same period last year.
Similar changes have been taking place in Britain during these years as well. For instance, according to a report by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), cassette sales reached a nearly 20-year high in 2022, increasing by 5.2%. That year alone saw the sale of 195,000 units in the UK.
The comeback of cassettes in the British Isles has been ongoing for over a decade now, with them actually accounting for a significant portion of sales for some new releases. Specifically, 10% of sales on these retro mediums went to popular albums like Born Pink by South Korean girl group Blackpink and Noughty By Nature by British drill artist Digga D.
In 2023, singer and actress Olivia Rodrigo became the bestselling artist for music cassettes in the United Kingdom. Overall tape sales did decline slightly, but they still maintained six-digit figures when counted in units. Similar trends for nostalgia enthusiasts exist worldwide. Cassette music sales, while still lagging behind vinyl, are nonetheless carving out a noticeable share of the market.
According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, in 2023 physical music formats, including cassettes, showed a double-digit revenue growth of 13.4%. The recorded music market is growing fastest in Asia, Latin America, and Africa, where sales of physical recordings are also rising at a rapid pace.
In 2024, several major artists planned special edition releases of their albums on cassette tapes, including Selena Gomez, Billie Eilish, and Sky Ferreira.
When it comes to global sales, in 2023, Olivia Rodrigo sold the most cassettes worldwide (with her album Guts). Ed Sheeran came in second (Subtract), followed by Kylie Minogue (Tension) in third. Other popular releases on magnetic tape include Blur's The Ballad of Darren, along with recordings by Lana Del Rey, Taylor Swift, Foo Fighters, and Lewis Capaldi.
Looking beyond the major names in pop music and turning to the underground scene, we can find countless small labels releasing vast amounts of music on cassette, both in the U.S. and globally. These releases typically come in limited runs of 50 to 100 copies. Nearly every genre is represented—ranging from gritty punk to ambient and hip-hop—showing that cassettes have found a devoted niche across the musical spectrum.
The booming revival of the supposedly dead cassette has caught many professionals in the music industry off guard. But that's not the only surprise.
Here's another oddity: it's mostly young people buying and listening to music on cassettes.
Research conducted by Key Production, a British company that manufactures vinyl records, CDs, DVDs, Blu-ray discs, and cassettes, revealed that an estimated 59% of individuals aged 18-24 are actively consuming music through physical media, including compact cassettes.
Market analysts point to several key reasons behind the growing popularity of cassettes:
Most young people today are accustomed to consuming music as a service without giving it much thought. Their interaction with music often happens passively, in the form of listening to curated playlists, including those recommended by algorithms.
It appears, however, that a notable segment of young people are returning to a mode of music consumption typical of earlier generations. This might be tied to the phenomenon of consumers seeking to own physical copies of music, rather than the illusion of "owning" playlists on streaming platforms, which can disappear at any moment (in accordance with the terms of use of such services).
Apparently, Gen Z appreciates this unique experience: being able to hold a physical music carrier, examine its design, read the enclosed booklet—in other words, give focused attention to a musical release, something rare in the age of streaming services.
Perhaps some young people have discovered an unpleasant truth, as well: most music streaming services simply provide users with a license to listen to music, not to own it. According to the terms of use for Spotify, Apple Music, and other platforms, subscribers pay for temporary access to their favorite music, rather than permanent ownership.
Access can be terminated not just because users fail to renew their subscription or violate platform rules, but simply at the discretion of streaming administrators.
This state of affairs doesn't sit well with everyone and some music fans have decided they want to own the copies of music releases they've paid for.
This is where vinyl records, CDs, DVD-Audio, and cassette tapes come into play. Cassettes have an edge over vinyl in retail price—they're significantly cheaper. Buying a collector's cassette with an album from your favorite artist can cost a fan 1.5 to 3 times less than purchasing the same edition on vinyl. Cassettes also have an edge on CDs (and DVDs) when it comes to durability, as discs are easily scratched, whereas the film inside a cassette is protected from damage by its casing.
Let's be realistic: most modern music is recorded in digital studios. When it is released on cassette tape, it does not become analog. Instead, it transitions into the realm of lo-fi sound (with quality loss). This occurs due to the properties of the tape, which physically cannot contain the same dynamic range as the digital original.
Additionally, common types of cassettes cannot reproduce the same volume levels found in master recordings made in a digital environment. Furthermore, cassette recordings truncate the frequency range of the original.
In short, enjoying the "analog" experience when listening to contemporary artists comes at the expense of reduced audio quality. However, archival music can genuinely be classified as "analog" in one specific scenario: if it was transferred directly from studio master reel-to-reel tapes onto cassettes without involving digital-to-analog converters in the signal chain.
The lines between analog and digital may not be as clear as many might think, though. Audiophiles generally regard the album Brothers in Arms by Dire Straits as one of the finest recordings from the "analog era." But, ironically, this album, created between 1984 and 1985, was among the first to be recorded digitally, specifically using the Digital Audio Stationary Head (DASH) format developed by Sony.
Just a few years ago, the market offered either no-name cassette players and tape recorders manufactured in China (often of questionable quality) or used audio equipment. However, by 2023 and 2024, businesses had taken note of the unusual rise in cassette music sales and responded by releasing new devices.
Ironically enough, one of these devices is the Chinese-made FiiO CP13 from Guangzhou FIIO Electronics Technology. This player is praised for its high-quality sound transmission within its class. Some publications report that it has "stormed the market."
The manufacturer claims that the goal of the FiiO brand is to "enhance the reputation of the phrase 'Made in China.'" Additionally, the company promises that the player features ultra-low levels of low-frequency noise commonly referred to as "wow" and "flutter."
It's reported that the FiiO CP13 houses a large flywheel made of pure copper, which eliminates "flutter." Importantly, the device boasts a fully analog audio path, free from any digital converters.
French brand We Are Rewind announced its intention to "bring back the cassette player" to the market, noting that cassette sales have been on the rise since 2012 and that their “romantic magnetism” is once again capturing hearts.
The engineers at We Are Rewind hail from the renowned French company Thomson (now the international corporation Vantiva SA), which has dealt with analog electronics for over a century so they probably have a pretty good idea of what they’re doing.
The company's founders drew inspiration from the success of the iconic Sony Walkman, which sold 220 million units worldwide. About their brand, they say:
Their flagship product, the WE-001 model, features an aluminum body, a rechargeable battery, connectivity with other devices via Bluetooth 5.0 and USB, and the ability to both play and record audio. All that, and the headphones are wireless.
Another intriguing modern device is the Toshiba Aurex AX-W10 player. It is three to four times cheaper than products from We Are Rewind and features a very modest design. However, it can operate for up to 16 hours on two AA batteries, includes recording functionality, and connects via the same Bluetooth 5.0 protocol with wireless headphones or speakers. It even boasts a surround sound feature.
When it comes to stationary cassette players, several manufacturers continue to produce high-quality cassette decks with analog audio circuitry in 2024.
For instance, Tascam manufactures the Tascam 202MKVII, which is a dual-cassette deck capable of simultaneously recording onto two cassettes and features a USB output for digitizing recordings.
TEAC offers the W-1200 model with similar features but as a single-cassette unit. It too can digitize analog audio by sending the sound through USB and also includes Dolby B noise reduction. Many consumers, however, consider this device overpriced.
Finally, Marantz presents the PMD-300CP, which supports high-speed dubbing and also has a USB port for converting recordings into digital format. It features dynamic noise reduction and (a significant advantage) compatibility with Type II CrO2 tapes.
The emergence of a new generation of portable cassette players and stationary decks serves as further proof that the trend of consuming music on cassettes is not only noticeable but appears to be long-term. And while cassettes themselves are not likely to ever again be the primary medium through which people listen to music, they do represent a good chunk of a larger growing trend: the consumer’s desire to once again own physical copies of their music.
