Cassettes are making a comeback!

First vinyl LPs, now Gen Z has discovered the joys of tape. Dare we say we were there first?

The magnetic charm of cassette tapes is echoing through the ages, and has been embraced by a new generation.

While it’s easy to dismiss this revival as just another blip in the cycle of nostalgia, the surging sales figures — including a reported 200+% growth in early 2025 — suggest there’s more substance to the appeal of this lo-fi format than a simple yearning for the 1980s and ‘90s.

At first glance, the trend is heavily fueled by Generation Z, who find the cassette to be an accessible, affordable and visually compelling piece of technology.

In a culture saturated by digital ephemera, the tape offers a tangible connection to music that fits perfectly into the current ‘80s and ‘90s aesthetic.

When major artists including Taylor Swift and Kendrick Lamar release albums on limited-edition tapes, they transform the cassette from an obsolete format into desirable collectible merchandise — a physical token of fandom that’s far cheaper than the other retro format that’s enjoying a second life: vinyl.

However, the cassette’s staying power lies beyond its fashionable aesthetic; it addresses a growing cultural yearning for intentionality in consumption.

Unlike the passive, algorithmic shuffle of streaming services, listening to a cassette demands presence. The physical act of flipping the tape from side A to side B, or even the mild frustration of a necessary rewind, forces the listener to engage with the album as a complete artistic statement — a welcome antidote to the modern addiction to endless skipping.

Furthermore, the cassette is a grassroots hero. It remains exceptionally cheap and easy for independent and underground musicians to produce and sell at gigs, offering fans a much more direct and meaningful way to support artists financially than the minute royalties generated by streaming.

While the cassette market is undoubtedly small compared to vinyl, its rapid, sustained growth indicates that it’s more than just a passing fad; it represents a subtle but significant pushback against the homogeneity of digital sound, championing a tactile, focused and artist-friendly way to enjoy music.

Want more? Here’s a report on the subject from NBC’s TODAY:

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