Back to basics: demand for audio tapes increased significantly in 2015

Cassettes, which were previously extremely popular and which everyone later forgot about, are now beginning to slowly return. Yes, CDs and digital media are still the most popular way to store and transmit information. But even the vinyl remains afloat, and the cassettes seem to have a second birth . Steve Stepp,

president of the National Audio Company (NAC), said that his cassette company recorded a record increase in demand for such media in 2015. At the same time, the demand for audio tapes is growing steadily - according to the same Step, sales are increasing by 20% every year. But in 2015, growth was immediately 31% compared to the previous year, which is a record.

“We never believed that audio tapes came to an end,” says Stepp.

He also said that when competitors began to go out of business, with the advent of the CD, his company began to buy equipment from the enterprises that were being shut down. Moreover, most purchases were made for very little money. Small companies were the first to close, followed by the beginning to stop or reduce production of larger, and then even industrial whales. All this time, Steve Stepp continued to buy equipment.



According to some analytical agencies, many performers, especially independent ones, remain loyal to cassettes for many years. And still a huge number of music lovers buy various works of their favorite musicians on cassettes.

In September, Bloomberg publishedinformation that NAC currently has existing contracts with labels like Sony and Universal. 70% of NAC cassette sales come with recorded music and 30% are empty cassettes.

Perhaps the growing popularity of cassettes is due to the fact that the generation of the 80s is beginning to nostalgic for the old days, and is buying cassettes more and more actively. Perhaps many just enjoy listening to music from an unusual (now) medium. Be that as it may, in 2016 the trend will be more clear.