CDJapan : What Is Good About Cassette Tapes?

Advantage of Cassette Tape -Portable and Collectible

Cassette tapes are lightweight and handy in size, making them portable and collectible.
Cassette players such as the "Walkman" are also compact, so you can listen to music outside.
Cassettes are also less expensive than LPs and CDs. So you don't have to have a fortune to start a collection.
But in terms of portability and price, streaming is far superior.
So why are cassettes so popular these days?
I think the sound of the cassette can be a key element. Let's focus on that.

Why Are Cassette Tapes Popular? -Lo-fi Sound

The popularity of cassette tapes has been on the rise in recent years, with sales in the U.K. reaching the highest level in 2022 in the past 20 years.*

*Source: Cassette sales reached near two-decade high last year as current artists and fans embraced the iconic format, new BPI analysis reveals

Cassette tape, like vinyl records, is an analog storage medium.
It has a warm sound that differs from the digital format and sometimes contains noise.
The word "noise" may have a negative image, but some types of music that contain noise are seen as positive and are referred to as "lo-fi music."
In recent years, lo-fi music has also become popular, especially lo-fi hip-hop, with many videos being uploaded on YouTube.
Lo-Fi music is characterized by the intentional use of low-quality materials and a deterioration in sound quality compared to other current music.

The intentional lo-fi quality, believed to induce relaxation and enhance concentration, has gained popularity on platforms like YouTube.
In the age of high-quality CDs and subscriptions, the rising popularity of old cassette tapes may also be connected to the trend of the lo-fi sound.

From the above, cassette tapes offer advantages in terms of portability and collectability.
It can also be assumed that cassette tapes with their analogue characteristics are more acceptable today, when lo-fi sound is in trend.
The fact that new releases are selling well shows that cassette tapes are not there to indulge in nostalgia.
I think cassettes can be seen as a medium that adds elements tailored to the listener's individual preferences for new music.