Key Post: The Cassette Tape

When reminiscing the classic elements of 1980s culture, the cassette tape is usually one of the first symbols that comes to mind as particularly special. While their use has certainly phased out a long time ago, there is no denying the impact that the cassette had on the worlds of communication and music. The cassette tape is a device that's history should be revered as we continue to develop more and more technology, as many realities of music, journalism, and information accessibility were made possible by this invention.

The Cassette tape was invented in 1963 and was first introduced to the public at the Berlin Radio Show in Europe by the company Philips. It consisted of a plastic case which held two reels of tape that fed from one side to the other as it played or recorded the sound. The invention was originally intended to be used by journalists and secretaries for their work, and wasn't used for music necessarily when the product first came out. The technology was incredible at its release; previous recording/playback devices were completely stationary and some required complicated knowledge in order to operate them.  When the cassette tape was introduced, many people who were previously unable now had their hands on a relatively easy and inexpensive way to transport and keep sound.

One of the most interesting aspects of the cassette tape was its initial release in the mid-1960s. Philips and Sony had already established a rivalry between their two companies by this time. Philips decided to take a rather bold risk with their new invention and license the cassette for free to any company that wished to use it. Despite the Sony Walkman's incredible popularity, Philips was able to establish and keep its name connected to the device throughout its entire lifecycle. For more overview of the cassette tape's history, visit https://southtree.com/blogs/artifact/the-convenience-of-the-cassette.

While the cassette was originally intended for journalism, the effect it has on the music industry was extremely profound; changing the way we both produce and consume music as a society. Previous to the cassette, unsigned/underfunded musicians found it near impossible to break into the business due to the limited access they would have to the music technology at the time. Cassettes allowed people to record anywhere and for inexpensive. Cassettes also allowed for easier sampling, remixing, etc... which is an essential component in modern music composition. Without this invention, we would not have the precedent for such portable and interchangeable elements of production. Check out this link for even more info about how the cassette changed music: https://vibrations.ca/fr/record-collecting/columns-by-lvs/item/89-how-the-compact-cassette-changed-the-music-business

There is no denying that the cassette is a device which should be revered for the rest of technological history. It dominated the industry of listening and recording technology for over two decades and established many of the means through which we create new art. There are even modern technologies that are entirely committed to keeping both the production style and works within cassette types alive today despite their effacement. Though the reign of the cassette is long over, history will not forget the impact and creativity that the invention has inspired in our modern methods of communication.