Nov 21, 2022
The Cassette tape audio format is having a minor renaissance with artists & labels turning to the format in the wake of supply chain issues and a thirst for nostalgia. Today we talk to Jean-Luc Renou, CEO of Recording The Masters - RTM - about this phenomenon and how music lovers should think of the cassette tape.
Topics include:
- Why are cassettes being revisited?
- The history of RTM
- The arc of cassette sales over recent decades
- The difference between cassettes of the 80s and now
- Record Store Day cassettes releases
- Do we start w analogue tape?
- The changing formulas for magnetic tape
- Is there a finite amount of cassette tape?
- The durability of cassettes
- Can I play a cassette decades after last use?
- Common mistakes in caring for cassettes
- Aging parts of a cassette tape
- Sourcing parts for cassette manufacturing
- Were companies making cassettes in the last few decades?
- Number of cassette manufacturers
- Differences in cassette types – formulas, various noise reductions, etc
- The history of the compact cassette format
- The impact of the Sony Walkman
- Was there a cassette format war?
- Who is making cassette players today?
- The niche industry helped cassettes survive the last 30 years
- How long can cassettes last?
- People purchasing cassettes with no means to listen to it
- The biggest challenges to the modern cassette industry
- Cassettes have benefitted due to the vinyl backlog
- Creating pre-recorded cassettes
- Modern demand for reel to reel tapes
- Comments on VHS tape
- Partner network for pre-recorded tapes
- RTM’s new cassette tape player
- Interview wrap up
Extended, High-resolution & Commercial Free version of this interview available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide
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If you like records, just starting a collection or are an uber-nerd with a house-full of vinyl, this is the podcast for you. Nate Goyer is The Vinyl Guide and discusses all things music and record-related