JAKARTA - The sale of cassettes has reached its highest level in 20 years, according to new research.
As reported by Radio X, the British Fonography Industry (BPI) found that the popularity of the format had increased for 10 consecutive years.
However, the sale of cassettes remains much lower than the sale of black disks.
Total sales of cassettes increased from 3,823 in 2012 to more than 195,000 in 2022.
It said the spike was driven by recent releases from major artists such as the Arctic Monkeys, Harry Styles, and Florence + the Machine.
Per BPI, all 20 best-selling tapes last year were released in 2022.
Mark aired, Founder of Flashback Records in north London, told Sky News that the sale of cassettes "flagged" in his shop after the pandemic.
He said the old-school format is interesting for younger music fans, especially because of their 'collectibility'.
"Because the cassette format is smaller, it's easier to organize collections," he explained. Also, people like to have music albums that are sequenced according to the original artist's wishes.
In 2022 more blacklists sold out of CDs for the first time in 35 years, figures released in January were revealed.
According to BPI spokesman Paul Williams, the cassette is currently enjoying a similar revival.
"Not long ago, people would delete cassettes, but I think you should learn lessons from the blacklist market that experienced an extraordinary revival," he said. This is something at a lower level, but now it happens with cassettes.
As written by Sam Moore of NME in February: For many artists, the appeal of releasing their music in the form of a disk, CD, or cassette centered on the idea of advancing their creativity and, of course, fostering more physical relationships with their fans.
In 2020, Glass Animals drummer Joe Seaward told NME that, for his band, the opportunity to release their Dreamland album in cassette form is "a very good reason to make something beautiful that people can have as a work of art".
People watch old TV shows, movies, and listen to old music, Seaward explains, citing the 'nostalgic' trend. He added: "I think it might be partly related to why cassettes are experiencing a slight revival."
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