Cassette sales increased by 74% in 2016

While 2016 saw a powerful resurgence of the vinyl format, 129,000 cassette copies were sold in the US last year, up 74% from 2015, according to music sales management company Nielsen Music, as reported by Billboard. 

This is a major feat considering that the format was effectively dead only a few years ago. Unlike vinyl, the cassette format has no attractive audio qualities that commonly draw consumers to purchasing vinyl copies of popular albums. 

However, the cassette revival is largely due to specialty releases of recent albums, including The Weeknd’s Beauty Behind The Purpose and Justin Bieber’s Purpose. Both releases sold just under 1,000 cassette copies in the US in 2016.

Other significant contributors include reissues of classic albums such as Eminem’s The Slim Shady LP (3,000) and Prince and the Revolution’s Purple Rain (2,000).

Last year, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), which certifies gold and platinum records, began the process of working out ways to track sales numbers for the first time in nearly three decades.

For consumers who don’t own or have access to a cassette player, new cassettes usually come with a code for a digital download of the album.

Some artists are even adopting the format as a way of making their music, using the distinctive sound qualities of a cassette tape to reinvent the medium for nostalgic purposes.

Furthermore, specific events such as Cassette Store Day have aided the revival of the once forgotten format. The event, which was held on October 8 last year and is staged is several countries including Australia, is designed to recognise the value of the cassette in the modern day music market and generate awareness around the format.

Cassette Store Day featured a host of exclusive releases made available in cassette format.

Undoubtedly, the implementation of such events is having a positive effect on buying trends, both in the US and other global markets. In fact, Cassette Store Day was inspired by Record Store Day, a similar event that draws consumer and industry attention to record stores and the vinyl format. 

The current trends in the US is also translating to the Australian market with a number of young Aussie bands choosing to release their music via cassette, as well as other conventional formats such as CD and digital.