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In 1963 he revolutionized music consumption. We rewind to the beginnings of the tape recorder.
From today’s perspective, it looks a bit old-fashioned and clunky. But the cassette recorder was a true pioneer when it came to enjoying music. It was handy, practical and later also portable. Something like the iPod of yesteryear. And who doesn’t remember the crackling and popping of the device before the sound finally played.
But these noises are rarely heard anymore: since the 1990s, the cassettes have mainly been something for nostalgics. First the CD, then MP3 and finally streaming have pushed them out.
Personal and cheap
The small-format tape began its triumphant advance in 1963. The first audio cassette with a suitable player, developed by the Dutch electronics company Philips, was presented at the International Consumer Electronics Fair in Berlin. A sensation at the time.
With the cassette recorder you could not only play audio, you could also make sound recordings yourself, inexpensively and easily: noises from everyday life, radio programs or your favorite music. A microphone was built into most recorders. And with a second recorder or a device with two decks, entire cassettes could be copied. The cassette recorder was originally designed as a recording device.
The turntable had competition: the fact that you could record music with the new recorders and then take it with you everywhere was a clear competitive advantage. Sony’s first Walkman, a small portable cassette recorder with headphones and batteries, was released in 1979.
Small device, big impact
With the increasing success of cassette recorders, a completely new musical culture emerged: So-called mixtapes, personal music compilations on cassettes, were in great demand in the 1970s and 1980s. Finally you could create a personal music mix for yourself and your loved ones.
The device also revolutionized family trips by car. What would a car ride have been without the droning sound of a cassette? Children used to listen to Kasperli, Wilhelm Busch and Bibi Blocksberg for hours. This had one main advantage for the parents: the children calmed down and listened spellbound.
What remains?
More than 60 years after its invention, the cassette recorder is eking out a niche existence. But he has not yet been completely forgotten. Stars like Harry Styles, Taylor Swift and The Weeknd continue to release their albums in small editions on cassette – and thus for the cassette recorder. Measured against the Swiss music market, however, cassettes and their players only make up a modest share of 0.01 percent.
What, on the other hand, reverberates to this day: the familiarity with the noises of the mechanics and the own sighing when the band salad could not be tamed.