Submitted via IRC for TheMightyBuzzard
National Audio Co. is the only company in the U.S. that produces cassette tape. Now, as cassette tapes enjoy a resurgence in popularity, National Audio has less than a year's supply left of the stuff, The Wall Street Journal reports.
For the last 15 years, National Audio's co-owner and president Steve Stepp has been clinging to his company's dwindling supply of music-quality magnetic tape. In 2014, National Audio's South Korean supplier stopped making the material, so Stepp bought out their remaining stock before they shuttered — and has been left with a shrinking stockpile ever since.
Although the demand for tape has increased in recent years, the quality and supply has not; National Audio has long relied on outdated gear that Stepp jokes is "the finest equipment the 1960s has to offer." That's why the company — which makes cassettes for everyone from indie bands to Metallica — is planning to build the U.S.'s first high-grade tape manufacturing line in decades.
Crap! Where am I going to store my TRS-80 programs now?
Source: https://theweek.com/speedreads/735269/america-running-cassette-tape
(Score: 1) by clickclickdrone on Wednesday November 15 2017, @09:29AM
Despite comments to the contrary, cassette is definitely a huge growth area. Loads of small independent bands (and a few mainstream ones) are releasing albums or singles on cassette. I'm in a band and we're being asked for cassette releases to go with the CD/download/USB releases. A few of our local record shops are starting to have dedicated cassette sections too, along with the vinyl and CD ones.
As far as quality goes, on a decent deck (and there are loads on eBay) cassette can sound really good but alas, due to the resurgence, used prices are starting to rise again. Getting good blanks is the chore though and unopened ones go for silly money on eBay, especially TDK metal or SAs so most people buy batches of used ones.
Just because your not aware of it, doesn't mean it's not been happening for a while.
https://www.whathifi.com/news/cassette-tape-album-sales-grew-74-in-2016/ [whathifi.com]