Cassette tapes and vinyl making a comeback with younger generations

WINNIPEG — This isn’t a throwback; it’s 2017 and cassette tapes are back.

Chris Jacques runs a small independent music label in Winnipeg that primarily works with cassettes. He’s produced tapes for musicians all over the world. It’s a trend that is popular particularly among newer bands.

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“They’ve grown up with CD’s and digital, that’s boring. Tapes are interesting, they’re neat, they’re compact,” Jacques from Dub Ditch Picnic Records said. He also noted that tapes are an easy and cost effective way to share music.

“You’re always going to have a percentage of people who want to own something, that want to look at what they have.”

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And according to the owner at Into the Music, a locally owned music store, that feeling of holding something physical and looking at the album art is the same reason why we’re seeing more and more record players in the homes of the younger generation.

“The race back to vinyl is being driven mostly by young people. You’ve got an under 25 audience, people who were probably not even raised with vinyl in their household,” Greg Tonn said.

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At a time when most music is available to stream for free online, Tonn said the pride of owning albums and even the act of purchasing music is an experience.

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“I think there’s a sense of community that can be part of the store. There’s also discoveries that happen in the stores when you’re actually physically putting your hands on things,” Tonn said.

Tonn notes the older music trends continue to strike a chord for younger music lovers, despite growing up in a digital age.