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Why Cassette Tapes Are Coming Back (Seriously) | Mixtape Ep 1

Digging The Greats | October 11, 2025



The cassette tape comeback made zero sense to me – until I started pulling the thread.

My journey took 3 paths: a month of listening exclusively to cassettes, diving into how they revolutionized the music industry, and collecting stories of how tapes changed the world. It turns out, this is more than just nostalgia.

Over the next 4 weeks I’ll show you how cassettes aren’t “making a comeback” – they’re the foundation for the modern world.

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PATREON

This series is made possible by the direct support of viewers like you through Patreon. Get behind the scenes videos, extended edits, and more by becoming a member at http://www.patreon.com/diggingthegreats

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CREDITS

Written and Produced by Brandon Shaw
Cinematography by Ace Barro
Animation by Jeriah Dunk
Illustration by Ace Barro
Story Editing by Simon Adler
Music by Andrew Reyes and Brandon Shaw

You can listen to “Dakou”, Simon Adler’s full Radiolab story that helped inspire this piece here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=cdurAsEHR3lsFrMd&v=65mVD6Dr0Tw&feature=youtu.be

To learn more about Simon’s work, check out http://www.windstarsolutions.com or my video where he sent me a very strange package: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfRSBEqueL8&t=1115s

Minor Correction: Simon later told me he misspoke and only 5 songs were legally allowed, not 7! Even less!

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THANKS TO

Neil Nice, A-1 Records, Zack Taylor, Kendon Shaw

We Are Rewind for making a great cassette player (not sponsored): https://www.wearerewind.com/

Everyone who supports Digging The Greats on Patreon, especially Josh Nelson and Sam Deka in the Executive Producer Tier
http://www.patreon.com/diggingthegreats

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FURTHER READING

Two books that were an incredible resource during the making of this series were:

“High Bias: The Distorted History of the Cassette Tape” by Marc Masters

“Do Remember!: The Golden Era of NYC Hip-Hop Mixtapes” by Evan Auerbach and Daniel Isenberg

#mixtape #cassette #musichistory

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Written by Digging The Greats

Comments

This post currently has 44 comments.

  1. @diggingthegreats

    October 11, 2025 at 11:01 pm

    Tap the Like button and Share this series with someone who would enjoy it!

    Join me next week for the premiere of Episode 2 – Wednesday, October 15 at 5pm PST right here on YouTube! I’ll be watching and commenting along with you 🔥

  17. @flatCOIN2012

    October 11, 2025 at 11:01 pm

    Thanks a lot for this awesome documentary. I m a kid from the 80s and still remember the times and still have my old tapes. Sadly all my walkman's are broken. Watching your doc refreashed soo much old memories – like traveling for weeks with only 3 tapes and being happy with it and I realized that I still listen music the same way. I never used a streaming app, still use WinAmp, still have a bunch of albums as mp3s (a little more then 3 "tapes") and I m happy with it. The China Part was soooo freakin cool and interesting! BTW there are a lot more stories like that. In case you don't know it search for the documentary "Here we come" – it is about breakdance and how it came to East Germany (in the 80s). Have a good time and thanks for the great documentary 🙂

  19. @Altron1992

    October 11, 2025 at 11:01 pm

    I personally never understood the appeal of this nostalgia. As a '92 kid, I was very familiar with this tech and saw it's shortcomings. That being said, I respect those that continue the use of physical media.

  20. @JSSMVCJR2.1

    October 11, 2025 at 11:01 pm

    By the way, the poor sound quality thing doesn't make that much sense, as per Techmoan's video on them. They can be as good sounding as a DVD, it turns out.

  24. @redhoodm2227

    October 11, 2025 at 11:01 pm

    Written and Produced by Brandon Shaw

    Cinematography by Ace Barro

    Animation by Jeriah Dunk

    Illustration by Ace Barro

    Story Editing by Simon Adler

    Music by Andrew Reyes and Brandon Shaw
    *hot shit*

  25. @flatline4ever

    October 11, 2025 at 11:01 pm

    17:43 – I did this whenever the tape got stuck in the player and the only way to get it out was to literally rip the tape out. Take out a few screws, a piece of scotch tape and a bic pen or pencil with paper wrapped around it to spool up the tape.. Was back to listening in about 15min…

    Great Video Sir!!! I still have a functional cassette player literally in front of me and this video gave me the push I need to get my old mixtapes out and digitally archive them. 💯

  31. @sususegar

    October 11, 2025 at 11:01 pm

    Really interesting story there! But one minor correction: The literal translation to 打口 (dakou) would actually mean "beaten/hit mouth", it isn't exactly "with a cut". It sort of describes the 'mouth' (opening) side of the tape being 'beaten/hit' (cut).

    Imagine, though, having one of these tapes and obsessively searching for the missing start or ending of the album.

  32. @wipis59

    October 11, 2025 at 11:01 pm

    I think I was lucky to stumble upon my dad's old tapes from the 70s and 80s. I found them in the late 90's. CDs were already taking over but tapes were still available and common. Most cars didn't have CD players unless you paid a lot extra or added one in.
    So I got to hear what he was copying off the radio. I got to hear mix tapes. So I think a lot of millennials got to have that.

  33. @vegadeth

    October 11, 2025 at 11:01 pm

    I remember as an 80s kid getting cool mixtapes from friends. Sometimes it was hits that you had heard on the radio, but the best was getting something new you never heard of. This is how I discovered NWA, skate punk, and Luke Skywalker (2live crew).

  38. @tornghost

    October 11, 2025 at 11:01 pm

    The poor sound quality isn't the cassette. It's that cheap tape mechanism and read-head in the modern player. A decent player from the 90s would make all the difference.

  44. @DaveZula

    October 11, 2025 at 11:01 pm

    I'm sure someone else will have said this already, but cassettes only sound bad because the good players are no longer being made, and Type II and other better tape formulations are no longer made. Because of the lack of good players, even new manufactured prerecorded tapes have to compromise on sound quality in order to play well on the available machines. Get a high end cassette deck and well-recorded tapes and you'll be surprised how good they can sound. It's the same with records, the quality and condition of the disc and the player make a huge difference in the sound.

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