Why Underground Labels Still Use Cassettes in 2025
It’s 2025. Streaming platforms are algorithmic slot machines. Vinyl is backed up for six months. CDs are a meme.
And yet — underground labels are still dropping limited-run cassette tapes, and not as a throwback gimmick. This isn’t nostalgia. It’s strategy.
As the mainstream doubles down on frictionless consumption, tape remains a contrarian ritual. A tactile way to say: “This release matters.” Here’s why.
Cassettes Still Make Financial Sense
Let’s be blunt: tapes are cheaper to make than vinyl and more meaningful than digital.
Low unit cost: Duplicating 50 cassettes is feasible for a solo artist or tiny label.
Small-run flexibility: You can test a new release or side project without dropping thousands.
Better merch margins: A $10 tape at a show that cost you $2.50 to make? Yes, please.
Tape Lab co-founder said it best:
“We can make 100 tapes and sell out in a weekend. Try doing that with vinyl when the pressing plant won’t even talk to you unless you want 500.”
Aesthetic Over Algorithm
Tapes aren’t just a medium — they’re a statement.
Anti-streaming. Anti-viral. Anti-ephemeral.
Each release is a physical object with intentional design.
They carry subcultural weight — if you know, you know.
“There’s a kind of underground prestige in tapes,” says Tape Lab. “Like if you’re putting out tapes in 2025, you’re not chasing trends. You’re building a world.”
It’s part of the DIY DNA. You fold the J-card yourself. You dub the tapes. You screen print the shells. The act of making is the message.
Fast, Flexible, and Weird
Tapes don’t make you wait six months. You can turn around a release in a few weeks — even days.
Experiment with loop tapes, side C editions, or noise-only releases.
Offer multiple shell variants (black, chrome, neon, clear) with the same master.
Play with tape length — make a six-minute mini-release or an 80-minute mixtape monolith.
“We’ve made side A / side B releases where each side is mastered by a different artist. It’s that kind of freedom you don’t get with any other format,” says Tape Lab’s production lead.
Tapes Build Micro-Communities
Cassettes are tools for community building, not mass broadcasting.
Start a tape club — mail subscribers new tapes every month.
Run tape-only exclusives — tracks that will never hit digital.
Offer merch bundles with handwritten notes or zines.
The collectors notice. The fans appreciate the care. And the limited nature gives these drops cultural weight.
“A Bandcamp code is just a string of letters. A cassette is a handoff. A keepsake. A memory,” says Tape Lab.
Real Examples, Real Results
Plenty of small labels still thrive on tape.
Releases from experimental/noise artists often sell out in hours.
Small-run ambient labels like Past Inside the Present or Dinzu Artefacts maintain cult followings.
Tape-first imprints use aesthetic scarcity to build collector loyalty.
At Tape Lab, some of our best-selling projects were tape-only releases — no streaming, no vinyl, just beautifully packaged, analog weirdness.
The Limitations
It’s not all smooth dubbing.
Scaling is hard — it’s not the format for big commercial rollouts.
Quality control matters — tapes can be hissy, off-center, or warped if you don’t vet vendors.
Parts are finite — belts, motors, and playback heads are harder to source.
Tapes still carry a stigma in some circles — “cheap,” “novelty,” “retro.” But that’s part of what makes them effective. You’re either in, or you’re not.
How to Use Tapes Strategically
You don’t need to go all in. Use tapes where they work best.
Core releases: For your inner circle, die-hard fans, or limited runs.
Vinyl too slow or expensive? Do a tape drop first, vinyl later.
Digital feels empty? Bundle a tape with a download and a patch.
Tapes create a physical anchor. A moment. A memory. That’s branding, whether you admit it or not.
The Future? Still Magnetic
Cassettes won’t become the next big thing. They were never meant to.
But in the underground — where intimacy, weirdness, and identity matter — tapes are alive and kicking.
“We’re not here to revive anything,” Tape Lab says. “Tapes never died in our world. They just went deeper underground.”
