The Cassette Comeback is not just hype, and here are stats to prove it

Much has been written about the cassette comeback, but now we have the stats to prove that it’s real.

Music’s new interest in cassettes began in part because of vinyl shortages and long manufacturing lead times, but even as those issues improve, cassette sales in the US continue to grow, according to Billboard data provider Luminate.

Last year, cassette sales grew 28% to 440,000 units, up from 343,000 in 2021.

The best-selling cassette of 2022 was Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” Soundtrack Vol. 2 at 17,000 units.

Those numbers are small but significant, particularly for independent artists and labels who rely on physical sales online and on the road for a significant portion of their revenue.

Cassettes are not alone in joining vinyl to drive physical sales of music. CDs are garnering growing fan interest as well.

MORE: Move over vinyl, CDs are making a real comeback

Bruce Houghton is the Founder and Editor of Hypebot and MusicThinkTank, a Senior Advisor at Bandsintown, President of the Skyline Artists Agency, and a professor for the Berklee College Of Music.