Kassetter

Kassetter are magnetic tape–based storage media enclosed in a protective shell, used to store audio, video, or computer data. The term is common in Swedish and Norwegian, but the format is widely known in many regions as cassette tapes or cassettes. Cassettes gained popularity because they offered relatively inexpensive, portable, and easy-to-use storage for a range of media.

In audio, compact audio cassettes were introduced in the 1960s and became dominant in the 1970s–1990s. They housed two reels of magnetic tape inside a plastic shell and were used for music, voice recording, and language learning. In data contexts, data cassettes and cassette-based interfaces were used with early home computers and dedicated data recorders, encoding digital data as audio tones on magnetic tape. In video, cassette formats such as VHS and Betamax (and later professional variants like Betacam) stored analog video signals on tape inside a similar shell, enabling consumer-level recording and playback.

Within audio cassettes, several tape formulations were used, including Type I (ferric), Type II (chrome), and Type IV (metal); Type III (ferrichrome) was largely phased out. The choice of formulation affected noise, biasing, and frequency response. Over time, cassettes were largely supplanted by optical discs, hard drives, flash storage, and digital streaming, although they remain in use for archival projects, music fans, and educational settings.

Preservation and handling considerations include sensitivity to magnetic fields, temperature and humidity changes, and the gradual degradation of magnetic oxide and binder materials. Access to playback equipment and proper archiving practices remain important for longtime preservation of kassetter.