Study Says Cassette Tapes Are Making A Comeback

2026 is looking to be the year of analog with less screen time, less doom scrolling, and, overall, less technology, at least if Gen Z buying trends are to be believed. I heard someone say that two decades ago, people used to use the internet to escape reality, and now we need reality to escape the internet. Some of us are looking to do a total reversal when it comes to how we spend our time, and now it seems that the way we consume our music may be next on the list.

There was a time when you could get cassette tapes for super cheap. People were giving them away at yard sales because soon enough, CDs came around, followed by MP3s, and then, of course, streaming. And outside of vinyl (which has made a steady comeback for a while now), it looks like we’re coming full circle because cassette prices are no longer “cheap.”

A new study of recent sales shows some albums climbing to ten times retail, with the overall market averaging about two times the sticker price. Small batches, quick sellouts, and consistent buyer interest are pushing values higher.

Startle’s analysis of 146 modern cassette albums sold on UK eBay shows that resale values are climbing fast. On average, those tapes now sell for double their original retail price, with the most sought-after titles going for more than ten times what they originally cost.

The research found that albums from the 2000s currently hold the highest resale value at $79 on average. They’re followed by albums from the 2010s ($69) and 2020s ($55).

However, some current pop stars like Morgan Wallen, Kendrick Lamar, and Taylor Swift are leading the pack for top cassette tape sales.

Wallen’s 2021 album Dangerous, for example, is currently the most expensive cassette online. It resells for an average of $320, up from its original $28 price. Lana Del Rey’s 2019 album Norman F**ing Rockwell! has seen a similar steep rise. Originally $19, it sells for almost $250. That’s an increase of over 1,100%.

Meanwhile, Kendrick Lamar’s DAMN has jumped from $15 to $106, and Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl has already climbed from $20 to around $$74, only weeks after its release. Even Swift’s older album, 1989, is fetching around $60, which is a 170% rise.

You know that someone like Swift isn’t going to spend the money producing a piece of merch that she doesn’t think will sell. Her team knows that cassette tapes are on the rise. They’re doing the market research, y’all.

In the UK, cassette sales as a whole surged 204% in the first quarter of 2025. Over the same period, UK searches for “cassette player” now top nearly 20,000 a month.

Platforms like Bandcamp have also reported a spike in cassette releases, with artists using the format to build grassroots followings.

It makes so much more sense now as to why my Gen Z stepdaughter asked for a Walkman for Christmas.