Long Strange Tape
99% Invisible22 Nov 2023

Long Strange Tape

The Cassette tape was great in so many ways, but let’s be honest, they never really sounded great. But because the cassette was so much cheaper and easier to use and portable, a lot of people didn't care so much about the audio quality. They just wanted to be able to use something that they could carry around with them. The cassette’s other big advantage: it was easy to record on.

We talked to Marc Masters about his new book High Bias, about the history of the cassette. One chapter about concert bootleggers covers perhaps the greatest success story of the cassette: Grateful Dead live tapes.

Long Strange Tape

Plus we're featuring a bonus story that we produced in 2016 in collaboration with Benjamen Walker's Theory of Everything about a place where cassettes were of vital importance.

Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free and a whole week early.

Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Avsnitt(779)

A Man, a Plan, a Canal—Mars!

A Man, a Plan, a Canal—Mars!

How one wealthy, amateur astronomer convinced the world Martians were real. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free and a whole week early. Start a free tria...

10 Mars 32min

Where the F*** Are We?

Where the F*** Are We?

For centuries, the world's greatest minds were stumped by the deadly mystery of longitude, until an obsessive underdog entered the fray and changed navigation forever. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ ...

3 Mars 47min

Constitution Breakdown #7: California AG Rob Bonta

Constitution Breakdown #7: California AG Rob Bonta

This is the seventh episode of our ongoing series breaking down the U.S. Constitution. This month, Roman and Elizabeth discuss Article IV, which outlines the relationship between states and between st...

27 Feb 1h 17min

The Longest Fence in the World

The Longest Fence in the World

How a fence meant to protect sheep transformed the entire Australian landscape. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free and a whole week early. Start a free ...

24 Feb 31min

Molar City

Molar City

How a small Mexican border town transformed itself into the dental tourism capital of the world, where dental care costs up to 80% less than what it might cost in the United States. Subscribe to Siriu...

17 Feb 41min

Artistic License Redux

Artistic License Redux

Idaho was the first state to slap a slogan on a license plate, “Idaho Potatoes,” which may not seem like a big deal, but it turns out this idea would end up having outsized consequences, and not just ...

10 Feb 33min

The Em Dash

The Em Dash

The strange history of a punctuation mark that makes writing feel human, and why people now think it proves the opposite. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-...

3 Feb 39min

Constitution Breakdown #6: Adam Liptak

Constitution Breakdown #6: Adam Liptak

This is the sixth episode of our ongoing series breaking down the U.S. Constitution.This month, Roman and Elizabeth discuss Article III, which establishes the judicial branch, alongside New York Times...

30 Jan 1h

Populärt inom Business & ekonomi

framgangspodden
badfluence
varvet
rss-jossan-nina
rss-borsens-finest
rss-svart-marknad
uppgang-och-fall
svd-tech-brief
rss-dagen-med-di
lastbilspodden
avanzapodden
fill-or-kill
rss-den-nya-ekonomin
rss-inga-dumma-fragor-om-pengar
rss-kort-lang-analyspodden-fran-di
borsmorgon
24fragor
bathina-en-podcast
ekonomiekot-extra
market-makers