In an age where even casual music fans know how measly streaming services can be regarding artist pay, the return of physical media was perhaps inevitable. Just last year, vinyl record sales grew by 10.5% with 6.7 million discs sold thanks to artists including Taylor Swift and Fleetwood Mac. Though CD sales remained constant, cassette tape sales have also been making a strong comeback as well.
From 81,000 units in 2015 to 436,400 in 2022, the resurgence has been driven by Gen Z’s embrace of nostalgic formats and affordability. Artists are releasing albums on tape for as little as $10, which is a fraction of newly released vinyls, which are significantly more expensive. So it makes sense for French brand We Are Rewind to have a goal of delivering a sleek yet incredibly functional cassette tape player, inspired by the original Sony Walkman. During my time with the device at CES 2025, it delivered on its promise.
