a cassette will cost you a third of what an LP will, while offering you that same sense of physical ownership. but it puts everyone โ major label, indie label, local band, bedroom improviser, mixtape compiler, bootlegger โ on the same level. cheap to make, easy to do in very tiny limited runs, easy to make into beautiful objects.
the affordability and the small form factor make them easy to keep picking up - at any merch stand, bandcamp page, overseas record store or charity shop. even if I do most of my listening digitally these days, it's a lovely treat to bring the walkman out if I'm walking into town.
