When you want your music or video tape collection to live forever, it’s best to convert it from cassette tapes to a digital format sooner rather than later. When improperly stored, cassette tapes can fall victim to weather conditions, mold, and other unfortunate events. Avoid this by going digital! Here’s what you need to know about how to transfer cassette tapes.

Cassette Tape Damage

There are a number of common types of damage known to ruin cassette tapes. These types of damage are usually due to improper storage.

• Magnetic damage: exposure to magnets destroys the magnetic tape inside cassettes. Magnetic damage cannot be repaired.
• Flooding: cassette tapes can be destroyed when exposed to water for prolonged periods of time.
• Heat damage: extended heat exposure causes magnetic tape to deteriorate.
• Physical damage: cracked cases and snapped tape is common. This damage can be fixed in certain circumstances, depending on the severity.

How to Transfer Cassette Tapes

Transferring a cassette tape onto a computer:

• The most affordable option requires that you already own a functioning cassette player with a line level input. To take this route, purchase a simple line level cable and connect it to your cassette player’s line level input. Then manually transfer music to the computer’s internal sound card. This option can also be the most time-consuming.
• The easiest option to do on your own is to purchase a tape-to-MP3 converter. This type of converter connects to your computer via a USB port and comes equipped with software to guide you as you transfer content into your digital library.
• The easiest, least time-consuming option for converting cassette tapes into a digital format is to rely on professionals who can effortlessly transfer your data, preserve your old cassettes, and in a timely fashion. This is where Disc Hounds comes in.

We Can Help!

Here at Disc Hounds, we’re experienced in transferring cassettes and other outdated formats to digital so that you don’t have to. So contact us today by calling 610-696-8668 to learn more about how we can help your preserve your old data and more.