Like most technology, the 8-track did have a longer life in the broadcast sphere. In addition, even the “portability” perk of an 8-track was quickly undermined when cassettes were smaller and thinner in size. Once consumers realized the benefits of cassettes for both recording and playing music, it was difficult for even the biggest 8-track fans to stay loyal to such a flawed device. 8-tracks had major disadvantages such as the inability to rewind, and strong likelihood of jamming or getting dirty. The compact cassette is the main reason why 8-tracks were faded out from the electronics industry. By 1982, music studios stopped shipping 8-tracks to retailers and cars removed the 8-track recorder from car models. Between car and home systems, 8-track had the largest market in consumer electronics.īut sure enough, just as 8-track reached its highpoint, the recording system faced a major downfall in the late 1970s. The players were synced with AM and FM radio.Ĩ-track home players were introduced in 1966 and praised for their portability and affordability compared to vinyl. A few years later, 8-track players were available as a separate purchase to be installed into cars that didn’t have a unit. Before Ford installed 8-track, consumers would have to either buy a very expensive car to enjoy music tapes, or stick with the radio. This popularity grew after Ford Motor Company decided to add 8-track players into factory models in 1965. By then, cassettes were already developed, but were marketed as recording devices whereas 8-tracks were promoted as music players.įrom Bentley to Rolls-Royce, nearly every car on the market had an 8-track recorder. By the 1950s, endless loop single reel carriers were invented, but didn’t receive media hype until the mid-1960s. The first use of magnetic tape technology was with the reel-to-reel tape recorder from the 1940s. Younger generations may know of cassettes and CDs, but what the heck are 8-tracks? These magnetic tape sound recording devices predated cassette tapes, but not for very long. When you think of 8track, visions of the internet radio streaming site might dance through your head, but don’t be fooled into thinking the inspiration behind the “8-track” name came from the digital era.
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