One of A Kind: What Makes National Audio Company Irreplaceable
One Fact That Changes Everything
National Audio Company is the last manufacturer of music-quality recording tape for cassettes on earth. Not just in America. The entire world.
With 57 years of refinement and reinvention under our belts, we practice our craft in Springfield, Missouri—right in the heart of the American Midwest. And from here, we support analog music fans across the planet.
Committed to Cassettes
Who still makes cassette tape? National Audio Company.
While others chased trends, NAC doubled down on cassettes. In total, we’ve spent 57 years serving the industry, with the past 10 focused on manufacturing recording tape for cassettes. During that time, we’ve gathered a team of experts and engineers whose knowledge is unsurpassed.
“Staying wasn’t just loyalty,” explained NAC President Steve Stepp. “It was expertise compounding over decades.”
To understand National Audio Company’s importance to the music industry, we have to go back to our founding. When we started in 1969, we worked with radio stations and recording studios, taking care of their reel-to-reel tape needs.
In 1980, we began loading cassettes with Ampex tape here at our Springfield, Missouri plant. For the next few decades, we carved out a niche serving the audio needs of a variety of businesses, including:
- Books on Tape for libraries and schools
- National Library Service (Division of the Library of Congress)
- Audiobooks and magazines for the blind and visually handicapped
- Blank tapes for court recorders
Choice Magazine digital cartridges with braille for the visually impaired
In the early 2010s, artists were intentionally keeping tape alive when and where they could. When Pearl Jam released “Vs.” and “Vitalogy” together in 2011, the 20th anniversary box set included a special cassette featuring their legendary January 8, 1995 Self-Pollution Radio broadcast. [Source]
In 2012, Smashing Pumpkins re-released “Pisces Escariot” in an expanded edition with all sorts of goodies for hardcore fans…including a cassette tape. [Source]
Pearl Jam’s “Vs.” and “Vitalogy” 20th anniversary box set
In both cases, sourcing the cassettes was a bit of a challenge for their labels. At the time, there just weren’t many places to get high-quality cassettes made. National Audio stepped in to fill the gap, helping set the stage for a cassette renaissance. At the same time, we became a key resource for independent musicians who wanted an affordable option to get their music out there.
As demand for high-quality cassettes increased, our production expanded to keep pace. By the mid-2010s, we had begun the process of formulating and manufacturing our own recording tape in-house.
This was a critical juncture for NAC. “It was 20 years ago that the major players decided to get out of analog music with their eyes on the digital future,” Steve explained. But where others jumped ship, National Audio stayed the course. “We doubled down on analog and started manufacturing our own tape in 2016, and it wasn’t long before the biggest names in the business came to us to make their cassettes.”
Trusted with the Irreplaceable
Today, most major record labels entrust NAC with their master recordings. These unique recordings are then turned into “duplication masters” by National Audio.
What is a duplication master? When a musician records an album in-studio with a record label we work with, they send us the original recording. From this, NAC creates a duplication master—the master recording from which all authorized copies are made.
It is the physical manifestation of the artist’s work, as recorded in-studio on cutting-edge equipment. And once NAC gets it, we optimize it for the analog format. Each duplication master is securely stored in NAC’s archive, which currently houses more than 80,000 titles!
NAC’s archive is a treasure trove of music. We’re proud to safeguard master recordings from Pearl Jam, Smashing Pumpkins, and many more.
These are not just recordings; they are irreplaceable pieces of music history.
Guardians of the Galaxy, Awesome Mix Vol. 1. Photo by Yucel Moran
When the biggest names in the industry call, NAC answers. As President Steve Stepp likes to say, “If it’s important enough for you to call, it’s important enough for us to answer.” It’s that kind of personal service that’s kept NAC flourishing.
One Roof, Many Formats
As the last cassette tape manufacturer of music-quality recording tape, we’re committed to cassettes. We specialize in cassette tape manufacturing and cassette tape duplication.
But our technical expertise and appreciation for music mean we also enjoy producing top-quality audio in other formats, from vinyl record pressing to CD duplication.
NAC offers one-stop music production for big music labels and independent artists alike. Our comprehensive capability has several benefits:
- Top-quality audio on many formats
- Simpler process for customers
- Made in America for better communication and supply chain control
We also offer audio engineering and analog-to-digital transfer services. National Audio can transfer open-reel tapes of all speeds and tape widths, audio cassettes, vinyl, and most other common audio formats. We can help recover valuable audio recordings from open-reel tapes, even ones that have become “sticky” with age.
Part of the production floor at NAC
National Audio Company has been entrusted by governmental, commercial, and institutional clients to transfer thousands of irreplaceable analog recordings. We can also transfer special media to digital formats:
- Radio programs
- Music and instructional libraries
- Old master recordings
For cassettes and more, contact us today to hear how we can help.
Quiet Confidence
National Audio Company doesn’t need to turn it up to 11. The facts speak loudly and clearly:
- 57 years in business
- The trust of major labels worldwide
- The last manufacturer of music-quality cassette tape on earth
We’re not just preserving a format; we’re preserving an art form. And we’re just getting started.
Stay tuned—you’ll be hearing more from NAC.
