On March 6, 2021, Lou Ottens, inventor of the cassette tape, died.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

This Day in Music

What Happened Today In Music

March 6th

2021 - Lou Ottens
Lou Ottens passed away at the age of 94. The inventor of the tape cassette, he was instrumental in changing personal listening habits for an entire generation. “We were little boys who had fun playing,” he once said of his invention. “We didn’t feel like we were doing anything big.”

Lou Ottens


Ottens in 2007 during an interview for the magazine of the Dutch Royal Institute of Engineers (Nederlands Koninklijk Instituut van Ingenieurs)

Born: Lodewijk Frederik Ottens; 21 June 1926; Bellingwolde, Netherlands
Died: 6 March 2021 (aged 94); Duizel, Netherlands
Nationality: Dutch
Occupation: Engineer

Lodewijk Frederik Ottens (21 June 1926 – 6 March 2021) was a Dutch engineer and inventor, best known as the inventor of the cassette tape, and for his work in helping to develop the compact disc. Ottens was employed by Philips for the entirety of his career.

{snip}

Wed Mar 6, 2024: On this day, March 6, 2021, Lou Ottens, inventor of the cassette tape, died.

[wcmagumba]

1. Thanks for the info. I loved cassettes and had a player installed in my Pinto back in the 70s...

Last edited Sat Mar 8, 2025, 07:12 AM - Edit history (1)

I didn't know the word cassette back in Jr. High but went into a local Dept. store music section and asked about "4 track" tapes. The sales person was good enough to explain all about them and I ended up getting a portable mono player/recorder for Christmas and did recordings from the radio of songs I liked. They weren't very good but I listened a lot and enjoyed them.The good ole days...

[Sneederbunk]

2. Mention of this now sounds like a rewind.

[wcmagumba]

3. True, but my self installed car player had auto-reverse...made it easy with no rewind needed...