# Microcassette
The **microcassette** is a small analog magnetic tape cassette introduced by the [Olympus Corporation](https://www.edgepedia.org/olympus-corporation) in 1969 for voice recording. It uses the same 3.81 mm tape width as the Philips Compact Cassette but in a much smaller shell, and it achieves comparable recording times by running thinner tape at half or a quarter of the Compact Cassette's speed.[1](https://obsoletemedia.org/microcassette/) Olympus announced the Zuiko Pearlcoder, the world's first microcassette tape recorder, in June 1969.[2](https://www.olympus-global.com/company/milestones/history/03.html?page=company)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Introduced | 1969, by Olympus; the Pearlcorder was the first microcassette recorder[1](https://obsoletemedia.org/microcassette/) • [2](https://www.olympus-global.com/company/milestones/history/03.html?page=company) |
| Tape width | 3.81 mm, the same as the Compact Cassette, in a shell about 1 7/8 × 1 1/4 inches[1](https://obsoletemedia.org/microcassette/) • [3](https://psap.library.illinois.edu/collection-id-guide/audiotape) |
| Tape speeds | 2.4 cm/s (15/16 ips) standard and 1.2 cm/s (15/32 ips) half speed[1](https://obsoletemedia.org/microcassette/) • [4](https://device.report/m/38b527bf4a871d411c62024d29895d0e7a67dddb82477f3178cebdaae614d029.pdf) |
| Recording time | The original MC60 gives 30 minutes per side at 2.4 cm/s and 60 minutes per side at 1.2 cm/s[1](https://obsoletemedia.org/microcassette/) |
| Main uses | Voice recording in dictation machines and telephone answering machines; also computer data storage and, in the early 1980s, some music recording[1](https://obsoletemedia.org/microcassette/) |
| Preservation | Projected lifespan of 2 to 10 years because the extremely thin tape is prone to breakage and stretching[3](https://psap.library.illinois.edu/collection-id-guide/audiotape) |
| Period of popular use | Roughly the mid-1970s to about 2000, with limited use after the 1990s[5](https://www.archives.gov/files/preservation/formats/pdf/audio-formats-dates.pdf) • [3](https://psap.library.illinois.edu/collection-id-guide/audiotape) |
## Design and operation
The microcassette packs the same width of tape as the Compact Cassette into a shell about a quarter of the size, using much thinner tape.[1](https://obsoletemedia.org/microcassette/) • [6](https://www.digitaltreasures.ca/dti/audio-info-trans.html) The tape is a polyester base carrying magnetic particles in a binder; ferric oxide is the most common pigment, with chromium dioxide, metal particle, and metal evaporated formulations also used.[3](https://psap.library.illinois.edu/collection-id-guide/audiotape)
**Speeds and running time.** Standard speed is 2.4 cm/s, with a half-speed setting of 1.2 cm/s that doubles recording time; the speed could be toggled on the recorder itself.[1](https://obsoletemedia.org/microcassette/) • [7](https://blogs.library.duke.edu/bitstreams/2017/03/17/lets-get-small-tribute-mighty-microcassette/) The original MC60 cassette therefore held 30 minutes per side at standard speed and 60 minutes per side at low speed.[1](https://obsoletemedia.org/microcassette/) The tape spools from right to left, the opposite direction from the Compact Cassette.[7](https://blogs.library.duke.edu/bitstreams/2017/03/17/lets-get-small-tribute-mighty-microcassette/)
**Drive mechanism.** The tape is pulled through by the capstan, giving a more constant speed than the Mini-Cassette, in which the reels pull the tape. This made the microcassette better suited to data and music recording than the Mini-Cassette.[1](https://obsoletemedia.org/microcassette/) The two formats are not interchangeable: the Microcassette (Olympus, 1969) and the Mini-Cassette (Philips, 1967) share the 3.81 mm tape width but use incompatible shells and decks.[8](https://www.eachmoment.co.uk/blog/microcassette-and-mini-cassette-transfer-dictation-tapes-voicemail-archives-and-)
## Uses
Because the thin tape and slow speeds produce relatively low fidelity, microcassettes were used mostly for voice: dictation, lectures, interviews, memos, and telephone answering machines.[1](https://obsoletemedia.org/microcassette/) • [7](https://blogs.library.duke.edu/bitstreams/2017/03/17/lets-get-small-tribute-mighty-microcassette/) The format also found use in research files and oral history collections.[3](https://psap.library.illinois.edu/collection-id-guide/audiotape)
**Music and data.** During the early 1980s, a few Walkman-style units and even stereo home audio equipment capable of recording and playing back microcassettes came onto the market, and for improved sound quality, metal-particle microcassettes—matching the Type IV formulation used in Compact Cassettes—could be bought.[1](https://obsoletemedia.org/microcassette/) The format was also used as a medium for computer data storage.[1](https://obsoletemedia.org/microcassette/)
## Preservation and decline
The tape is extremely thin, so microcassettes are especially prone to breakage and stretching, and they can jam in a playback deck and be damaged during playback. The Preservation Self-Assessment Program gives the format a projected lifespan of 2 to 10 years and recommends prioritizing it for reformatting based on the value of its content.[3](https://psap.library.illinois.edu/collection-id-guide/audiotape) Recommended storage is 40 to 54 degrees F (4.5 to 12 degrees C) at 30 to 50 percent relative humidity, with fluctuations of no more than plus or minus 2 degrees F and 5 percent RH.[3](https://psap.library.illinois.edu/collection-id-guide/audiotape)
The rise of digital recording, handheld devices, and cheap data storage relegated the microcassette to a museum piece by the early 21st century.[7](https://blogs.library.duke.edu/bitstreams/2017/03/17/lets-get-small-tribute-mighty-microcassette/) The National Archives timeline places its period of popular usage from the mid-1970s to about 2000.[5](https://www.archives.gov/files/preservation/formats/pdf/audio-formats-dates.pdf) Equipment and media were still available in the marketplace when the PSAP guidance was written, but obsolescence had become a risk as the format declined.[3](https://psap.library.illinois.edu/collection-id-guide/audiotape)
## References
1. [Microcassette (1969 – ), Museum of Obsolete Media](https://obsoletemedia.org/microcassette/)
2. [Olympus Chronology 1960–1969: Milestones, Olympus Corporation](https://www.olympus-global.com/company/milestones/history/03.html?page=company)
3. [Preservation Self-Assessment Program: Audiotape, University of Illinois Library](https://psap.library.illinois.edu/collection-id-guide/audiotape)
4. [Radio Shack Microcassette Recorder owner's manual (device.report copy)](https://device.report/m/38b527bf4a871d411c62024d29895d0e7a67dddb82477f3178cebdaae614d029.pdf)
5. [Audio Formats and Dates, National Archives](https://www.archives.gov/files/preservation/formats/pdf/audio-formats-dates.pdf)
6. [Digital Treasury – Audio Info](https://www.digitaltreasures.ca/dti/audio-info-trans.html)
7. [Let's Get Small: a tribute to the mighty microcassette, Duke University Libraries Bitstreams blog](https://blogs.library.duke.edu/bitstreams/2017/03/17/lets-get-small-tribute-mighty-microcassette/)
8. [Microcassette to Digital: Dictation & Mini-Cassette Lab, EachMoment](https://www.eachmoment.co.uk/blog/microcassette-and-mini-cassette-transfer-dictation-tapes-voicemail-archives-and-)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Technology and the built world › Communications and everyday technology › Phonographic and magnetic recording media › Magnetic recording › Magnetic tape recording — overview*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 15, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026 · Last review: Oct 15, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license