Cassette effect online: make a song sound like an 80s tape
Upload a song and it will sound like a cassette: a duller top, warmer lows, audible hiss and a speed that wobbles slightly. Preview the first 25 s for free.
- Band 60 Hz – 10 kHz
- Audible hiss
- 0.4% speed drift
What changes in the sound
- A 60 Hz – 10 kHz band. Narrower lows and highs than vinyl and tape, which gives the familiar dull cassette sound.
- Warm saturation. Almost half of the signal goes through saturation, more than with vinyl or tape.
- A bump around 100 Hz and a softened top. The bass is fuller, and everything above 3 kHz is softer.
- Speed drift. 0.4% about 0.8 times a second. You hear it on synths and long notes.
- Hiss at about −58 dBFS: you can hear it in quiet passages.
An honest note. The presets imitate a medium artistically; they are not an exact copy of a record or tape. A preset does not even out loudness, it only keeps peaks under 0 dBFS, so master the result in the lab before you release it.
Step by step
- Upload the track: WAV, MP3, FLAC or M4A, up to 100 MB.
- Pick the medium and the amount, from a light touch to the full sound (0–100%). Listen to the start of the track for free and compare it with the original.
- Sign in, make the full version and download WAV or MP3 320. Tracks up to 10 minutes.
When the cassette sound works
For synth-pop, synthwave, retro rap and any track with an 80s feel. The drift is easiest to hear on synths and long notes.
If the hiss gets in the way of the vocal, set the amount to 50 to 70%: the dullness and warmth stay, and there is less noise.
Free preview and price
| What | Price |
|---|---|
| Preview | Free: the first 25 s of your track. Free previews per day: 20, no account needed. |
| Full version | 1 credit per file, after sign-in. Refunded if the version fails on our side. |
The preview limit resets at midnight UTC.
After the version
- Master the result in the lab: 1 free master every day.
- Compare all five media on the vintage sound page.
- Turn it into a video with the music visualizer.
About rights. Process your own songs or songs you have the rights to.
Why did the vocal get duller?
A cassette cuts everything above 10 kHz and softens the top; that is how cassettes sounded. If the vocal gets lost, lower the amount or try the tape preset, which has a wider band.
Can I make it sound like a chewed-up tape?
No. The preset gives an even, predictable drift, not dropouts. For a rougher sound try the lo-fi converter, whose drift is twice as strong.
Is it free?
Previewing the first 25 s is free and needs no account; free previews per day: 20. The full version costs 1 credit per file and needs a sign-in.
Can I make the effect lighter?
Yes. The Amount slider blends the effect with the original from 0 to 100% in 5% steps.
Is the result different every time?
No. The noise and clicks follow a fixed rule, so the same track with the same settings gives the same file.