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Find out how we are saving music recorded on cassette tape in this behind the scenes story for UNESCO's World Day for Audiovisual Heritage.

South Australia boasts a rich and diverse musical history.  From international chart-toppers to beloved underground indie bands, our local music scene has been the soundtrack to South Australian stories for generations.

In the mid-1970s, a new format revolutionised how musicians shared their art: the humble cassette tape. Affordable and easy to produce, tapes became a driving force behind South Australia’s music scene. Local artists and performers now had a convenient way to get their music into the hands of eager listeners.

The State Library of South Australia has carefully collected an incredible and impressive cross-section of our state’s musical legacy. Our archives contain cassette recordings across a wide range of genres, including traditional folk, '80s new wave, '90s alternative, underground and hardcore punk, Indigenous rock, progressive Christian metal, brass bands and choirs, contemporary electronica and so much more. You’ll find names you know and many you may never have heard of. Together they make South Australia's musical heritage. 

Cassette Tape spines of South Australian Indigenous Rock Bands

Cassettes from the 1980s by Indigenous rock bands from the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands in northern South Australia, including Ikari Maru, Uwankara Palyanku Kanyintjaku, and Wedgetail Eagle Band.

Cassette Tape covers of South Australian Indigenous Rock Bands

Front covers of cassettes from the 1980s by Indigenous rock bands from the APY Lands, including Ikari Maru, Uwankara Palyanku Kanyintjaku, Wedgetail Eagle Band.

Adelaide Folk Festival cassette tape collection.

Cassettes containing performances, workshops, lectures and more, recorded at the University of Adelaide for the 1977 National Folk Festival.

Punk and underground cassette tapes.

A selection of cassettes from the early 1980s cassettes on the much-loved underground label EC Productions, including Fear and Loathing, Grong Grong, and DNA fanzine tapes.

Cassette tapes of local South Australian bands in State Library SA's collection.

More recent cassette releases including the bands: Colonised, Talc, Gentleworms, Yuppiegrinder, McQueen, Crisis Alert, Archers and Thom Bordism Group.

Cassette Tape spines of South Australian Indigenous Rock Bands
Cassette Tape covers of South Australian Indigenous Rock Bands
Adelaide Folk Festival cassette tape collection.
Punk and underground cassette tapes.
Cassette tapes of local South Australian bands in State Library SA's collection.

But there’s a catch. Cassette tapes are magnetic media, and all magnetic media deteriorates over time, threatening to erase decades of musical history. Archival institutions around the world agree that time is running out for these recordings and the equipment they are replayed with.

In response, the State Library is an active participant in the global Deadline 2025 movement. So far, we’ve transformed 1,500 cassettes into high-quality digital formats, ensuring our process meets world-class IASA digital preservation standards.

These recordings, once at risk of vanishing, are now expertly digitally preserved, ensuring that future generations can explore, learn from and celebrate South Australia’s ongoing musical legacy.

 

Want to listen to the music?

Copyright laws apply to all SLSA collections, but the good news is that much of our South Australian music collection can be listened to on site in the State Library's Somerville AV Room. Search our catalogue by artist or title, then request a listening session. All you need is a State Library card. Don't have a card? Join now!


Written by Luke Eygenraam, Audio and Film Preservation Officer