Open Reel/Reel-to-Reel Audio Tapes

Long before cassette tapes were made popular for consumer use, the reel to reel audio tape was used in professional studios, and became more and more popular for home use in the 1960s. The expected tape life of audio on open reel tapes is 10-30 years. Degradation starts almost immediately once it is played, just like in records, but the pace is much slower since there is a lot less physical contact. We have had excellent luck converting open reel tapes to digital format.