Packaged as a standard ZIP archive containing AAC audio and a JSON manifest, each file houses a full two-sided recording alongside digital assets like J-cards and booklets. Software built for the format tracks the listener's virtual tape position separately, preserving the read-only integrity of the underlying source audio. Listeners can try out the system through a dedicated web player, which features a sample track to demonstrate the format's physical playback mechanics.
Key points
The open-source architecture preserves original audio files untouched by tracking virtual…: The open-source architecture preserves original audio files untouched by tracking virtual playback positions separately.
Real-time hardware emulation dynamically adds artifacts like tape hiss and wobble through…: Real-time hardware emulation dynamically adds artifacts like tape hiss and wobble through dedicated preset files.
Users can switch between six included machine profiles mid-playback to simulate different…: Users can switch between six included machine profiles mid-playback to simulate different environments like studio decks or car stereos.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
oTAPE 1.0 · open specification · release candidate
Press record.
Mean it.
oTAPE is an open file format for digital cassettes. One .otape
file holds a whole tape: two sides of fixed length, each one continuous recording, plus the label, the J-card and the record tabs. It's self-contained and works offline.
- Extension
- .otape
- Container
- ZIP + JSON
- License
- CC BY 4.0
Drawn in your browser from a few lines of appearance
JSON. The reels follow the spec's tape-pack model.
01 The idea
The slow way,
on purpose.
Making a mixtape used to take an evening. You picked every song, sat through the recording and wrote the titles by hand. oTAPE is a file format that keeps those constraints. It isn't a new codec or a music player: it describes a whole cassette.
-
01
A cassette,
not a playlist.Each side is one continuous take. The silence between songs, a spoken intro, the clunk of the pause button: it's all part of the recording. Track markers can name the songs without splitting the side.
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The experimental Quesst mission aircraft completed a cross-country transit to Florida accompanied by military and research escort planes. This milestone marks the conclusion of a full year of rigorous flight evaluations designed to address the sonic boom challenge. The resulting data aims to inform regulatory updates that could eventually lift restrictions on overland commercial supersonic flights.
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