Lou Ottens, the Dutch inventor of the cassette tape and early pioneer of the compact disc, has passed away at age 94.
“We are very sad to have to inform you that Lou passed away peacefully on Saturday, 6 March 2021,” Ottens’ daughter, Arine Ottens, confirmed to WTOP News.
Born in 1926, Ottens first started working for Netherlands-based electronics company Royal Philips in his early 20s. In 1960, following an eight-year stint at the company, Ottens established a position as head of product development.
In 1963, Otten unveiled his most groundbreaking invention, the first compact cassette tape. Ottens’ was inspired to develop a music consumption device that was affordable and practical. An answer to the clunky, reel-to-reel tapes that dominated the industry.
“Lou wanted music to be portable and accessible,” says documentary filmmaker Zack Taylor, director of, Cassette: A Documentary Mixtape.
“He advocated for Philips to license this new format to other manufacturers for free, paving the way for cassettes to become a worldwide standard.”
So Otten took on the challenge of appropriating the reel-to-reel tape technology and using it to develop a device that was small enough to fit in his pocket. In 1963 the first plastic cassette tape debuted at an electronics fair with the slogan, ‘smaller than a pack of cigarettes!’.
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Naturally, the device was an instant success that completely revolutionized the accessibility of music consumption. On a more sentimental note, it brought a sense of romance and sentimentality to the music listening process. It spearheaded playlist curation.
“Lou was an extraordinary man who loved technology, even as his inventions had humble beginnings,” said Philips Museum Director Olga Coolen.
20 years later, in 1979 — Ottens helped reinvent music once more in assisting in the development of a durable version of the compact disc. Over 200 billion CDS have been sold since they were first introduced to market in 1982.
“From now on, the conventional record player is obsolete,” Ottens declared when CD players emerged, via the BBC.
