What is Tape Op Online?

Tape Op's online presence can be divided into four parts: TapeOp.com, the Tape Op Messageboard, Tape Op Newsletters, and Tape Op Social Media.

TapeOp.com is a modern editorial site that serves as a tightly-knit companion to each print issue of Tape Op, offering all our print magazine content in webpage format, as well as a steady flow of web exclusive articles. The site also houses a complete and up-to-date searchable archive of Tape Op's entire magazine content dating back to 1996, including all gear reviews, interviews, editorial pieces, etc, plus an active blog from Larry Crane and other senior contributors.

The Tape Op Messageboard has been one of the most established forums for music recording on the web since its debut in 2001, and covers everything from recording techniques to computers to tape machines to building studios and everything in between.

The Tape Op Newsletter is emailed out approximately once a month to the vast majority of both our print and digital subscribers (about 70,000 readers total). Our open rates for these mailings rest consistently between 30-35% (well above the industry average).

Finally, Tape Op cultivates a thriving social media presence, with 80K+ Facebook likes, 30K+ Twitter followers, and 16K+ Instagram followers. A constant flow of articles, news, discussions, and authentically high levels of engagement (that is to say, our actual articles create as much of a stir as our cat pictures) make Tape Op the go-to social media community for serious music recordists throughout the world.

What sort of opportunities are there to advertise with Tape Op Online?

Tape Op offers the following online advertising options:

Banner ads. We think online banner ads can still be really worthwhile, if you take the proper apporach to implementing them. Check out our banner options, and the steps we take to maximize their impact.

Direct Email Promotions. Place an ad in one of our newsletters or other e-mailouts and directly connect with our 70,000+ subscribers across the world.

Additional Tape Op FAQs

What is Tape Op About?

Our subtitle says it best: The Creative Music Recording Magazine. Tape Op is about learning how to make great recordings with whatever tools you have access to.

Unlike most recording magazines, Tape Op is not focused on reviewing equipment. Lots of mags already do a great job on that front. Instead, Tape Op interviews engineers, producers and musicians who are making great recordings. We sit down and talk with them at length and then run long, in- depth interviews. The reader becomes, in essence, the "Tape Op" hanging out in the studio and learning the trade from the seasoned vets working in the studio. Tape Op is about education and creativity.

What is your web traffic?

TapeOp.com currently receives about 200,000 pageviews per month. Our Message Board fairly steadily receives an average of about 150,000 pageviews per month.

What does the name Tape Op mean? How did you come up with it?

In the not too distant past, say the Beatles Abbey Road era, the only way to learn the recording trade was to apprentice at a studio. Your first job, after being granted the privilege of cleaning the toilets was to be the Tape Operator. Before remote controls, tape recorders were pretty clunky and the engineer would tell the Tape Op which transport buttons to hit. When the session was over the Tape Op might glean a few kernels of knowledge from the engineer before they left, leaving the Tape Op to clean up after them. Eventually, several years later, the engineer would not show up to a session for some reason and the Tape Op would finally get a chance to engineer a session. Things are a lot easier today, but the engineer's thirst for knowledge remains.

Is Tape Op new? How long has it been around?

Tape Op was started as a 'zine' in 1996 by a then novice recording engineer named Larry Crane. The first issue was 16 pages, printed on legal paper and Xeroxed. The print run was 500 copies and Larry sent it out to his friends. After two years, Larry partnered with John Baccigaluppi, an engineer and producer who he'd worked with in the past and was now in the publishing business.

Tape Op now prints 52,500 copies and is still growing. Tape Op Online began with the Tape Op Message Board in 2001, and has recently added the new TapeOp.com to its family in 2011. Together these sites continue to grow, and currently receive around 450,000 pageviews per month. Larry's growth as an engineer has paralleled Tape Op's. He's worked with artists like Richard Buckner, The Go Betweens, Elliott Smith and Sleater-Kinney and has been interviewed in Mix and many other music magazines. Larry's day to day involvement in recording new, vital music that people are listening to gives Tape Op a unique perspective among recording magazines.

Is Tape Op anti-digital?

No, we're not pro-analog either. Tape Op is about making the best recordings possible with the tools available, regardless of whether they're analog or digital.

None of our products use tape, they're hard drive based.

See "Is Tape Op anti-digital?" above.

Who reads/visits Tape Op?

A quick glance through our subscription list yields names like Tchad Blake, Pete Townshend, Steve Albini, and Joe Chiccarelli. Tape Op has a devoted following among some of the most well known engineers, producers and studio owners in the industry. But that's only part of our readership. Tape Op has an extremely diverse demographic, from home recordists to working professionals and everything in-between. If a recordist is serious about recording music, they subscribe to Tape Op. That's all we cover. We don't cover live sound, audio for video, surround sound formats, or audio on the internet. 91% of our readers record in their homes. Our average reader has been recording music for 14.4 years and 44% of our readers earn their living recording music. We have done extensive marketing in numerous smaller regional and underground publications. This helps to explain why according to our reader survey, 45% of our readers don't read any other recording magazines. 85% of our readers save every issue of Tape Op indefinitely. Detailed reader survey results are available upon request.

What's your frequency?

Tape Op is bi-monthly, and is published both in print and online on the 15th of every other month beginning in January.