RCA tape cartridge

RCA Sound Tape Cartridge
Size comparison of RCA tape cartridge (right) with the more common Compact Cassette
Media typeMagnetic cassette tape
EncodingAnalog
Capacity30 min per side, two sided
Developed byRCA
Dimensions5 × 7.125 × 0.5 inches
(137 × 197 × 13 mm)
UsageHome audio recording
Released1958
Discontinued1964

The RCA tape cartridge (labeled the RCA Sound Tape Cartridge) is a magnetic tape audio format that was designed to offer stereo quarter-inch reel-to-reel tape recording quality in a convenient format for the consumer market. It was introduced in 1958, following four years of development. This timing coincided with the launch of the stereophonic phonograph record.