This picture shows a large cartridge holding magnetic tape. It is described on the front as “Philips Functional Music Tempo T151.” Much larger than the consumer-oriented compact cassette (the cartridge is approximately the size of a VHS video cassette), it was probably part of a professional background music system. Comparable tape-based professional systems were produced between the 1960s and the early 1990s, including another system by Philips. Starting from the 1990s, tape-based devices were increasingly replaced by systems that used digital recordings on Compact Discs. The label “Tempo” alludes to the functional understanding of background music as helping to create certain moods in factories, office spaces, and shopping venues.

Collector’s website describing various formats used in professional background music systems

“Productive Sounds in Everyday Spaces: Sounds at Work in Science, Art, and Industry, 1945 to Present.” Workshop organized by Joeri Bruyninckx and Alexandra Hui. MPIWG Berlin. April 27­–28, 2018