DAT tapes with a dvd case and a shiny memory stick on wooden planks and forest leaves

Convert DAT Tape to MP3

Whatever your type of DAT tape, we can convert to high quality MP3 files. Send them to Supaphoto and we’ll carefully digitise them and get it back to you via the Supaphoto Cloud as a simple download, memory stick or CD. Our service is highly recommended so you won’t regret it!

Call us now for Friendly Advice – Freephone 0800 690 6160. Discounts apply to greater quantities.

Preserve, Share & Enjoy The Supaphoto Way

The best thing you could ever do for your family in three simple steps.

Supaphoto employee packing customer film in box.
1. Package Up Your Memories

Simply pack your beloved memories and send them to us. Use either our courier collection and return service or send it to us directly via recorded delivery. We’ll also send you a simple, step-by-step welcome pack straight to your inbox for peace of mind during the order process. 

Supahoto staff carefully handling customer material.
2. Lovingly Converted

We love what we do. Our dedicated team will digitise every item by hand. We’ve saved millions of memories over 20 years. And don’t worry, you’ll get regular updates along the way.

family sitting together watching a Supaphoto transfer
3. Share & Enjoy With Your Family

This is where the magic begins, We’ll return all of your original media. Once preserved, you can access them via our easy cloud download service, a simple memory stick or a lovely DVD. Finally, just relax and let those memories flood in. 

Audio Sample Our Audio Digitising Work
Reproduced with Kind Permission From Client

French woman speaking about her first years in England back in the 1940s

Client Audio Sample Reproduced with Kind Permission

Not everyone has the time to read lots of words.

That’s why we’re made available this brief audio sample from one of our clients – a French woman speaking about her first years in England back in the 1940s

What's Included?

You’ll receive everything needed to safeguard your memories.

Yes, where collection is applicable, we’ll organise for an easy to understand pre-paid address label to be sent to you. Could not be more simple. There’s also a section in there for you to add notes. 

We know how precious your memories are. It can feel like a big decision. The Supaphoto Welcome Guide explains the process in step by step simple terms. It will also include useful contact details for peace of mind.

We loe what we do. Our dedcated team will digitise every item by hand. We’ve saved millions of memories over 20 years. And don’t worry, you’ll get regular updates along the way.

This is where the magic begins. We’ll return all of your original media. Once preserved, you can access your files via our easy cloud download service, on a memory stick or a lovely DVD. Finally, just relax and let those memories flood in!.

Customer surrounded by video tapes, photographs and audio tapes while looking at the films that Supaphoto have transferred

Supaphoto Quality

Before we transfer reel to reel tapes or audio cassettes to digital or CD, each tape is initially inspected for damage and repaired as necessary. Our audio transfer technicians will then process each tape using one of number of dedicated decks and software. Put simply, our objective is always to capture your audio recordings as faithfully as possible

Converted, Preserved and Ready to Enjoy

Choose what you’ll get back. Sit back and soak it in!

Mobile phone showing transferred photo.
Digital Download
This is a memory stick holding transferred media.
Memory Stick
Customer DVD in presentation case
DVD in Case

One of Supaphoto's
Proudest Moments

We were so proud to be chosen by the University of Sussex to preserve film director Sir Richard Attenborough’s never-before-seen photographs. This material spanned Richard Attenborough’s extraordinary life and career and is now at the fingertips of students, researchers and the public.

Over the years, we’ve scanned thousands of photographs from prestigious multi album sets going as far back as early 1900’s for famous British politicians, the whole of Sir Richard Attenborough’s  personal collection of never-before-seen photographs, notes and more besides spanning his extraordinary life and career (accepted by Sussex University in lieu by HM Government from the Attenborough family) to thousands of everyday collections of photos from families throughout Sussex.

Proud staff member having completed some work

Common Questions

Yes we collect throughout the whole of the UK!

Alternatively, you may visit us too so that we can go through the variables together. Just call or email us in advance to make an appointment at a suitable time please.

We would generally advise using a tracked service to get your photos, film or audio tapes to us –

i.e Royal Mail Special Delivery or Parcel Force 24/48

Yes of course! All of your original media will be returned to you with your digitised versions. 

Yes indeed! It will depend on the total size of your order. Where we save time by doing things in bulk, we like to pass the benefit on. 

Thousands of Satisfied Customers

Supaphoto Ltd is an established company of almost 20 years with 000s of happy customers

Your Happiness Matters

If you are not satisfied with the results, nor are we. 
That’s the Supaphoto way

Peace of Mind Updates

Yes, we know that it’s important to update you a key milestones in the transfer process.

15 Plus Years of Experience

We’ve converted over a million recordings over time, so you can trust of to take care of you

DAT Tape Conversion

DAT Tape Conversion

 

Digital Audio Tapes (or DATs) emerged in the 1980s and were envisaged by their proponents as the successors to compact cassettes. DATs tend to be between 15 and 180 minutes in length, but tapes over 120 minutes usually cause problems. This is because the digital tape in DATs is very thin. For a recording on DAT to be longer than 120 minutes, the tape would have to be over 60 meters long!

DAT is a format which was mainly successful in the professional audio recording industry during the 1990s. However, the format never became commercially popular like CDs or cassette tapes. This was due to its high cost, but also due to widespread backlash from the music industry. This backlash was a product of the industry’s concern over the format’s capacity for creating high quality unauthorised copies. 

Despite these issues, the format was popular in Japan, and it remained widely used for recordings of live music. Production companies also adopted the format as a medium for recording high quality masters. They then released the songs to the public on CDs, as these were a much more widely used format. Sample rates was a major factor. 

Sony ceased production of DAT in late 2005. For this reason, it has become increasingly difficult to access recordings in this format. Digitisation has become essential to the conservation of DAT media. 

Not only has it become difficult to find the media on which to play DAT. Archivists are often concerned about the speed of degradation of DAT magnetic tape. Unfortunately, the format is particularly susceptible to what is called sticky-shed syndrome. 

How to Digitise DAT Tapes

At Supaphoto we have over 10 years of experience in digitising DAT tapes. DAT (Digital Audio Tapes) are similar to Compact Cassettes, but about half of the size. Due to the thinness of the format’s magnetic tape, DAT transfers require a particularly delicate conversion process. 

You may have considered learning how to digitize DAT tapes. That way, you can convert them yourself and save a few pennies. Trust us, we understand. However, we would advise you to consider your options and risks first.

The risk of damaging your tapes by using the wrong equipment is high. This is particularly the case if you haven’t been storing your DAT tapes safely. Exposure to humid or dusty environments can cause the tapes to degrade and become brittle. 

Our team of professional media converters have years of experience under their belts. Most importantly, across the years, we have invested in state of the art equipment to ensure the quality transfers. Our audio tape transfers are well regarded by our thousands of happy customers. You are welcome to take a look at some of our reviews. 

DAT tapes to CD

We offer several options for audio cassette transfers to digital format. For DAT cassettes, we can transfer to CD or to a digital file. You are welcome to mix and match conversion formats. 

If you choose to have your DAT tapes converted to digital file you will have two options. The first option is for us to put your files onto a memory stick or USB drive. The second option involves receiving a link through which you can download your files. 

Once on your local computer, you can transfer them to a data storage system of your choice. And of course, you can copy them or share them with as many people as you want.

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us if you have any questions about our DAT to Digital service. Our friendly staff are always happy to have a chat.