Magnetic tape is a medium used for storing data, consisting of a thin strip of plastic coated with a magnetic material. It was widely used for audio recordings, video storage, and data backup in computers. The information is recorded in a series of magnetic patterns that can be read by a tape drive. Despite being largely replaced by digital storage solutions, magnetic tape is still valued for its high capacity and low cost for long-term data storage. It is commonly used in data centers for archiving large amounts of information, as it can store data reliably for many years.