Abstract: A flexible and resilient, magnetic shielding element fabricated out of a soft magnetic alloy is provided. This shielding element not only provides magnetic shielding, but also may be used to provide a biasing force. Thus, for example, when a magnetic head is inserted into a tape cassette, a shielding element, as provided by this invention and positioned adjacent to the magnetic head opening of the cassette and on the other side of the magnetic tape from the tape head, both shields the tape head and biases the tape against the head to afford intimate contact with the tape head. Alloys which manifest a static coercive field intensity of less than 200 mA/cm, a relative static permeability, (measured as the continuous or d.c. field permeability at 4 mA/cm), of at least 2000, a Vickers hardness of at least 180, and an elastic limit of at least 500 N/mm.sup.2 are appropriate. Crystalline as well as amorphous, soft magnetic alloys are suitable.