Abstract: A sealed audio cassette player for playing a single permanently installed audio tape. The player is primarily intended for use with cassettes containing a spoken book, such as the Bible. In one embodiment, frequency indicia are provided on the tape for indicating tape linear speed. A drive motor drives the cassette take up spindle at a predetermined tape linear speed of less than about 0.5 inch per second with rotation of the drive motor varied in accordance with the indicia to maintain a constant tape linear speed. In an alternate embodiment a drive motor drives the cassette take up reel at a constant speed, so that the speed of movement of the tape past an audio pickup head constantly varies. The cassette is recorded with an identical constant speed take up, so that only cassettes so made will work in the player. The cassette is recorded with an identical constant speed take up, so that only cassettes so made will work in the player.