Videotape is a form of recording audio and visual information onto magnetic TAPE. It was first developed in the 1950s and quickly became a popular medium for recording television programs, movies, and other forms of media. Videotape is still used today, although it has been largely replaced by digital recording formats. The term 'videotape' is derived from the words 'VIDEO' and 'TAPE, ' referring to the magnetic TAPE used to store the recordings.