--- description: LTO tape shipments jumped 57% YoY in Q1 2026 as the 40TB LTO-10 ramp begins, after 2025 settled at 160.3EB following the 2024 record. title: LTO Tape Shipments Up 57% in Q1 2026 as AI and Archive Demand Accelerate image: https://www.storagereview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/IBM-LTO-10-40TB-cartridge-e1788362517691.png --- [![Storage Review]()](https://storagereview.com/) --- [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/@storagereview) [X (Twitter)](https://twitter.twitter.com/storagereview) [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/storagereview/) [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/storagereview-com) [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/user/storagereview?sub_confirmation=1) [Email](mailto:info@storagereview.com) [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/1y6VnznABhHeOSMOmbDTz0) [Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/StorageReview/) [Discord](https://discord.gg/TwMHb4azdC) [RSS Feed](https://www.storagereview.com/rss.xml) [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@storagereview) [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/@storagereview) [X (Twitter)](https://twitter.com/storagereview) [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/storagereview/) [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/storagereview-com) [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/user/storagereview?sub_confirmation=1) [Email](mailto:info@storagereview.com) [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/1y6VnznABhHeOSMOmbDTz0) [Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/StorageReview/) [Discord](https://discord.gg/TwMHb4azdC) [RSS Feed](https://www.storagereview.com/rss.xml) [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@storagereview) [![StorageReview.com](https://www.storagereview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Storage-Review-2x.png)](https://www.storagereview.com) ≡ Menu - [Home](https://www.storagereview.com/) - [Storage Reviews](https://www.storagereview.com/review) - [Consumer Reviews](https://www.storagereview.com/consumer) - [Enterprise Reviews](https://www.storagereview.com/enterprise) - [Ubiquiti Reviews](https://www.storagereview.com/best/ubiquiti-reviews) - [SR Merch](https://store.storagereview.com) - [Leaderboards](https://www.storagereview.com/best) - [Best Storage Arrays](https://www.storagereview.com/best/storage-arrays) - [Best Enterprise SSDs](https://www.storagereview.com/best/enterprise-ssds) - [Best Servers](https://www.storagereview.com/best/servers) - [Best Desktops for Local AI](https://www.storagereview.com/best/desktops-local-ai) - [Best Laptops for Local AI](https://www.storagereview.com/best/laptops-local-ai) - [Best Local LLM Tools](https://www.storagereview.com/best/local-llm-tools) - [Agentic AI Hardware](https://www.storagereview.com/best/agentic-ai-hardware) - [Best SSDs & Hard Drives](https://www.storagereview.com/best_drives) - [Best Portable SSDs](https://www.storagereview.com/best/portable-ssds) - [Best Business Laptops](https://www.storagereview.com/best/business-laptops) - [Best Mobile Workstations](https://www.storagereview.com/best/mobile-workstations) - [Best Desktop Workstations](https://www.storagereview.com/best/desktop-workstations) - [Best Laptop Battery Life](https://www.storagereview.com/best/laptop-battery-life) - [Storage Reference Guide](https://www.storagereview.com/storage-reference-guide) - [About SR](https://www.storagereview.com/about-storagereview) - [StorageReview.com Sweepstakes Rules and Regulations](https://www.storagereview.com/storagereview-com-sweepstakes-rules-and-regulations) Search [Home](https://www.storagereview.com/) » [News](https://www.storagereview.com/news) » LTO Tape Shipments Up 57% in Q1 2026 as AI and Archive Demand Accelerate # LTO Tape Shipments Up 57% in Q1 2026 as AI and Archive Demand Accelerate by Harold Fritts on September 2, 2026 [Enterprise](https://www.storagereview.com/enterprise)  ◇  [Enterprise Storage](https://www.storagereview.com/enterprise/enterprise-storage) The Linear Tape-Open (LTO) Program Technology Provider Companies, comprising Hewlett Packard Enterprise, IBM Corporation, and Quantum Corporation, have released their [annual tape media shipment report](https://www.storagereview.com/news/lto-program-releases-annual-tape-media-shipment-report-2023-and-it-might-surprise-you). Following sustained enterprise data expansion, the report highlights a strong start to 2026, driven by continued LTO-9 adoption and the rollout and initial capacity ramp-up of [LTO-10 media](https://www.storagereview.com/news/lto-program-unveils-lto-10-40tb-ultrium-cartridge-updates-roadmap-toward-913tb-archival-tape). ![IBM LTO-10 Ultrium data cartridge labeled 40TB native and 100TB compressed](https://www.storagereview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/IBM-LTO-10-40TB-cartridge-e1788362517691.png) According to the consortium, total shipped tape capacity in Q1 2026 increased 57 percent year over year compared to Q1 2025. This rebound follows an all-time record set in 2024, when total shipments reached 176.5 exabytes (a 15.4 percent annual increase). While total annual shipments settled back to 160.3 exabytes in 2025 (a 9 percent decline), the volume remained higher than any previous year on record prior to 2024. The arrival of the 40TB native capacity cartridge in early 2026 has provided an immediate density upgrade path for enterprise environments managing large-scale archival and secondary storage tiers. Industry leadership notes that the ongoing increase in capacity requirements, power constraints in data centers, and the need for physically air-gapped cyber resilience are driving the integration of tape into modern hybrid architectures. The format is increasingly positioned as an economical cold tier to balance costly high-density flash and disk arrays, specifically for long-term retention and AI training datasets that require massive ingest capacity without constant active power draw. ![Fujifilm LTO Ultrium 10 data cartridge with 40TB native capacity, shown bare and in its case]() Market analysis from industry observers indicates that, despite broader macroeconomic and international trade headwinds affecting enterprise procurement cycles, tape media maintains steady structural demand. The format’s low operational expenditure, zero idle power consumption per cartridge, and predictable media roadmap make it an effective hedge against data center power limitations. As organizations transition legacy libraries to current-generation hardware, the consortium expects total shipment volumes in 2026 to continue tracking toward new highs. **Engage with StorageReview** [Newsletter](https://www.storagereview.com/storage_newsletter) |  [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/user/StorageReview "Opens in a new window") | Podcast  [iTunes](https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/storagereview-com-storage-reviews/id1060681115 "Opens in a new window")/ [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/1y6VnznABhHeOSMOmbDTz0 "Opens in a new window") |  [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/storagereview/ "Opens in a new window") |  [Twitter](https://twitter.com/storagereview "Opens in a new window") |  [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@storagereview? "Opens in a new window") |  [RSS Feed](https://www.storagereview.com/rss.xml) ![]() ### Harold Fritts I have been in the tech industry since IBM created Selectric. My background, though, is writing. So I decided to get out of the pre-sales biz and return to my roots, doing a bit of writing but still being involved in technology. 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