The invention intends to simplify the documentation of video or audio cassettes and increase their extent at the same time. This is achieved by the fact that each cassette (1) is directly provided with an individually machine-readable identification (2), such as a barcode, and a reader (10) in the recorder, and that a memory area (1) corresponding to the individual identification then responds when the cassette is inserted. The text information of a program information source (20) such as Teletext or Videotext, can be recorded in the memory area which contains the documentation for this cassette when a tone signal or video signal is recorded on the cassette (1).