A cassette tape player utilizes a tape cassette having apertures formed through one side wall of its casing to accept a magnetic head and a pinch roller. The cassette tape player has a body assembly on which the tape cassette is freely loaded or unloaded and a lid supported by the body assembly so as to be freely rotatable for closing and opening the cassette tape player. The tape cassette is inserted into a loading region of the body assembly by closing the lid. A head assembly chassis is supported by one side end portion of the cassette loading portion so that its moves together with the lid. The head assembly also supports a magnetic head holder and the pinch roller. The tape cassette is supported by securing the upper surface wall of the cassette casing by inserting cassette holding members into the pinch roller insertion openings of the tape cassette. These holding members which are substantially parallel to the inner top wall of the lid support one side of the upper surface wall of the tape cassette while spring members provide opposing pressure to the opposite side of the upper surface wall of the tape cassette. The holding member and spring member combination hold the tape cassette for loading in a compact arrangement to ensure efficient use of space in the cassette tape player.