PURPOSE: To execute the fast forwarding or the rewinding of a tape at a high speed within the limit speed of a hardware while the residual quantity of the tape is over a prescribed value by previously discriminating the length of the tape and calculating the residual quantity of the tape.

CONSTITUTION: A tape feeding device which has a capstan 13 and feeds the tape 6 from one reel 5 to the other reel 4 is provided. Then, the rotating speed of one reel 5, the other reel 4 and the capstan 13 is detected by respective detectors 26, 22 and 18. The length of the tape 6 is discriminated with the aid of the capstan 13 by feeding the tape 6 for a prescribed time. Then, the tape 6 is fed at a high speed at the time of high speed feeding while calculating the residual quantity of the tape 6 on the basis of the respective rotating speed of both reels 5 and 4 and the length of the tape 6. The tape is decelerated when the residual quantity of the tape becomes equal to the prescribed value or under.