mixtape

noun

mix·​tape ˈmiks-ˌtāp How to pronounce mixtape (audio)
variants or less commonly mix tape
plural mixtapes also mix tapes
1
: a noncommercial compilation of songs copied (as onto a cassette tape or a CD) from various sources
In high school, I'd be making mixtapes for friends and girls instead of doing my homework, spending hours perfecting how a Smiths song and Joy Division song and Pixies song would convey the way I feel.Aaron Axelsen, quoted at SFGate.com
Writers like Nick Hornby have imbued the cassette tape with considerable romance, in particular the mix tape created for a loved one. In practice, these were often recorded directly from the radio, requiring your typical suburban suitor to sit around for hours on end, waiting for the desired track to appear.Richard Glover
2
: an album that is usually recorded and distributed without the involvement of a record label
The mixtape is an unofficial release. It might be tied to an imprint or a label, but it doesn't necessarily appear in stores. In fact, most of them can be purchased only on the streets, at the clubs, from the trunks of cars or from the artists themselves.Lance Scott Walker
Long before rap got any radio love, mixtapes were the main form of distribution, the currency that kept everything in rotation as the culture evolved.Sidney Madden and Rodney Carmichael
High-fidelity and laden with hits, So Far Gone had the sheen of a professional studio album, and it popularized the idea of mixtapes as low-pressure showcases for burgeoning artists.Jonah Bromwich

Examples of mixtape in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
While not featured on the mixtape, the years-old cut suddenly began trending, and Doechii released a music video to push it higher. Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025 Khalifa’s Kush + Orange Juice 2 album arrived 15 years after his classic mixtape. Michael Saponara, Billboard, 29 Apr. 2025 The rapper dropped Museum, his first mixtape, at age 17, and since then, he’s been building his name with cipher-ready rhymes and impressive beat selection. Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 29 Apr. 2025 His third mixtape became the first album to chart on the Billboard 200 based only on streaming, per the Grammy Awards. Francesca Gariano, People.com, 28 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mixtape

Word History

First Known Use

1985, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mixtape was in 1985

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Cite this Entry

“Mixtape.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mixtape. Accessed 3 May. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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