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.
The concert announcement comes on the heels of Cole’s mixtape Friday Night Lights being released on streaming platforms for the first time since its 2010 debut. Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 30 Nov. 2024 Take the recent rise in popularity of vinyl records, Polaroid cameras, board games, and even mixtapes. Rachel Botsman, WIRED, 28 Nov. 2024 The rapper, whose mixtape Alligator Bites Never Heal, is one of 2024’s best albums, followed up with an energetic set of her own, with help from the band and DJ Miss Milan. Rolling Stone, 23 Nov. 2024 What’s the difference between a mixtape and an album these days? Angel Diaz, Billboard, 1 Nov. 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near mixtape

Cite this Entry

“Mixtape.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mixtape. Accessed 5 Dec. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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