mixtape
noun
mix·tape
ˈmiks-ˌtāp 
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
Aaron Axelsen, quoted at SFGate.comWriters 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
Richard Glover2
: 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
Lance Scott WalkerLong 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
Sidney Madden and Rodney CarmichaelHigh-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
Jonah BromwichExamples of mixtape in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Most notably, Cee was a mainstay on Hot 97 and in mixtape culture, dropping 120-minute releases that bucked the standard 60-to-90-minute tapes.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 10 Apr. 2024
And Clowney’s high school mixtape is of national lore.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 29 Mar. 2024
Last year, the rapper released the mixtape Strictly 4 My Fans II, along with a handful of singles and collaborations.
—Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 29 Mar. 2024
And he's branched out from acting — besides releasing hip-hop mixtapes and being heavily into gamer culture, Thomas has his own lifestyle/fashion brand called Slick Living.
—Debby Wolfinsohn, EW.com, 28 Mar. 2024
Lil Tecca — The rising star rapper, who hails from Queens and (later) Long Island, has had three albums and one mixtape make it into the top 20 of the Billboard 200.
—Jim Harrington, The Mercury News, 26 Feb. 2024
She was initially drawn to mixtapes from Princesa Alba and Gianluca, circa 2017.
—Richard Villegas, Rolling Stone, 1 Apr. 2024
As spring 2022 bloomed, Irena Wang emailed the pianist Kelly Moran to ask for a mixtape.
—Grayson Haver Currin, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2024
There’s another challenger in this race: Caity Baser and her 13-track mixtape Still Learning (EMI).
—Lars Brandle, Billboard, 19 Mar. 2024
Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 10 Apr. 2024
And Clowney’s high school mixtape is of national lore.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 29 Mar. 2024
Last year, the rapper released the mixtape Strictly 4 My Fans II, along with a handful of singles and collaborations.
—Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 29 Mar. 2024
And he's branched out from acting — besides releasing hip-hop mixtapes and being heavily into gamer culture, Thomas has his own lifestyle/fashion brand called Slick Living.
—Debby Wolfinsohn, EW.com, 28 Mar. 2024
Lil Tecca — The rising star rapper, who hails from Queens and (later) Long Island, has had three albums and one mixtape make it into the top 20 of the Billboard 200.
—Jim Harrington, The Mercury News, 26 Feb. 2024
She was initially drawn to mixtapes from Princesa Alba and Gianluca, circa 2017.
—Richard Villegas, Rolling Stone, 1 Apr. 2024
As spring 2022 bloomed, Irena Wang emailed the pianist Kelly Moran to ask for a mixtape.
—Grayson Haver Currin, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2024
There’s another challenger in this race: Caity Baser and her 13-track mixtape Still Learning (EMI).
—Lars Brandle, Billboard, 19 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mixtape.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Mixtape.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mixtape. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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