mixtape

• mixed tape (eggcorn)

From mix +‎ tape; originally mix tape.

Originally referring to a homemade compilation recorded onto a cassette tape and circulated informally, especially within hip-hop culture, mixtape has broadened in sense. In contemporary usage it often denotes a musical project released outside the conventional album framework, typically characterized by looser structure, experimental material, or informal distribution, even when no physical tape medium is involved.

mixtape (plural mixtapes)

1. (music) A compilation of songs assembled into a single sequence, usually encompassing many different artists and assembled by fans; often curated around a theme, mood, or personal taste; traditionally without legal permission.

   Synonym: party tape

   • 2006, Noire [pseudonym], Thug-A-Licious: An Urban Erotic Tale, New York, N.Y.: One World, Ballantine Books, →ISBN, page 103:

     I wasn't performing with Pimp and Smoove that much no more, but I had a solo deal with Ruthless Rap and a brand new mixtape that was creating a big buzz.

   1. (historical) A selection of songs recorded onto a cassette tape, often combining tracks by multiple artists, whether legally obtained or informally copied.

      Related terms: bootleg

   2. (by extension) A playlist-style compilation of songs created on any medium (CD, digital file, streaming playlist), often shared among friends or online communities.
   3. (figurative) A digital compilation of music, whether created by an artist or a fan, that evokes the aesthetic, informality, or curatorial spirit of earlier physical mixtapes.
2. (music) A musical project released under the designation; often characterized by looser artistic, commercial, or legal constraints than a formal studio album.
   1. (hip-hop) An independently assembled or distributed project, frequently featuring original tracks, freestyles, remixes, or performances over existing beats, historically circulated via cassettes or CDs.
   2. A release by an established artist presented as informal, experimental, transitional, or promotional in nature, typically implying greater creative freedom, fewer industry expectations, and lower commercial stakes than an album.

      See also: unofficial

   3. A label-curated compilation designed to showcase multiple artists (especially emerging acts), often serving promotional or scene-building purposes.

      Welcome to the New Administration was a mixtape released by American rock band Fall Out Boy and featured tracks by fellow artists from their label.

• In hip-hop and adjacent genres, the term carries specific historical and cultural significance distinct from its broader, generic sense.
• In contemporary usage, mixtape may overlap with playlist, compilation, or extended play (EP), though it often retains connotations of informality, personal curation, experimentation, or underground circulation.

• "Mixtapes go way back, before rap records was made," an animated DMC of Run-DMC recalled. "The tapes of these guys' live performances sold like [regular] albums are selling now"

MTV interview

• mixtape on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

mixtape m (plural mixtapes)

1. mixtape