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
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The mixtape is her first project to chart on the Billboard 200 and is one of just a handful of mixtapes to ever get a Grammy nomination. Taijuan Moorman, USA TODAY, 12 Jan. 2025 For every song of his that became a global mainstay, one of his raw, evocative mixtapes simultaneously ruled the streets of Kingston. Kyle Denis, Billboard, 6 Jan. 2025 This nigga was passing out mixtapes on the last day of school. Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 31 Dec. 2024 The boy band’s new project, a mixtape titled Hop, launches in first place with a healthy opening sum of 187,000 equivalent units. Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 30 Dec. 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 15 Jan. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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