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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On that ranking, which lists the most popular albums of any style and via any format throughout the country, the mixtape reappears at No. 136. Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2025 According to the Harlem native, Lil Wayne’s failure to turn in his fourth solo studio album to Universal Music Group, Cash Money Records’ parent company, on time caused constraints to any potential rollout of the mixtape. Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 13 Feb. 2025 In 2023, the New Orleans rapper dropped the mixtape Tha Fix Before That VI (Bonus) featuring Jon Batiste, Euro, Cool & Dre, Fousheé, TheNightAftr, and DMX and he and 2 Chainz released Welcome 2 Collegrove, the follow-up to their 2016 collab album ColleGrove. Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 5 Feb. 2025 On the Kendrick Lamar EP and the mixtape Overly Dedicated, his songwriting became more narrative-driven and moody. Stephen Kearse, Vulture, 4 Feb. 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 10 Mar. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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