PicoBlog

What is a mixtape?

A mixtape was a circa 1980s / 1990s peer to peer sharing practice of curated music on a cassette tape. It was the precursor to the contemporary playlist but better because it was more infused with the creator’s personality in subtle ways.  It was first and foremost a collection of curated songs, usually created by other singers and bands as opposed to simply copying a musician’s album (called pirating). 

But these days, in our historical moment, a “mixtape” took on second meanings.  Rappers in particular often create mixtapes of their own original and unpublished work which they give away, both to the community and potential labels, as a form of self promotion. And as technology both improved and production technology became more affordable and accessible, the quality of unsigned artist’s mixtapes became virtually indistinguishable from the same artist’s studio creations. This aspect of the economics of music is likely well known by insiders and has not yet been mad…

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