Mixtape

Unlike the traditional album or extended play, mixtapes are labeled as laid-back projects that allow artists more creative freedom and less commercial pressure.

[3][4] Prior to the decline of physical media, mixtapes were defined as homemade compilations of music played through a cassette tape, CD, or digital playlist and became significant in hip-hop culture.

In the 1970s, DJs such as Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Afrika Bambaataa, and DJ Hollywood would often distribute recordings of their club performances through cassette tapes, bringing a wider audience to the hip-hop sound.

This was highlighted in Nick Hornby's novel High Fidelity, released in 1995:[12]To me, making a tape is like writing a letter — there’s a lot of erasing and rethinking and starting again.

[21] Notable examples of commercial mixtapes include Street Gossip by Lil Baby, MMM (Money Making Mitch) by Puff Daddy, and Dark Lane Demo Tapes by Drake.

[24] For example, the debut mixtape Drunken Babble by Kali Uchis was described by GQ as "dreamy R&B vocals with tough-talk rap lyrics, DIY beats, samples and influences spanning soul, reggae, doo-wop and synth-pop.

"[25] In an era of short-form content, mixtapes are valuable in that they give room to maintain relevance and adapt to the fast pace of social media.

[26] Because of the flexibility that mixtapes allow, releasing them on platforms like TikTok can instantly increase an artist's mainstream recognition and reach a broader audience, and of course, without the expectations of a full album rollout.

[27] As an example, R&B artist 4Batz released his debut mixtape U Made Me a St4r shortly after his significant mainstream blowup from his single, "Act II: Date @ 8".

Artists may informally promote their mixtapes by posting to their own social media (as opposed to having a management team do it) or by directly engaging with their fans online.

[6] For established artists, mixtapes can be used as an outlet for personal expression and experimentation to escape the pressures of a record label or commercial appeal.

[20][33][35] The absence of formal promotion, industry-standard production, or chart performance makes mixtapes often feature more raw and experimental sounds, which may be preferable to their fans.

A well-known example of a mixtape that isn't available on major streaming platforms for these reasons is Nostalgia, Ultra by Frank Ocean.