The earliest mixtapes were created by re-recording a series of songs onto a cassette tape. Music lovers gave mixtapes as gifts to friends and lovers, often to commemorate a trip or special occasion. Today mixtapes are made mostly on CDs or MP3s, and they are often made by professional artists to promote an album. While a mixtape is usually a compilation of songs by different artists or from different albums, an album is a unified group of songs released by a single artists or bands. The songs are marketed as a unit, and they are often musically similar, using the same instrumentation and style.
Mixtapes and albums have one thing in common: They are created around a central theme or concept. However, they present those concepts in different ways. When an artist releases an album, it is made up of similar music in the same genre, and the songs often reflect a common theme such as love or heartache. A mixtape, on the other hand, can be created around much broader concepts, and they can feature vastly different music from many different artists and genres. Mixtapes reflect some ideas that are personal to the compiler.
Mixtapes have a lower production cost than albums. Today mixtapes can be compiled in any medium, including video, but they consist of songs that have already been released. The simplest mixtapes are created by adding songs to a playlist then burning the playlist onto a CD. A mixtape is almost always made by a music fan for no profit other than the enjoyment of the music or by a professional artists to promote a forthcoming album or appearance. Albums, on the other hand, are usually produced in recording studios, and the producers edit the recordings extensively to improve acoustics, balance and tuning before releasing the album.
Mixtapes and albums have different intended audiences. Albums are produced to be distributed to a broad audience, usually through a record label. Albums are usually advertised much more heavily than mixtapes to reach as much listeners as possible. Mixtapes, when produced commercially, are used to promote a forthcoming album. They may be given away for free or for a reduced price. Many commercial mixtapes feature only songs by the same artist, blurring the line between a mixtape and an album.