How to make the perfect mix tape.
The following post is a step-by-step list of instructions on how to make a mix tape. There are really no rules to this process, but these are some guidelines on how to make an efficient one that you’ll really love and that will last a long time.
* Makes approx. 1 mix tape
* Estimated cooking time - your entire Friday or Saturday night/the duration of the entire first season of Degrassi: The Next Generation.
What You’ll Need:
- An empty CD or cassette tape.
- A whole shit-load of art supplies.
- A really big problem, feeling or emotion that you need to get out in music form.
The Playlist:
- Find 12-21 songs that describe your thoughts, feelings, motives, dreams or basically just the theme of your mix tape. Every mix tape needs a theme, whether it’s an angry one - “The queen is dead, and now so are you, fucker.” (in reference to the popular Smiths classic) or a lonely mix inspired by boredom - “I could tell from the minute I woke up, it was gonna be a lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely day.” (in reference to Phantom Planet’s genius creation, “Lonely Day”.) The songs can be by any band, from any year. The mix tape is about feeling, not about popularity.
- Put the songs in order. A mix tape needs to tell a story. If there’s no story, there’s no point.
- Make sure your mix tape has a title that sets the mood and atmosphere. (See above bolded and italicized examples.)
- Listen to the entire playlist. If it’s perfect…you’ll know. Trust me.
The cover art:
- Use whatever you can get your hands on. Whether it’s cardboard, bristol board, a shoe-box - whatever. Just make sure it’s sturdy enough to hold your creation. The last thing you need is a broken mix tape case.
- Design according to theme. Cover your case with anything you want - as long as it corresponds with your theme. I mean, it doesn’t have to - but it really defeats the purpose if it doesn’t. You can use symbolism, words, lyrics, magazine cutouts, construction paper cut-outs - whatever works for you.
- The cover of your case should have your mix tape title on it.
- Use tape or a stapler to hold your case together. I know from experience the woes of glued cases. It’s not a pretty sight.
The tracklist:
- Obviously, you need a tracklist. Whether it’s typed or hand-written, accuracy is key. After all, the tracklist is crucial to a complete, perfected mix tape creation.
- You can either make your tracklist as an insert (on a piece of paper which you keep inside the case) or you can glue it on the outside of the case. (Yes, glue is acceptable in this case.)
The burning process:
- Mix CD: Insert your CD into your computer and click the “burn” option on your iTunes. Make sure to check your playlist first and use soundcheck!
- Mix tape: Insert your already burnt CD into your stereo and insert a blank cassette tape into the tape player. While the CD is playing, just hit the record button of the cassette deck. Make sure you record the whole album!
- Don’t forget to label your tape or CD. The last thing you want is to think an unlabeled (but actually already full) tape is empty, and then record a new mix tape over it. Trust.
Finishing touches:
- You can now add any last minute touches. This includes cover art or case touch-ups or artistic detailing.
——————————————————————————————-
Viola. The end. You did it, you artsy motherfucker. Rivers Cuomo would be so proud! No, seriously.
