Playlists - The return of the mixed-tape?

Back when cassette were the dominant format for listening to music, making a mixed tape for someone of your favorite songs or songs you think that other would like was fairly common practice. Some music enthusiasts would spend hours finding the right mix of tracks, putting them in the perfect order from start to finish, and even taking the time to consider what songs would be on side “A” and side “B”

This practice resurfaced for a bit when the CD-R was made available to the public. But the mixed-disc was never as powerful or impactful on music engagement as the mixed-tape. Making mixes for friends faded away once the internet became the dominating music provider/resource for music. Some could argue that some podcasts or online radio shows could be considered the modern day mix-tape, but the personal aspect was missing, as the target audience was a lot broader.

In 2014 we saw a surge in music streaming services subscription and a shift in how we attain and listen to music change. With this new shift, music has become very customizable. For example Songza offers playlist based on your mood, the day of the week, the activity that you are participating in. As the streaming market becomes more and more flooded, other streaming sites have tried to replicate Songza’s approach creating topical playlists or ones revolving around a specific theme. Some streaming sites have even reached out to artists, asking them to create playlists of their favorite music to share with their fans.

I’m hoping the next step in this evolution brings back the ‘mixed tape’. Every streaming site that I’ve used gives users the options to not only create their own playlist but to share said playlist with friends on social media. Some even give you the option to follow other user’s playlists. If the streaming sites want to really engage their subscribers and get them to stick with their service, I think encouraging them to create playlists and share them is the way to go. It could lead to a whole new generation of music taste makers. Individuals whose playlists become known for introducing great music to others. People would start subscribing not just to the streaming provider, but also the playlist curator.

I’m already following a couple music industry guru’s playlists, considering doing my own (let me know if you want me to send you the link if I do). Instead of asking people to share their music/videos on facebook, independent artists should encourage fans to add their music to playlists. If they're sharing their playlists or have followers, there's not only a better chance that their music will get listened to but it would also mean additional revenue from streaming sites.  

If done properly, this could be a new engaging channel to discover new music. Sharing ‘mixed-tapes’, I mean playlists with your friends.  Who's up for it?