“Wow they made you a playlist, they must really be into you!”

Phrases like these have become more and more common in the 21st century, especially over the last decade or so. With the rise of new technology like smartphones, computers and other gadgets, a bevy of new features and advancements have been introduced to us alongside them, which includes streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music where anyone can make playlists.

Nowadays, due to such easy access to these platforms, people can make playlists for each other with ease. You often hear from people that their significant other made them a playlist and it was something they felt to be incredibly thoughtful. Now, more than ever, it is typical to hear a person sing someone’s praises for making them a playlist.

However, playlists weren’t always the hot new thing. Before we had access to making playlists, there were mixtapes. Mixtapes consisted of a collection of music that was recorded usually either onto a cassette tape or CD.

In reality, there is no real difference between a playlist and a mixtape. One is a physical copy of the music; the other is digital.

Most people in 2022 would do a double-take if they heard someone say they made a mix on a cassette or CD. Mixtapes date all the way back to the mid-1970s, especially the 1980s, in New York City when Hip-Hop DJs would put their recordings on a mixtape and sell them.

“I've made a couple mixtapes. I think the physical ones, if you're going to give it to someone, the physical copy is nice, but we don’t use CDs anymore,” said Jackson Schlosser ‘25.

It is true that CDs aren’t as prevalent as they once were. That’s not to say that we should stop making them for friends and family, but most people would rather refrain from the process altogether.

However, some believe that while playlists are great and more convenient, mixtapes carry this certain cachet that many find admirable. There truly is nothing like having a tangible copy of something. Even with ongoing disputes about which is more suitable for the average person, many people have advocated for a mix of both.

Schlosser said, “What you could do is give them, whoever you’re giving it to, a CD with a QR code or a Spotify code, where you can just scan and it goes right to the playlist. That’s like the modern version, I guess.”

The consensus that many students agree upon is that, although mixtapes tend to be the cooler, more inventive medium, playlists, due to their convenience and efficiency, are superior. “Mixtapes break, sometimes you gotta like reroll them, sometimes they skip around, you gotta download music onto it,” posited EJ Donovan ‘25.

Before playlists existed, everyone had to make themselves a mix (usually on a CD) if they wanted to listen to specific songs in a specific order. The process was more of a slow burn, but because it was so tedious, the payoff was entirely worth it.

Recently, especially with things like mixtapes, there has been a renewed interest in items that are older and more “vintage.” Hence why mixtapes are suddenly so well-liked among younger generations.

Overall, no one really has this unyielding prejudice against either medium. Rather, the most important aspect today for everyone, generally speaking, is the convenience factor.

With all of this talk, questions will be posed. Are we going to see a resurgence of mixtapes and CDs? Will people start to use the QR code idea like Schlosser proposed? Why doesn’t everyone just use the most convenient option for them?

The playlist vs mixtape conversation will continue, and the world will continue to debate whether playlists have overtaken mixtapes as the quintessential way to listen to music in the 21st century. However, everyone is going to listen to their music the way they want to – and maybe that’s okay.

Are Playlists the Modern Day Mixtape?

MARIST CIRCLE