Investigations and research carried out by the Wikipedia Search Engine team ended with a conclusion that the term 'Homemade mix tape' came into existence in the year 1980s. Although the compact audio cassette by Philips appeared in 1963 On the Berlin Radio Show the sound quality of cassettes was not good enough to be seriously considered for music recording until further advances in tape formulations, including the advent of chrome and metal tape. But Before the introduction of the audio Tape, the creation of pop music compilation requires cumbersome equipment, such as a reel-to-reel or 8-track recorder, that was often inaccessible to the casual music fan.

As cassette tapes and recorders grew in popularity and portability, these technological hurdles were lowered to the point where the only resources required to create a mix were a handful of cassettes and a cassette recorder connected to a source of pre-recorded music, such as a radio or LP player. The 8-track tape cartridge was more popular for music recording during much of the 1960s, as the cassette was originally only mono and intended for vocal recordings only, such as in office dictation machines. But improvements in fidelity finally allowed the cassette to become a major player. The ready availability of the cassette and higher quality home recording decks to serve the casual home user allowed the cassette to become the dominant tape format, to the point that the 8-track tape nearly disappeared shortly after the turn of the 1980s.

However, the growth of the mixtape was also encouraged by improved quality and increased popularity of audio cassette players in-car entertainment systems and by the introduction of the Sony Walkman in the year 1979. This was a major gamechanger and an advancement in music technology. It was seen as the next big thing really.

                The KeyCharacteristics Of A Mixtape In Music

1.  A mixtape Is Free And Easy To Distribute For The Audience To Listen To.
2.  Mixtape Aids In Gaining Popularity.
3.  Absence Of Transition.
4.  Mixtape are being handled by a professional Disk Jokey.
5.  Mixtapes are comprised of full 60-80 minutes worth of tracks.
6.  A mixtape is fundamentally a compilation of songs.
7.  Combination Of beats/sounds.
8.  Mixtapes Are Bought From The Streets or so it seems
9.  Absence of many structured works.
10. Mixtapes include different artist remixes, songs, and freestyles.
11. Mixtapes usually reflect the taste of the compiler rather than the original artist.
12. Mixtapes are less expensive.
13. Mixtapes originated in the early 1960s.
14. Mixtapes are commonly used for promotion.

Words by DJ Leslie Njoku