# What has replaced 'mix tapes' for you? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 25, 2026, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-has-replaced-mix-tapes-for-you/1027944 "2026-02-25T00:40:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2026, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-has-replaced-mix-tapes-for-you/1027944/1 "2026-02-25T00:40:31Z")
I still have a lot of CDs and a CD burner but no CD player. I don’t think cars even come with them anymore, do they? It seems like all of the convenient ways to listen to a compilation of your favorite music has gone by the wayside. Emphasis on convenient. But I find myself in the mood for a mix tape and am at a loss for how to do it. I am open to any suggestions. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2026, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-has-replaced-mix-tapes-for-you/1027944/2 "2026-02-25T00:54:05Z")
The answer is obviously playlists. It’s so obvious, in fact, that it makes me think you must not be streaming music. How do you listen to music without a CD player? ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2026, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-has-replaced-mix-tapes-for-you/1027944/3 "2026-02-25T00:55:30Z")
Shuffle my playlist. (Oh ninja’d) ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2026, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-has-replaced-mix-tapes-for-you/1027944/4 "2026-02-25T01:08:47Z")
Video playlists I’ve created on YouTube. I just play them on my iPhone bluetoothed to the car stereo. Most of the stuff I listen to is obscure Garage Rock from the 1960s that Apple Music or Spotify will never have. Some of the playlists are made up of recent live performances by bands who haven’t even cut a record yet. ---
**Author:** ![caligulathegod](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/caligulathegod/32/9685_2.png) [@caligulathegod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caligulathegod)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2026, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-has-replaced-mix-tapes-for-you/1027944/5 "2026-02-25T02:51:20Z")
I don’t stream, but I’ve got MP3s and FLACs of my favorite artists, complete collections if I can get them, on my phone so I can play on my car bluetooth. ---
**Author:** ![Cumberdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@Cumberdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cumberdale)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2026, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-has-replaced-mix-tapes-for-you/1027944/6 "2026-02-25T04:06:04Z")
Podcasts. I rarely listen to music these days except for at work or paying bills and such I’ll have some music playing on YouTube. Usually it’s jazz, blues, classical, muzak and the like as background. ---
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2026, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-has-replaced-mix-tapes-for-you/1027944/7 "2026-02-25T04:15:16Z")
I bought a small CD player that I can use at home or plug into my car. It’s not as easy to change CDs in the car as a dedicated unit but it works great. ---
**Author:** ![Lancia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lancia/32/17174_2.png) [@Lancia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lancia)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2026, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-has-replaced-mix-tapes-for-you/1027944/8 "2026-02-25T04:31:22Z")
I had cases and cases of mix tapes when I was a teenager (90’s) and listened to them until they wore out. Then I’d make another and repeat and repeat and repeat. I used CD to make my tapes. Listening to an entire album by one band was _boring._ Most of my CD’s were the “best of” types. I was well into my 30’s in the 2010’s when I got a CD player in my car. It never got much use. I haven’t listened to a physical CD in years. I haven’t listened to a cassette tape in decades now. Today I listen to, of course, a digital playlist. YouTube audio downloaded as MP3’s to my phone, individual songs sorted into specific playlists, and a basic audio manager app to keep it all sorted. I also have a SiriusXM subscription that gets a lot of use, and of course I listen to hours of podcasts every week as well. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2026, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-has-replaced-mix-tapes-for-you/1027944/9 "2026-02-25T04:38:40Z")
Spotify. Their “made for you” daily mixes (6 of them) as well as the “discover weekly” never has me wanting for music when I’m not in the mood for an album (I’m a full album kinda guy - listened to two today). I’ve learned of lots of great new music that route. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2026, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-has-replaced-mix-tapes-for-you/1027944/10 "2026-02-25T05:14:11Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > t’s so obvious, in fact, that it makes me think you must not be streaming music Streaming music only works if you can stream. If one is in rural areas or underground in a city there’s no streaming w/o cell service. If one downloads in advance for offline playing how different is that than MP3s? ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2026, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-has-replaced-mix-tapes-for-you/1027944/11 "2026-02-25T05:35:34Z")
Most paid services allow you to download songs or entire playlists. The difference between that and plain MP3s will be that you can use the tools of the service - playlists, shuffle, maybe EQ controls, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2026, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-has-replaced-mix-tapes-for-you/1027944/12 "2026-02-25T05:37:56Z")
Playlists & shuffle are/were standard on MP3 players. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2026, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-has-replaced-mix-tapes-for-you/1027944/13 "2026-02-25T06:12:11Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > How do you listen to music without a CD player? Pandora. And YouTube. Pandora doesn’t allow playlists (except for subscription members). YouTube doesn’t keep playing after each song. Or if it does, I don’t know to make it work. But that’s why I’m asking - I don’t know how to create playlists on streaming platforms without a subscription. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2026, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-has-replaced-mix-tapes-for-you/1027944/14 "2026-02-25T06:22:13Z")
I put my (owned) music on thumb drives and plug them into the car. It supports playlists, but I don’t make them. On my iTunes, I have recreated playlists that are what used to be on my cassette mix tapes. Streaming? Why? ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2026, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-has-replaced-mix-tapes-for-you/1027944/15 "2026-02-25T08:47:10Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > YouTube doesn’t keep playing after each song. Or if it does, I don’t know to make it work. Should be an option; also, your browser has to not block autoplay (you may have to allow it manually for a given site) > [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > But that’s why I’m asking - I don’t know how to create playlists on streaming platforms without a subscription. You could try to create an account on an [Invidious instance](https://invidious.nerdvpn.de) and save your own playlist. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2026, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-has-replaced-mix-tapes-for-you/1027944/16 "2026-02-25T10:34:57Z")
I made my first mixtape in 1978 (decades before I heard the word “mixtape”) on an 8-track recorder. I recently recreated it from memory as a playlist and named it 1978 Mixtape Redux. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2026, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-has-replaced-mix-tapes-for-you/1027944/17 "2026-02-25T11:58:41Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > I still have a lot of CDs and a CD burner but no CD player. If you have CDs and a CD burner, it should also be capable of ripping those CDs to MP3 format. You can then make playlists and listen to them on your computer, or transfer them to another device that can either play them directly (like a phone or tablet with a music-playing app, or a dedicated MP3 player) or to a USB drive that could connect to something that can play them (like a car stereo). ---
**Author:** ![Keith1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6de8d8/32.png) [@Keith1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keith1)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2026, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-has-replaced-mix-tapes-for-you/1027944/18 "2026-02-25T12:22:29Z")
I store some music on my computer. It’s in an ongoing state of updating - removing/adding to. If I’m traveling (plane/vacation) I’ll drag folders from my computer to my phone. If renting a car or going any distance in my own car I’ll move some music to a USB drive, or plug in my phone but usually USB, just because. For these purposes I’ve reduced these music files to a lossy format (MP3) from lossless (usually flac). If driving short distance I still have Sirius. Coming up for renewal soon so will cancel if I don’t get a discount. If I feel like hearing something new when home I listen to internet radio (commercial free, disk jockey free) to my stereo via Bluetooth. Home collection is mainly CD’s along with an older vinyl collection. Zero interest in steaming services. To respond to the original post, a mix is easy enough using folders of various music files, or making a mix CD from same files. Cassette tapes were a cool thing at the time but susceptible to nasty things such as stretch & degrading. 8 track was always pretty useless, but again, at the time . . . ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2026, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-has-replaced-mix-tapes-for-you/1027944/19 "2026-02-25T12:41:05Z")
I’ve given myself over to Spotify’s algorithms. I still have tons of CDs and cassettes I never play any more, so they remain as museum pieces of my younger days. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2026, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-has-replaced-mix-tapes-for-you/1027944/20 "2026-02-25T13:02:44Z")
CD/DVD players and burners are still available and affordable. I recently bought one with USB-C to connect with a used Win 11 laptop. It’s the first laptop that I’ve owned without a built-in drive. The drive won’t get a lot of use. I have a few audio cd’s and dvd’s to rip. I like having a drive available when needed. It’s not something that will stay connected to my laptop. It will live in a drawer most of the time. I primarily listen to playlists of digital music. For Windows, Foobar 2000 is my choice. Easy playlists and its free. Or windows media player. Both have been available for over 20 years. I used Foobar on Win XP and Win 7. The current version is for Win 11. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-has-replaced-mix-tapes-for-you/1027944.md?page=2)