Custom essays on Mix Tapes

For the overwhelming majority of users today the use of CDs is much more convenient than the use of cassettes. In fact, the use of new technologies allows users to collect music and songs, which they like and make mixes fast and with the maintenance of the high quality of music and songs. At the same time, the development of new technologies was accompanied by the change in using mix tapes. What is meant here is the fact that, in the past, mix tapes were used by amateurs mainly. However, in the course of time, musicians and singers, who attempted to promote their works, started to use mix tapes to meet this goal. To put it in simple words, mix tapes became the means of promotion of bands, musicians and singers, who were not well-known to the mass audience. In fact, the mix CD is really a great promotional opportunity for bands that are not going to be on the radio. In such a way, mix tapes could be use for the promotion of new bands and for the development of effective approaches to the spread of original works en masse.
The emergence of new technologies facilitated mixing music and songs and the creation of mix tapes using CDs and digital technologies became even easier than mixing tapes using cassettes. Naturally, users have started to mix music and songs en masse and numerous mixes became not simply widely-spread but, steadily, they comprised the new direction in the development of popular music. In this respect, it is important to lay emphasis on the fact that mix tapes became very popular, especially if they were interesting to the mass audience and people creating mix tapes had started to use them professionally. In fact, they sold their mix tapes and earned money using their creativity and talent in mixing tapes.
On the other hand, it is important to remember that mixing tapes does not really imply the creation of original music by individuals who are mixing music tracks and songs. Instead, mixing tapes implies the use of existing music and songs and their compellation into original works, when they match each other perfectly on the basis of a theme, mood, or any other criteria, or even if they are selected spontaneously they may be viewed as the manifestation of the internal vision of the creator of a mix tape, how he or she perceives the world around him or her, what he or she felt when he or she worked on the creation of the mix tape, what message he or she was going to convey to the audience with the mix tape.
At the same time, often users mixing tapes forget about potential risks and threats which accompany mixing tapes. In this respect, it is important to discuss one of the most important issues that derives from mixing tapes, the issue of the potential violation of the copyright law. At this point, the violation of the copyright law does not actually occur when individuals are mixing tapes for the personal use, i.e. when they do not attempt to sell these mix tapes or distribute them among other users physically or virtually online. In fact, mix tapes can use tracks, songs and music created by artists but these tracks, songs and music cannot be subject to trade without the consent of owners of the intellectual property rights. At the same time, many individuals mixing tapes use their own music and songs. For instance, in case when a band attempts to promote its music and its creative work, it creates a mix tape or mix on a CD and sends the mix to radio stations, and other mass media. In such a way, they can get the public acquainted with their work but they do not violate existing legal norms concerning the copyright and intellectual property rights. In stark contrast, they use their own mixes and create their own original music which may be the subject to unsanctioned and unauthorized use by other singers or musicians.
On the other hand, there is a risk of the violation of the copyright law and intellectual property rights because some users to mix music and songs, which were created by some artists and which they mix and distribute among the public without the consent of the owners of the intellectual property rights. Obviously, such use of mix tapes is illegal and has to be band.
At this point, it is worth mentioning the fact that today it is possible to trace the shift from street sales to online sales of mix tapes (The Re-up, 34). In such a way, mix tapes become subjects to trade between users and this trade becomes particularly popular online because of the lack of legal regulations in this field which can protect the owners of the intellectual property rights and copyright and prevent the illegal use of music and songs in mix tapes. At the same time, it proves beyond a doubt that the use of mix tapes and their distribution via internet is an effective means of promotion of new bands because the mix tapes spread online can reach the target audience directly in the minimal time and with minimal investments. Hence, new bands can get the public acquainted with their works fast and focus on the specific audience they create their mix tapes and music for.
Finally, it is worth mentioning the fact that mix tapes have had a great influence on the development of popular culture and this influence grows stronger nowadays. In the past, mix tapes became the manifestation of the freedom and autonomy of individuals from the dominant mainstream culture. Creating mix tapes people manifested their individuality, their difference from others and from the mainstream culture. Today, as mix tapes become tools of the promotion of new bands and artists, it is possible to speak about the formation of a new branch in the modern popular culture which emerged from mix tapes. In fact, many people, who started with mix tapes still tend to mixing and creating original works which have already become the characteristic of their artistic career.
Thus, taking into account all above mentioned, it is important to lay emphasis on the fact that mix tapes have a tremendous impact on the development of the popular culture. At first they emerged as the manifestation of individuality and originality of amateurs but steadily they became used by bands and artists to promote their works. Mix tapes comprised the aesthetic values and artistic work of their creators. At the same time, they served as the means of communication between the creator of a mix tape and his or her audience. They helped to create the specific mood the creator of mix tapes wanted to create. By the end of the 20th century, the medium used for the creation of mix tapes has changed and cassettes were replaced by CDs and digital devices. However, this change did not decrease the impact of mix tapes on the development of the contemporary culture. Remarkably, many amateurs stay devoted to cassettes because they believe in the originality and quality of such mix tapes. At the same time, many amateurs as well as professionals create mix tapes to reveal their individuality and to share their ideas and feelings with the audience.