Remember back in the early 90\u2019s when you used to sit around near the radio waiting to hit \u201crecord\u201d when the first few bars of your favourite track came on the radio? Maybe you\u2019re too young to remember that \u2013 but it was because you were putting together a mixtape for your crush and it was important that you get just the right tracks on the thing.<\/p>\n
The mixtape was the ultimate expression of your dedication.<\/strong> It could be the thing that solidified a budding relationship, or it could be how you let them know that you wanted one. It could be the last goodbye after a break-up, or the first real step towards romance. Either way, your mixtape was something that would be treasured, poured over, listened to on repeat and eventually stuck into a drawer as an immortal (we thought) reminder of your affection.<\/p>\n Then came the CD.<\/strong><\/p>\n You couldn\u2019t just record from the radio onto a CD. But you could copy CDs onto your mom\u2019s computer and select the perfect tracks to copy over and make your paramour an even more personalised mix \u201ctape\u201d (provided you had access to the original albums you wanted).<\/p>\n Today, we stream.<\/strong> Then along came Soundcloud, YouTube collections, 8tracks and Spotify, and just like that the power of the mixtape was restored. What better way to express all those complicated feelings than through a pop song? The \u201cI like you but I want to know how you feel first\u201d than with Blink 182? Or the \u201cIt\u2019s over now, baby\u201d than with Gotye, “Somebody that I used to know”?<\/p>\n So, if you have someone on your mind why not tell them how you feel the (new) old-fashioned way? All you have to do is go online, open your favourite music streaming service, and make that playlist, baby! Then, if you\u2019re really feeling fresh \u2013 you can share it with them.<\/p>\n YouTube Playlists<\/strong><\/p>\n YouTube<\/a> is a free one, which we all use all the time (let\u2019s be honest) and it has the added advantage of coming with the music video built right in. All you have to do is click the \u201cSave\u201d button, then click \u201ccreate new playlist\u201d and give your playlist a great name like \u201cSongs for Sureshni\u201d then add all those epic tracks to it. When you\u2019re satisfied that your feelings have been expressed, send them the link to the playlist.<\/p>\n Soundcloud<\/strong> Spotify<\/strong>
\nI don\u2019t remember the last time I took a CD out of a case and put in the CD player. I don\u2019t even know if you can still buy a tape player, and for a little while it seemed like the romantic favourite of my youth had drawn its last breath and died. For a while.<\/p>\nOur recommendations for creating the perfect playlist:<\/h3>\n
\nWe love Soundcloud<\/a> because it\u2019s free. You can create your playlist without any need to pay a subscription fee. Go to a song you want to add to your BAE\u2019s playlist, click the \u201cmore\u201d icon below the song, and select \u201ccreate new playlist\u201d. Name your playlist and start adding tracks.<\/p>\n
\nYou will need to have Spotify Premium<\/a> to create your own playlist, but the good news is it\u2019s only going to cost you R5.99 for 3 months (at the time of publishing this article). Once you have your premium account set up you should find it pretty easy to start creating playlists in much the same way as with the two sites above.<\/p>\n