How to make custom mixtapes in 2025

Cassette tapes have been making a comeback recently, with lots of indie artists releasing new albums, and people nowadays have rediscovered mixtapes and are searching for ways to make their own custom cassettes.

Here's how I make mine!

Required Software and Hardware:

  • A PC with a way to make a music playlist. You can use a streaming service like Spotify, or a music library manager like iTunes or MusicBee. With the music library manager, you can add tracks from different sources to the playlist.
  • A cassette deck with a record function. A brand-name cassette deck (Sony, Technics, Kenwood, Pioneer, Nakamichi, etc.) that's refurbished or well-maintained is preferred.
  • Audio cables. Depending on what deck you're using, these can be RCA (red/white) or 3.5mm jacks. Or both!
  • Line Out or Headphone jack on the PC.

Workflow:

  • Set up your music playlist. For best results, make one playlist per cassette side.
  • Run the PC's AV output to the cassette deck. For most people, this means the audio cable goes from the computer's Headphone jack to the cassette deck's Line Input jacks.
  • Insert a blank tape into the cassette deck. If the deck has more than one cassette well, make sure to use the one for recording.
  • To prepare for recording, set the deck to Record Standby mode. For most decks, this is done by pressing Record once. Once the deck is in Record Standby, start playing the playlist on the computer. Then, while keeping an eye on the volume graph on the display, adjust the Recording Level (volume) on the deck. Very high volume will cause distortion, while very low volume will be drowned out by the tape noise. It's best to adjust the volume so it peaks at the highest level on the graph without turning red.
  • Once the recording level is set, stop the playlist. Press Record on the deck again to start recording, then start the playlist from the beginning.
  • Wait. Recording happens in real time, and in silence. Most decks don't have a monitor function, so there's no way to listen as the recording happens. I just walk away and do something else, then come back later to stop the recording when it's done.
  • Record the other side of the cassette. You may need to adjust the recording level for this side as well.
  • Done!

Challenges:

The recording process is mostly straightforward, though there are a few caveats:

  • When adjusting the Recording Level on the deck: If your music is from different sources, you may need to check each track and adjust individual volumes with your music library program. Don't forget to change them back when you're done recording!
  • It's best not to have too many things running on your PC when recording. I've had my computer crash while recording, or display error messages that can be heard on the recording, or suddenly blast unmuted ads in the background that can be heard in the recording!

Cover and Label Design:

I like to keep my mixtape covers simple, using this J-Card template. As for labels, I just hand-write them! I'm sure there are ways to make them more sophisticated, but that's a project for another day!

Final Words:

I came up with most of this process through trial and error, and with the help of the nice folks at the r/cassetteculture subreddit. I hope this helps anyone who wants to make their own mixtapes!