With the holiday season creeping up on us, everyone is thinking about what to get the special people in their lives. You don’t want it to be something generic, even if you know they like this candle or they want a new water bottle, those things can often still seem impersonal. I’m here to encourage you to go back in time and make someone a mixtape!
This can be done in a multitude of ways.Â
The CD
If they have an older car still or a radio, I’m a huge fan of the CD. Of course you can buy a CD of their favorite artist if they have someone they love, but I love to make a mixtape. It’s easy to burn a CD, you just need a laptop with a disc slot or an external disc reader. Then you choose the music from your library you want to add to the CD and when you’re done you burn it. I’m not one to promote activity that is on the border of legal, but there are ways to add music from outside sources to your library if it’s not as extensive as you need it to be.Â
The pros of doing a CD is that you can give them a tangible gift. There is also the decorating aspect. Since it is tangible, you can decorate the front (non rainbow looking side) with markers. I usually choose to put the list of songs I’ve put on the CD as well as some doodles if there is space. Another option is to decorate the CD and put the disc in a plastic CD case. Then you can cut a piece of paper to size and decorate a cover and add the list of songs to the back on another piece of paper. (If you’re really fancy you can do this on Canva and print it out!)Â
The Spotify Playlist
This is for those who do not have a place to play CDs. While the spotify playlist is something people often share, it can be a nice addition to a gift and you can add a title that is personal, an inside joke, or even just “Songs for X”, “Songs that Remind me of X” or the like. I also like that you are able to customize the picture that goes with the playlist, whether it’s a picture of the two of you, a silly picture of them, or an inside joke, it’s a great way to further personalize the gift.Â
While this isn’t a tangible gift, with the QR like code Spotify puts out, people have found ways to make it tangible. I have seen keychains, car accessories that go over your review mirror and all sorts of stuff that your person can scan and access the playlist you made for them.Â
The Blended Playlist
Still going with spotify, another option (that you can still do like the option above, but don’t have to) is a blended playlist. I love to make a blended playlist with my friends because it ensures everyone gets their favorite songs on the car trip or when getting ready. With my friends, we have anywhere from show tunes, to emo, to pop, to indie, and everything in between. Making a blended playlist with your friend and adding it to their gift (maybe in the form of a QR code accessory, maybe not) shows that you want to like what they like.
The Vinyl
Do you have an old soul in your life? Someone who believes they were born in the wrong decade? A vinyl of their favorite artist may be a great option. If you want to even go a step further, you can get them the record player (if they don’t have one) and then you can always have an idea of what to give them because you can keep adding to their vinyl collection! While this is a more expensive option, it’s still definitely worth it and a great way to gift music.
The Concert Tickets
Do they have someone they’ve been dying to see? Unless they are the type of person who’s obsessed with getting the best seats for the best price and you know they check their 7 third-party ticket apps daily, concert tickets are a great way to show that you listen and want to experience their favorite music with them!
There are plenty of ways to show the special people in your life you care, and it doesn’t have to be expensive! Not only can music be personal but it’s a great way to share the love of music with the people you love.