Do You Actually Listen to Longer Mixes All the Way Through?


So I've finished a Minimalism mix that is locked and loaded for all of you to hear.  In response to those who always complain that my mixes are too short, the mix clocks in at 70 minutes.  I didn't necessarily intend to make a longer mix per say, the mix just turned out to be on the longer side.  As many of you know, I tend to make mixes on the shorter side because I always error on the side of quality over quantity.  The other factor that influences my shorter mix tendency is that I don't really think listeners have the patience to listen to a mix that runs beyond 30-40 minutes.  So here's the dilemma.  My latest Minimalism mix is the best mix that I've made in my opinion and I'd hate for 30-40 minutes of the mix to go ignored by the majority of listeners.  So, should I release the mix in its entirety and risk a lot of hard work going unheard?  Or, should I break up the mix into two separate volumes allowing the listener to hear the mix in two smaller, more palatable servings?  Thoughts???

29 comments:

Eric Nord said...

Impossible to say for sure without knowing the tracks. Personally, I find it depends quite a bit on whether there are vocals. I find long instrumental mixes go down easier than long vocal mixes. No mix will appeal to everyone, but length rarely influences whether people like a mix. Selection is what makes the difference. And definitely don't break it up because if someone doesn't like vol. 1... they won't listen to vol. 2. And those who like v1 will just let it ride. BTW, Sex Machine 2 is 73min.

Tingoul said...

Hey, i remembered *Urban species* words, answering your question - ... sometimes i wonder, if i wonder too much* LOL
Once i downloaded a mix, which weight was about 2 Gb (18 hours or something) - that was LOOONG ! Far worse - when its cool, but too short.

analoghdesc said...

it's like a double edge sword, i think it all comes down to the listener as we each have our own preferences in music and how we enjoy mixes.

at 43 yrs old i tend to think old school when mixing say to myself i gotta end this at 60 or 90 min so it fits on a cassette then in the 90's that changed to it gotta fit on 120 min cd in case someone want to burn it

just my 2 cents

analoghdesc said...

p.s. post the entire mix please

Anonymous said...

Like above ^^^ 60-80 mins is good for me (I was a cassette mixtape man too). I prefer the longer journey. But like you say it depends on the content. There are some great 30-40 mixes, but that usually leaves me wanting more.
Deathhop.

RollinOnChrome said...

When i listen to good short mixes i always think "where is the b side?". Often I do not listen to this mix anymore.

For me a good mix should run 60 minutes or longer. A and B Side!

Cheers

Anonymous said...

shorter is better.....I think people who like a wide array of music naturally have what I call 'music ADD'. It's unfortunate, but true.....

Anonymous said...

I think your b game is definitly better than the a game of most of "djs" we hear outside so put all the mix please !

Anonymous said...

Prefer longer mixes. I have them on repeat at work, and a shorter mix is more liable to get pulled faster cause of repeats. But if a mix has two/three weak songs in a row, it's getting pulled too, so there's that to weigh. Looking forward to the mix Pipo!

Anonymous said...

Release the entire mix. When I listen to longer mixes it's usually because the content is on point and/or the mixing is dope. BTW, thanks Pipomixes for all your hard work. I'm a frequent visitor to your site...wouldn't have known about Do-Over mixes without your site. Thought I should chime in.

Damany G said...

Co-sign what Eric said... it's all about the selection and mixing style

The Dynamic Hamza 21® said...

I not really a fan of mixes shorter than 30 minutes nor longer than hour. I won't even listen a mix longer than 1 hour unless it contains a solid selection of tunes.

However there's always exception to the rule. It's all about the flow of mix. I rather listen a strong 20 minute mix than hour's mix that wanes at 40 minute and continues on more than it should.

I say drop the whole thing. Those who will enjoy it ....will and those who won't ....that's their problem.

Anonymous said...

The more pipo, the better. Full-length, please!

Anonymous said...

The consensus seems to be the longer mix. now that we live in a ADD society, my vote is to separate into two parts cause...

people were forced to listen to mixes longer when they were on tape, if you fast forward or rewound to find your favorite song, it was a lot of work. especially behind the wheel...

DJ's always wanted to hit that 80min mark on CD-R's, again people had to listen all the way through unless the deejay had enough tech skills to put track marks inbetween with no gaps lol... that got annoying cause you always had to listen to the first 30 minutes over and over everytime you turned off your car or stereo...

if it's 30mins +/- and people are feelin' it, they're gonna want more, let em wait a minute, what's the rush? that way they can enjoy the later songs like you do...

but really, people's attention span is real short these days, i wonder how many actually get to the end of a 60-80-90min mix anymore? too easy to just click to the next mp3 file.

what you gonna drop next??

Kikko

pipomixes said...

I tend to agree with Kiko though almost all of the comments have suggested otherwise. I'm not sure I'm any closer to decision than where I was when I originally put up the post

DJ Ian Head said...

For what it's worth, the majority of my mixtapes are in the 30-35min range, and I often get requests for longer mixes as well. I think you shouldn't worry to much about strategizing how to "market" the mix though - do what feels right for the mix. I mean, is it something that feels right to split exactly halfway? Or would that ruin the vibe? I think splitting a mix up can be a creative throwback to turning the cassette over, but it just depends on the mix itself. Anyway, post it soon!

Rudy Martinez in Sacramento said...

I don't think track selection matters on a pipo mix. You blend pieces from a lot of tracks together to pretty much make a whole new track. The collage style of mixing. I'm pretty sure most of us listen to your mixes after we smoke a blunt and are surfing the internet,, background mood-music.. Make it longer,, if people can't sit through the whole thing, they can press pause and come back to the rest later..

Sonny Rioja said...

personally, i listen to nothing but mixtapes, especailly w/soundcloud. actually, listen to a lot of kikko's mixes (thanks, brooklyn bridge is dope!)

however i don't think i've ever heard a mixtape that could hold it down for more than 30 minutes. last ones i can remember are:

ecko unlmtd vol 1

but even then it was bc of the tracks vs. the whole piece as an experience. as for shorter mixes, ones i like the most are:

rjd2 megamix (20 minutes)
sound of the police volume 1

but maybe it's also bc i don't just listen to hip hop anymore. with that, the invisible city sound systems kill it for me. also awesome tapes from africa and a lot of stuff on subnav.

Sonny Rioja said...

@ian head. damn, i like a lot of your mixes, too! bedroom sessions muy bien. but to counter what u said, i think the whole a/b side splitting it was really more due to its limitations more than really making two pieces. i think the goal of a mix has to take the listener on a bit of a journey.

some recurring themes i seem to like in mixes:
1. first 15 minutes cannot have an expected or hot at the moment song. it won't have playback value

2. you have to hook them within 10 minutes.

3. if you can do it within 5, then hallelujah but you run the risk of letting them down the rest of the way

4. can't have too long of instrument intervals, it gets flat w/o building tension.

5. can't have a classic joint that's too mainstream or expected: passin me by, scenario, ante up remix, (gulp) fall in love, buddy, wu-anything, shook ones, top billin

just my thoughts!

Anonymous said...

Man, just don't become Jay Electronica, teasing with a project and then sittin on it!!! Drop that ish!!!

Anonymous said...

Based on your past mixes Pipo...my vote is for full length no matter how long that may be. Your track selects & presentation on past mixes warrant longer mixes from you. Bottom line. -R

Anonymous said...

Dislike 'minimixes' (what's the point), but me too suffers from musical ADD, it really depends on the mix or my mood or what I am doing at that moment

Anonymous said...

if it makes a solid impression from start to finish, like all of pipo's mixes, then the longer the better!

Anonymous said...

pipo. only you know the answer. feel the force run around you...and then stick to your gut. don't let us mess up your mix. get our opinion on other things, not your creative art where you invest 100% of your own blood, sweat, tears, ears and dusty fingers. leave da kine stuff to American Idol.

Anonymous said...

I'm old and used to listen to mixes on tapes so I've got the stamina for a 90 min mix (as long as I'm into the selection). Drop the full thing Pipo!

Pancake King said...

" toiletries said...
I'm old and used to listen to mixes on tapes so I've got the stamina for a 90 min mix (as long as I'm into the selection). Drop the full thing Pipo!"

Word, please post the full mix!

Sigma said...

I never take the listener into account when making a mix. I'll make something I'm happy with, then put it out and if people like it, cool, if not, that's cool too. So, I would never cut a long mix short or split it into 2 because I thought "lots of people don't have the attention span to listen to all of this" and I don't think you should either.

As Ian said above, "do what feels right for the mix". :)

Anonymous said...

Pipo, time to drop another mix. I have enjoy your mixtapes over three continents. If you do not have the concept for your next banger, we need some M.O.P and Alkaholics.

Sean said...

Do post this soon, either way. Your mixes are some of the best out there.