Mix length
I’ve done my fair share of mix tapes, but I’m curious on what’s the preferred length. I started recording 1 hour mixes, then 30 minutes, and 2 hours, but now I’m doing 80 minute mixes so they fit on CDs. 2 hours is too long for a mix. I don’t think that anyone ever listens to long ass mixes. I’m pretty sure that 30 minute mixes are most popular. Anyways,
how long are your mixes?
what length do you prefer listening to?
80 mins is perfect 
from a listeners perspective i’d say 40 mins - 1h is the best.
I like to do 1:15 though, i can never really fit all the tunes i wanted to play in that one hour 
It was always 90mins back in the day (2 sides of a cassette), then 80mins (minidisc).
I think the 80min mark is perfect for a mix.
I think 30mins is far to short - i tend to avoid these mixes and also avoid mixes in excess of 2hrs (unless it’s a good Essential Mix). Between 60 minutes and 80 minutes is perfect - can showcase between 15-20 tracks.
What about tracklisting? Do you think it is important to add a tracklisting to a mix or try and generate some comments regarding certain tracks?
it is common courtesy to add a tracklist, respect to teh artist
I would (and do) listen to shorter mixes. BUt I don’t really go near any 2h mixes. 90 mins/105mins is the longest mix I’d listen to all teh way through.
30 minutes
I think it depends on the genre. A 30 minute trap or jungle mix feels right, but I expect 80-120 minutes of house or trance.
Depends on the trainride! But I prefer either 20, 45 or 80 minutes. Those 3 are the ones I seem to listen to most. 20 minutes for powermixes, 45 for the slow technical ones, and 80 for the casual mix cd!
55 - 65 minutes. Less than 55 is too short. More than 65 in unnecessary.
Do not get into the bad habit of filling up the CD. 80 minutes is long and means you probably, even maybe subliminally, threw in some shitty filler tracks.
If you can’t fill an 80 minute mix without throwing in some “shitty” tracks you’d better start downloading more decent tunes!!
yep
Abso-fucking-lutely. I mean, if you don’t have enough tunes for 80 minutes of quality music, what the hell would you be doing when you had to play an actual gig?
Ridiculous.
I prefer one hour mixes. As has been said before though, 2 hour mixes were the standard DJ set back in the day, but you would do 90 mins because that was both sides of a cassette.
Then 74 mins for a CD. But really, most decent mixes are around one hour now, or last track starting around 55 - 60 mins.
I do more 30 minute mixes recently though, because most competition mixes are 30 mins, and the battle mixes (over on DJF) are generally 30-40 mins. They are easier to listen to.
I can take any one of your 80 minute mixes and take out a couple of the “weakest” tracks. Making it a stronger mix.
Playing out is different than making a mix CD. Ask any band that plays live vs studio or any comedian that performs live vs taping a one hour comedy special. Your studio session and your comedy special better be slick, paced and tight.
I can totally understand this ^
For battle mixes and performance mixes it’s ok to go short.
People are not going to play those at a party, poolside, beach, etc.
TOTALLY dependant on Genre. on a fast mixing trap/hip-hop mix that is showcasing a DJs cutting/mixing skills, I’m going 45min-1hr.
Trance/traditional deep house is def in 90 min to 2 hours.
Prog house is proll around 60 min.
Those are my preferences… and its obv varies, but what im tryna say is that it def depends on genre.
I originally started out doing mixes to be printed on mixtapes. (God I miss pureacidmixtapes and wantfrieswiththat). Im used to the standard being 1 hour or 90 minutes. Also doing short mixes of 30 minutes is acceptable but not as a demo.
Also record your mixes live. Its way less stressful and gives your fans a memory of the good night you helped them to have.