One of the most frequently used brands of audio tapes used for mixed tapes over the last 25 years is Maxell. These tapes were used to create musical collections. Their most frequent use was as a love token, but sometimes they were made to reflect other emotions or to generally provide a sound track of a person's life for his friends to connect with.

Persons who could not express their feelings could use a mixed tape to express them in a better way, usually the younger generation. The song lyrics make it easier to speak right to their romantic interests and they could express their emotions in a more appropriate way. The mixed tape is an art form.

Maxell audio tapes were a favorite because their jackets, or the cards where mixed tape makers could write the songs included on the tape, folded out to offer more space. Additionally, Maxell provided several labels for the cassette tape in case one made a mistake while writing.

Maxell audio tapes were also manufactured with thinner cases, so people could fit more of them in their cassette cases or in their car storage places. They were also easier to carry in a pocket, so that the mixed tape artist could more casually slip it to the intended receiver.

Any audiotape should retain its sound quality over a period of time. It has been common for many mixed tapes manufactured with various brands lose their sound quality in just a matter of months. Further, heat and light also can affect the music quality. One of the brands of tapes that have been time tested for sound quality has been Maxell brand audiotape.

Day by day it has been increasingly difficult to find working cassette players with the advent of CD players. Ironically, one can find several mixed tapes made on Maxell cassettes in the early 1980s, which work very well. The resurgence of cassette players similar to record players will happen when the people want to replay mixed tapes. Other popular brands of audiotapes are TDK and Fuji.