Cheerleading Mixes

By Valorie Delp

Cheerleading squads often need a cheerleading mix for half time routines during a game or for competition. It's important that the music be something the squad likes (generally having a popular theme song) and that the crowd can really get into.

Mixing Your Own Music

You can mix your own music or use a customized mixed tape. Mixing your own CD is the cheapest option for customizing cheer routine music. However, you should be aware of a few things before you try to create your own mix.

Disadvantages

Mixing your own routine music requires professional equipment. Many schools have the type of equipment necessary to do a good job in their audio/visual department. However, there are still a few distinctive disadvantages to mixing your own cheerleading mix:

It is incredibly time consuming. Not only do you have to find music, but also you have to put it together in a way that flows.

It does require the use of specialized A/V equipment. If your school doesn't have it, or you don't have access to it somewhere else, you won't be able to create the mix.

It can be hard to choreograph.

Advantages

It is customized. No one else will have this music.

It is cheap. Creating your own mix will not cost you more than a blank CD.

It can be made to easily reflect the personality and skill level of your team.

Tips & Tricks

One trick to get past the difficulty of getting a mix to flow seamlessly is to insert cheers in-between two songs. This is a common trick used in competition. (However, make sure you know the rules of the competition first.)

Use music that the whole team likes. This just helps create unity among the team members.

Consider having each squad member suggest suitable songs or bring in their own music. This also saves you the time of hunting music down and may give you more variety.

Getting a Pre-Made Cheerleading Mix

You can also buy pre-made cheerleading mixes. They won't be customized to your group but instead you'll have to customize your routine to the music.

Disadvantages

Generally, it won't reflect the personality of the team as well as something that you created would.

It can be hard to find mixed music that your team agrees on or that everyone likes. It's not a necessity that every squad member love the music, but it does help.

If you have some ideas for a routine in mind, you'll have to work those into the music, rather than making the music fit the routine.

It's possible that someone else is using your mix as well. This isn't an issue if you're not competing.

Advantages

It's easy. All you have to do is order the music.

It's less costly than buying a customized mix.

It saves time. You will not spend hours finding music and putting it together.

Once you have your cheerleading mix ready to go, you can focus on choreography for the routine.

Some squads (and coaches) find it easier to choreograph to music than to come up with routine elements and find music to fit them. (Note: Sometimes in competition, certain routine elements or stunts are already given to you.)

Customized Mixes

Various companies do create customized mixes for cheer squads. This is a great option if you are going to a large competition, or your program has the funds to spend on a customized cheerleading mix tape.

Disadvantages

They are very expensive. A professionally customized cheerleading mix tape can run around $700 for two and a half minutes of music.

Once it's done, you can't go back and fix it. Therefore, if you decide that your two favorite songs don't work back to back after all, you're still stuck with the mix. (Some companies that do customized tapes do offer you the opportunity to fix it once. Check the company's policy.)

Advantages

A completely customized tape is unique to your team. It can have all your favorite music and be professional

It saves time. If you want your music, your way, but don't want to mix it yourself--having someone else do it is the best way to go.

It will be professionally done and sound professional. The music will flow seamlessly.

No one else will have a tape like yours. This is especially important if you're going to competition.

Choosing the Best Option for Your Team

What you choose to do should depend on several factors:

Your budget

The skill of your team

The ultimate purpose of the music (i.e. for half time routines during games, for competition, etc.)

Resources

Here are just a few resources for buying pre-made music or customizing your own cheerleading mixes:

Cheerleading Music Mix.com actually has free mixed samples on their site that you can download and use. They do customized tapes as well, which run $140 per 30 seconds of mixed music as of the writing of this piece.

Custom Cheer Mix, LLC is a full service company that offers customized tapes, professional editing of an already produced mix, as well as pre-made mixes. One fantastic feature that this company offers is called the 'The Routine Counter'. It shows you how many eight counts you can put into your routine.