The Complete Guide to Remixing

Remixes are a great option when you want to expand your audience and explore new creative opportunities. They're also one of the most effective ways to keep releasing content between major releases, so learning how to create a successful remix is necessary for all the ambitious music producers out there. 

In this article, you'll learn what a remix is, a brief history of remixing, what you need to remix a song, how to do it, and how to deal with copyright. If you've been wondering how to remix your first song or improve your production skills, this article will shed some light on everything about remixing.

What is a Remix?

A remix is a new song created from individual tracks taken from another piece. These tracks (called stems) can be vocal, drum, bass, MIDI, and other tracks that the producer can edit, chop, and rearrange. Even though it is a new tune, the familiarity of the original song is retained through the melody, the guitar riffs, or other unique traits.

A music producer's creativity and experience will play a significant role in the final result. They can bring new life to a track by introducing a different chord progression, melody, or lyrics to the song. Remixes provide an excellent opportunity to push the boundaries of the  song’s genre, or to experiment with the song’s feel. Turning a sad song into a happy one or vice versa can result in a fresh and interesting end product.

History of Remixing

Remixing began as soon as it was possible to manipulate and record music with the development of magnetic tape and multitrack recording. Around the 1970s, with the popularity of dance music, DJs started to create dance remixes by looping and mixing different tracks.

Modern Day Remixing

It’s easier to create a remix these days than ever before, thanks to DAWs. Artists can mix multiple variations of the same song and invite other music producers to release official remixes as bonus tracks.

Remixes are mostly popular in dance, hip-hop, and EDM. Producers can take a song and create a nightclub hit from another genre or bring a pop song to a hip-hop audience to expand the visibility of the music and artist involved.

Sampling in Remixing

When producers don't have access to the original stems for a remix, they can choose to sample it instead, or create a bootleg remix. Sampling is the process of manipulating and reusing a short piece of a song, such as a rhythm, synth melody, or vocals, in another recording. Bootlegging is a means of obtaining a song’s stems and/or acapella versions from sources other than the rights owners.

Although this is not the way official remixes are made, bootlegging and sampling are standard practices among DJs who play at nightclubs, regardless of their notoriety. To learn more about sampling, check out our article on how to sample music.

Acapellas

Acapellas are one of the key elements for your remixing project, but they're generally hard to find. If you participate in a remix competition, the artist or label in charge of the contest may provide stems with acapella. If you're not participating in a contest remix, you'll need to find acapellas from other sources.

The first method is doing an online search. You might be able to find acapella versions from the artist or producers uploaded into their Soundcloud or YouTube channel, although this is a rare occurrence. Another option is to find DIY acapellas from other producers or create them yourself.

It’s possible to extract the vocals from a song using computer software like Audacity. The audio quality will be poor, but will do the job. You can always edit the vocals in your DAW to hide any noise from the track.

What Do You Need to Remix a Song?

You'll need only a few things to remix your first song: a digital audio workstation (DAW) and stems. 

A DAW is a computer program used to record, produce, mix, and master tracks. You can use any DAW you already have and know how to use, such as Ableton Live, Apple's Logic Pro, GarageBand, or Pro Tools.

“Stem” is a word you'll hear a lot when remixing music. Stems are the original tracks used for the mix of the original song. These are usually owned by the record label or artist and are generally not given away. If they haven't made the stems available, try contacting them and telling them you're working on a remix for that song.

How to Remix a Song

These steps will guide you through creating a remix for practice, a remix competition, or a remix request. 

Finding Opportunities

As a producer, it’s important to identify opportunities to create a remix. The most common situation is a remix competition. Sometimes artists and record labels will invite producers worldwide to remix one of their popular songs, and will feature it alongside other official remixes.

Remix competitions are great because if you win, you can get attention from the media, other producers, and like-minded artists. Even if you don't win, you'll have access to studio-quality stems and the chance to practice. You can find a contest on websites like SKIO Music.

Following labels and artists on social media, especially those who announce remix competitions often, is an excellent way to get the latest news for possible remix requests.

Gathering Material

So you have a song you want to remix. Let's gather the tools and find what you'll need for this project:

• You will need a computer and a DAW that'll allow you to edit the audio material.
• Search for the stems from the contest's details, or contact the artist. Have all samples and stems ready to import to your DAW.
• Find out the BPM (beats per minutes) of the song. Oftentimes, this can be found in the contest details or by searching online.
• Find the key and scale of the song using plug-ins like Auto-Key to find chord progressions that fit the original track in no time.

By now, you should have a clear idea of the vibe you want to get with your remix, so you know which elements you'll keep from the stems and samples and which ones are unnecessary.

Working With the Material

It's time to upload each track element into your DAW and remix. Open your DAW and import the stems to your new project. Consider the following to shape your remix:

• Change the tempo of the song.
• Change the key to create a different atmosphere.
• Find a chord progression that fits the designated key.
• Add a different rhythm pattern.
• Experiment with the pitch.
• Alter the original notes.

Arranging the Mix

It's time to arrange your mix uniquely. Have you decided to change the key? Define the best chord progressions, which elements from the original you should keep, and which could be remade with a different instrument to suit your vision.

You don't need to use all the stems; keep the catchy hooks only and use your creativity to fill the gaps in the remix. Is the original bassline memorable? Try to change it to a synth or vocal line. Rearrange the chorus and verse to create a different atmosphere. 

Remember, the idea is to keep the aura of the original song while creating something fresh.

In our Learning Center, you can find plenty of information on how to arrange music professionally, so check it out to learn more.

Treating Remix as an Original Track with Alternative Mix

Your remix should sound and feel different from the original. Work on your remix as if you were working on an original track, with the only difference being that you already have some parts of the music ready. Be original and add your ideas and vision while respecting the work of other musicians!

Using Your Musical Signature

The remix should sound like you despite not being your original song. Add your taste, that unique vibe you've created on other tracks and the sound or vocal effect that define your style so listeners can recognize your mix as part of your body of work.

Copyright Law

With remixes, you're using parts of an original song to create something new, meaning copyright is involved. Since remixing involves the use of an artist’s stems, you're getting involved with both the master (recording) and publishing (composition) copyrights.

A remix is legit when the rights owner allows sharing the stems with the producer who creates the remix. With this permission, a producer can make a remix for practice, enter a remix competition, or even release the song.

So, how do you get permission to remix a song? Enter a remix competition (where the necessary content will be available to all participants) or contact the rights owner, usually the record label.

Avoid the following practices to prevent copyright issues:

• Creating a bootleg remix. Bootlegs are not considered official remixes.
• Sharing your remixes without permission on online platforms like YouTube.
• Monetizing without authorization from the rights owner.

Other Remixing Tips

Finally, here are some additional tips to help you decide which song to remix:

• Remix a song you like to keep your creativity flowing.
• Have a purpose for your remix, like changing the song's vibe, genre, or tempo.
• Look for a hit song or a classic to remix.
• Look up the number of existing remixes for this song.
• Choose new songs that you think might become hits.
• Keep the key elements of a song: hook, acapella, and chorus.

Final Thoughts

Remixes can teach you a lot about music production and songwriting because they provide an opportunity to analyze the arrangement and composition of a successful song.

Good luck, and stay creative!