Derivative What? Official Remixes In order to record a derivative work, you technically need to obtain permission from the rights holders of the original work — namely the artist or label who owns the master recording, as well as whoever owns the publishing side of the song usually a publishing company, or in some cases, the artist themselves. Unofficial Remixes The hardest part of learning how to remix songs legally is learning to safely navigate the world of bootleg remixes.
Follow us on. An artist or label will often provide a popular website or platform with existing stems for producers to work with. Because they have given public permission for producers to use these stems, it is completely legal and even encouraged. The thing is, you can remix a song on just about any type of music editing software, whether it is Audacity, Garageband, FL Studio, Pro Tools, or Ableton.
There are even mobile apps that you can use to remix songs. When picking an original song to remix, it is important that you choose your song carefully. We recommend only remixing songs that you like. If you hear an original song and your first thought is to change it up completely, then you should probably go with another track.
An original song should already feel exciting to you to the point that you want it to use it for an official remix. Classic tracks can be a great choice if you are a DJ that is trying to get exposure at the club, such as an old Motown song or a 90s throwback.
As you sit down to create your remix, think about the direction that you want to go. Do you want your remix to be something people can chill out to or do you want it to blow people's eardrums in the club? If you're looking to win remix competitions, then you might need to consider the artist, label, or company that put out the contest to see what they are looking for.
When you get the stems for the original song, you need to do some digging to figure out the key and BPM of that track. The majority of the time, remix competitions will provide this information. However, if you're making bootleg remixes, you might have to figure it out on your own. Knowing the key can help you work much faster, in that you'll be able to find samples and chord progressions that mesh well with the hook on the original song.
An easy way to ruin a great remix is by using sounds that aren't in the right key. TuneBat is a great place to find information regarding the key and BPM of an original song.
The stems are the individual pieces of the original song that are usually supplied to a music producer for a remix. These stems are separate files that you can chop, mangle, and mix to your liking to create a unique sound. Typically, stems are broken down into several categories, including bass, drums, vocals, keys, guitars, FX, etc.
Start by arranging the stems in your DAW and line them up so that you can see what you have to work with. In organizing your stems, you'll be able to see which of the elements you should use in your remix, as well as which elements you can scrap. Once you have your stems organized, you will want to put some thought into which stems you should use.
You will have more freedom to get creative with your track the fewer stems you decide to use. This can be great if you want to impart your own sense of musicality and creativity on the tra. Of course, you don't want to get rid of the original too much, as it can lose the sense of being a 'remix. First, you'll want to decide which of the stems must stay in the remix. For example, if you decide that the original vocal is a necessary component of your remix, keep that stem in your session.
You can and maybe should process, chop, and rearrange this vocal in the future, but just make sure that it is there and remains recognizable.
Next, figure out which of your signature sounds you want to use, whether it is a synth lead, a synth bass, or a few drum samples, to see how they fit withsome of the original stems. Lastly, get rid of the unnecessary parts that don't fit with your signature sound. For example, if your signature sound is funk guitar and the song has some washy, reverb-drenched guitars, you might consider removing those stems.
The way in which music producers remix a song will differ from producer to producer. However, for those just starting out, we figured we'd provide you with a few ideas as to how you can begin crafting a quality, creative remix. You could start by taking the existing melody and using a different instrument to represent it, keeping the same notes while changing the order that they are played in. If it is a four-bar melody, maybe consider looping the first bar three times, reversing the second bar, and letting the fourth bar turn it around back to the beginning.
You might even consider keeping the original melody, though heavily processing it so that it gives the listener something fresh. Vocal chops are great for this, as you can simply maintain the original melody while altering the rhythm or sonic characteristics. One incredibly unique way to remix a song is by building your own chord progression under the existing melody. Of course, you might need some basic knowledge of music theory to alter the chord progression, though you can also try and work by ear, as many music producers do.
You could even change the way that the chord progression is played underneath the melody. For example, the original song might have a sustained bassline acting as the foundation. You could take the same notes and use your own bass or synth bass to give it a funky, syncopated vibe.
You might consider focusing on the rhythm of the drums first if you plan on remixing your song with a different BPM altogether. In doing so, you'll be able to build melodic ideas on top of it based on the rhythm. By placing your own drum samples underneath a melody, you can figure out the energy level and groove to help you envision the rest of your remix. Tip: Consider the audience. Are they looking for a club friendly remix, or something more radio friendly?
Keeping these in mind will increase your chance of success. Listening to other remixes is a great way to spark some thought and creativity. I might, for example, take out the intro, outro, and choruses of an original track and only use the breakdown which contains a vocal, then build upon that. Note: some songs have very little going on, e. These tracks are a joy to bootleg as a lot of the content can be used. This is why working with the material given to you instead of against it is essential.
Respect the original and work with the content given to you. Tip: Listen through the stems and find ones that inspire you. Delete the rest, and build upon those. Just like building a game plan, the arrangement gives you a sense of direction and allows you to step back to look at how your remix is developing as a whole. As soon as you have ideas down, sketch out a basic arrangement.
You should have it down quicker than you would normally when working on an original, because you already have a few ideas handed to you. This way, I have the arrangement in place from the start. I may change the arrangement later on in the production process, but I benefit from building on a solid foundation.
Want tips on how to write and arrange better music? Check out Songwriting For Producers. You can hear it at 7 seconds in :. You should know that no matter how popular or successful this artist s is, he is still human. My name is Itai Haroosh, and I have been writing, producing, and mixing music for 9 years now. Previous Previous. Next Continue. Similar Posts. Review Cart Toggle Menu Close. No products in the cart.
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