Remixing?

[Abominus]

Okay, I have a little dillema/situation that I would like to get all of your advice/suggestions on:

I am starting to get some gear together to become a producer/remixer. I do not want to be a DJ per se but I know that I will have to learn eventually.

Anyways, there is this artist who shall go nameless, she has a bunch of Gold records and hit singles and she is from Europe. I fell in love with the album and her voice and she has inspired me so much that I would like to remix some of her songs.

Now, how DO you go about remixing someone's songs the "legal" way? I am hearing that you can't take out the beats/keyboards from a song to just get only a voice. That you have to equalize a lot of that stuff out in order to work with just a voice.

So, let's say if I make a massive remix to this young lady's songs. Can I play it at a club? I am not looking into making cash out of it. I am just doing it to learn how to use the equipment/software and also to get my feet wet as far as remixing goes. What can I do, and NOT do? And what about downloading acapellas?

Is it true that you have to get permission from the artist themselves to do the remix?

So basically, I have some arrangement ideas for some remixes of this girl's songs and all but I am not sure how to go about it the "legal" way. Have any of you guys done any remixing, even if it's just in your bedroom?

Thanks a lot,
Abominus

:grinning:

PS: I may have posted something about this in the past, but I forgets

 

[Tomek]

So, let's say if I make a massive remix to this young lady's songs. Can I play it at a club? I am not looking into making cash out of it. I am just doing it to learn how to use the equipment/software and also to get my feet wet as far as remixing goes. What can I do, and NOT do? And what about downloading acapellas?

you can do whatever you want with it, but you CAN'T sell it

Is it true that you have to get permission from the artist themselves to do the remix?

if you want to release your remix you have ho have artist/reord label permission

So basically, I have some arrangement ideas for some remixes of this girl's songs and all but I am not sure how to go about it the "legal" way. Have any of you guys done any remixing, even if it's just in your bedroom?

your remix will be legal only when it gets released, so only if you get permission from record label, otherwise you can do what you want, but you CAN'T make money on your remix

 

[dfx]

basically, as far as i know: any sort of remix you do without proper permission would be a bootleg. nobody can keep you from doing that, but you probably won't be able to release it or otherwise publish it in any legal way. but of course reality tells us that there are still many bootleg tracks floating around.

for a proper remix, you need permission from the artist/producer or any other copyright holder, such as the record label. the latter is probably your first contact when trying to go about such an effort. if you do get proper permission, you should be able to get the specific track in "pieces", e.g. seperate acapella audio etc. depending on the licence you get, you may be able to play any remix you can up with at a club, maybe even send out limited promos.

if you release such a remix (if allowed to), you will have to pay licence fees.

disclaimer: i'm no producer or remixer, all of the above is merely what i've heard from various people, summed up. in any case, if you want to take the "proper" way of remixing, your first step should probably be getting in contact with the label.

 

[xruntime]

you may be able to play any remix you can up with at a club, maybe even send out limited promos.

As far as I know, that's not true, you can do that with bootlegs too. Just look at DarkMemoria's mashups, he sends them out, as does XDR and Schulz and the other major mashuppers, and I know they don't get label or even artist permission. As long as you don't mass distribute it, it should be fine, and you can play it anywhere.

Tbh, instead of worrying about the legality of this, and how to release and all, worry about making a good remix first.

 

[Abominus]

As far as I know, that's not true, you can do that with bootlegs too. Just look at DarkMemoria's mashups, he sends them out, as does XDR and Schulz and the other major mashuppers, and I know they don't get label or even artist permission. As long as you don't mass distribute it, it should be fine, and you can play it anywhere.

Tbh, instead of worrying about the legality of this, and how to release and all, worry about making a good remix first.

****Tbh, instead of worrying about the legality of this, and how to release and all, worry about making a good remix first.[/QUOTE]

That is very true. Thanks for the advice

 

[90degrees]

once you've gained some status and get clearance for remixes you may even get the multitrack masters for remixing, meaning all instruments and voices on their seperate channels.
but the more popular the artist in question is ($$$) the harder it will be for getting clearance, gold albums become major hurdles but if you remix stuff from up and coming artists it will be much easier getting permission.
the final outcome will still be the final decider for official releases.

the prolly most famous remix was Armand van Helden's Professional Widow (Tori Amos), wild, illegal and highly successful. Afaik he didn't get sued but therefore also didn't receive any royalties. the impact on his status was immense though and made him overnight one of the biggest US acts at the time, so "leaking" an unlicensed bootleg/remix may do wonders, just stay out of jail.

The bootleg/remix I've admired most recently was Danilo Ercole's of Jose Gonzales "Crosses" which put him on the map too.

 

[Abominus]

once you've gained some status and get clearance for remixes you may even get the multitrack masters for remixing, meaning all instruments and voices on their seperate channels.
but the more popular the artist in question is ($$$) the harder it will be for getting clearance, gold albums become major hurdles but if you remix stuff from up and coming artists it will be much easier getting permission.
the final outcome will still be the final decider for official releases.

the prolly most famous remix was Armand van Helden's Professional Widow (Tori Amos), wild, illegal and highly successful. Afaik he didn't get sued but therefore also didn't receive any royalties. the impact on his status was immense though and made him overnight one of the biggest US acts at the time, so "leaking" an unlicensed bootleg/remix may do wonders, just stay out of jail.

The bootleg/remix I've admired most recently was Danilo Ercole's of Jose Gonzales "Crosses" which put him on the map too.

Thanks for your input:grinning:

I can say that the artist I am trying to remix is well, I don't want to say that she's not well know because she IS in certain ways but, she is not big like Cascada or anything. I hate to say this but she's an awesome artists but her career has been "under the radar" due to slow singles/album sales and a whole bunch of other problems.

Anyways, I could take a chance like AVH but it's a huge risk. I could always release a bootleg of my remix but then, if it gets to be huge like that Tori Amos mix, wow. That would be something

I am going to try and talk to the record label/copyright holders and see what they say. I am still going to produce the mix but, I am not going to be in a hurry to send it out to the masses. I just want to be as "safe" as possible.

But I tell you, it's going to be a lot of fun making remixes and all

Abominus

 

[djabstraction]

Just to add, some labels invite you to remix their tracks by releasing remix packs onto MP3 sites such as trackitdown and beatport.

The Freemasons - Samples & Acapellas Pack - The Freemasons - Loaded Records - [] - Trackitdown.net

Of course, then you can do what the hell you want.

Have a hunt on the sites, you can come across packs of wav samples for specific tracks, I can't remember any off the top of my head but I know there are plenty around.

 

[DhumKetu]

Abominus on the Mix

:grinning:

 

[Abominus]

Abominus on the Mix

:grinning:

Someday hopefully

 

[Abominus]

Just to add, some labels invite you to remix their tracks by releasing remix packs onto MP3 sites such as trackitdown and beatport.

The Freemasons - Samples & Acapellas Pack - The Freemasons - Loaded Records - [] - Trackitdown.net

Of course, then you can do what the hell you want.

Have a hunt on the sites, you can come across packs of wav samples for specific tracks, I can't remember any off the top of my head but I know there are plenty around.

Thanks for the links!:grinning:

I will check them out!

 

[xruntime]

and other jackass labels make you pay for the remix pack *cough* Bonzai *cough*

Bonzai used to be legendary...now, they suck