How to release a remix Commercially?

T

TommyV

New member
Hello fellas,
im not exactly a complete rookie here, or in music production, but i took interest in remixing a track and it immediately came up with questions, so all of them will be listed here, hopefully guys you will help me :)

So how do you release a remix commercially allowing to send it to label or put it on Itunes ??
Im really hoping that some of you maybe had this expierence and would advise how its done step by step,

Lets say i heard a good Lana Del Ray track(i know her vocals really rockkk) and i would love to take the vocals sample from her track and use it on my original track.

Should i contact her personally and say that i want to remix your track commercially?
if so, whats the best method of contacting such star, via youtube, managers email? facebook? i have no idea... please help me out

Lets say she agrees to give me the acapella track,i do a track. Whats next? i can send it to a label of my choice or what? also, how the sale rates and percentages are determined.

Lastly, if lets say i want to release it without "$$$" in mind (with ability to download for free on the net) i presume i dont need the permission from her? assuming i will find the acapella on the net.(thats what i did by the way :D)

So thats basically, im hoping to receive some guiding answers guys because it is really unknown lands for me at the moment :)
 
without permission to do the remix before you start you are treading a legal minefield that may blow up on you at moments notice

even the so-called bootlegs we see today are really official remixes labelled to make it seem a little illegal

get your permissions and releases and any fees/splits etc sorted out before you do any work

the alternative is to enter any remix competitions you happen to see such as those hosted by indaba music
 
Hey TommyV

I agree with bandcoach. Remixes will always be tricky. Take it from a guy who helps promote remixers and mash up djs. Whenever you are using someone else's work (even semi), you enter the world of copyright and that is a losing battle.

My question is, what is your end goal? Are you trying to make money from remixes? Make money from music in general? Or do you want to get noticed then produce your own stuff?

Here is my gist:

1. If you are mainly trying to get exposure then you could do what ALOT of others are doing out there - just remixing and releasing (forewarning, I am no lawyer but I see this happening a lot - better to ask for forgiveness then to beg for permission). Your track may or may not be caught up in the copyright filters (Youtube & SoundCloud) and you'll be exposed to an existing audience. Awesome. However, at any point if you decide to sell it or the labels track you down, they will tell you to take it down. If you make money of your track the the labels may try to shake you for money...and a lot of it.

2. You ask for permission the whole way. Wait it out until you get clearance then you are free to do whatever. My experience working in the radio and music industries is that this is a dime a dozen. Only those with a HUGE following can negotiate for this to happen (eg. DJ Earworm, Chainsmokers, etc...). Not saying you shouldn't try but think from their perspective, they aren't just going to let any one 'borrow' their music to make money off of if they didn't get something huge in return.

So back to the question, what is your end goal TommyV?
 
Completely agree with trumant.

Personally, if you're doing it for the money you can earn from it rather than just exposure... (Which it seems you are opting for...)

I'd say you need to earn the reputation first. Look at Danger Mouse, Amerigo Gazaway, etc... They had to put up with a lot of cease and desist letters despite them doing their projects for free. Now they have many opportunities from their remixing efforts. Danger Mouse is arguably the best producer dipping his hands in so many successful and diverse albums in the last decade. Amerigo Gazaway recently landed a Yasiin Gaye remix on an Apple ad.

After that, you can go to the artists and say "Fancy letting me remix such and such a song?"... Then you'll get somewhere commercially. Maybe they'll even start reaching out to you. I'd say get in touch with the manager, unless you bump in to an artist who likes your work and says "We should hook up"... Something which Pharrell does A LOT with singers.

However, maybe you'll burn your bridges in the process. The labels/artists you want to remix for commercially later on may turn you down for the legal issues you caused earlier on. That's a risk I think is worth taking. After all, if you do cause legal issues for something you put out for free, you did something right in my eyes...

That's my view on it all, anyway.
 
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