subject: Looking For A Remix Service? [print this page] Not all disc jockeys have the exact tracks and songs ready at their fingertips for a play list or event. Often times it is necessary to contract with a remix service in order to provide new and original content, rather than go through the time consuming process of splicing together beats. Starting in the 1970s, remix service companies began to connect vinyl releases through a reel to reel process so that the flow of music would be constant, instead of needing breaks to change up albums with the intention of selling them to club disc jockeys who did not have the time to make their own.
Remixing an album, or separate albums, is a time commitment that may take hours just to get one track. A modern remix service takes out a good deal of the headache for disc or video jockeys, most often by splicing in an out flow and an in flow to a song, so that it is easy to transition from one beat to another without splitting the song flow. A multi track remix service company can take an entire album or even an entire discography -- and splice it together with its own tracks or another track, ending up with a new sound entirely unlike the original album
The money involved in a remix service company's copyright and royalty's acquisition make it necessary for DJs to sign a long term contract. Remix service records cost far, far more than the original, and only a limited number are manufactured, usually between one hundred and ten thousand. For some, collecting vintage remix tracks is a hobby, albeit an expensive one.
The highest end remix service networks have tracks called mega mixes, where as many as a dozen songs will be linked in one track. These are only purchased by the most elite clubs or for hire musicians, as it takes days or even weeks to splice together a track in order to sound appropriate on a single beat. Mega mixes can be one artist's work or the work of several, but a remix service makes it sound like a continuous song.
Some bands make their living off remix service functions, putting new spins on classic or hot songs. The band Ratatat, for example, uses electronica and turntable beats on popular rap tracks, while the band Team Teamwork goes so far as to mix in video game songs to contemporary artists. A remix service is also the preferred route many organizations take to get cheer music mixed for competitions.
