How remixes can revive old tracks

Some songs just need a few tweaks and a new beat to top the charts again. Bobby Owsinski of Music 3.0 looks at the phenomenon and how to take advantage of it.

by Bobby Owsinski of Music 3.0

Going back to the late 70s and 80s, rock stars used to hate when a DJ remixed their song for the club, considering it altered contrary to their artistic sense. They quickly changed their minds when the new version helped revitalize album sales and bring in a new audience. The same thing happens today with remixes, but the strategy is slightly different.

So what exactly is a remix? According to Chartmetric, “A remix is a modified version of a music recording that can be created by reorganizing its audio components and removing or adding certain elements. For most, remixes incorporate contributions from another artist or producer and are labeled as “Remix,” “Part II,” or using “featuring,” or “with.”

What Remixes Can Be Good At

The same post also had some interesting details on how successful remixes can be. After reviewing the last three years of Spotify’s Top 50 Weekly Global Chart, the company found 68 tracks that could be classified as a remix. These were released an average of 155 days after the original track release, which means that the life of the song was significantly extended.

It’s been shown that even indie tracks can benefit from a remix, but what if the song already is a hit? According to the post, “It seems like releasing a remix can help break chart records. SZA’s “Kill Bill” managed to claim the top spot on the Hot 100 chart after spending eight nonconsecutive weeks at No. 2, all thanks to featuring Doja Cat on the remix.” “Creepin’” by Metro Boomin featuring The Weeknd and 21 Savage, “Die For You” by The Weeknd, and “Kill Bill” by SZA have competed with each other and other hits such as “Flowers” and “Boy’s a Liar Pt.2.” for the last few months. Additionally, remixed versions of these tracks have been released.”

Many indie artists never even consider a remix, preferring to keep with “the song is the song” mentality. Also, many artists (especially bands) that have worked long and hard on their recordings are sometimes loathe to return to it after it’s finished. That said, remixes are a good strategy to either bring a good track to life, get more life from a track that already has some traction, or take a hit to new levels.

It should be noted that new trends in re-releasing music include added reverb, and sped up and slowed tracks are having as much success as a full remix, but these might be more of a fad instead of a long-term trend

Bobby Owsinski is a producer/engineer, author, blogger, podcaster, and coach. He has authored 24 books on recording, music, the music business and social media.