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). In essence, you’re combining two legal entities – the original song and your new, remixed version – to create a sort of hybrid entity called a derivative work. When you make a remix, you’re not creating an entirely new work, since you’re basing it off previously recorded material, and you’re not creating a cover version either, since remixing implies that you’ll fundamentally change the way the original song sounds. Why? When you create a remix, you’re creating what’s legally called a “derivative work.” We all have an obligation when we use music for anything other than listening to it by ourselves for enjoyment.Ĭreating a remix is a much more complex legal issue than simply using a sample in one of your songs.