Is it legal to share mixes?
OK this isn't legal advice and should not be relied upon – this is just a few of my assumptions based on what I've gleaned from various resources…!
As long as you own the original you can play it in your DJ sets, as the original or remixed. You can use it in your DJ mixes on legal mix sites (such as Mixcloud). In these use cases the legal rights of use should be the same as playing the original.
Beyond these uses you more than likely need permission from the copyright holder for any work that you use. You can take the view that you're helping promote an original artist and they may or may not agree with you – they own it and spent all the time and energy creating it so it's up to them what their view is! However as long as you are not making money out of the remix or helping others cheat the original artist out of money (e.g. by offering your remix as a file download) then you may choose to go on the saying that it’s better to ask for forgiveness after the event than permission beforehand!
Sites To Use For Sharing Remixes
Free, unlimited uploads, specifically set up to help you share your DJ mixes.
Not suitable for single track edits.
Operates from the UK and claims to have PRS and PPL licences for the playback of copyrighted songs. You need to ensure you provide a tracklist so the correct licensing royalties can be attributed to the artists.”
For uploading re-edits, reworks or remixes you’ve made.
Always make sure you credit your sources and disable the download function so that the copyright owner is less likely to request removal of your work. However SoundCloud have to use auto-filtering algorithms (like Google on YouTube) to remove uploads that have been prohibited by the copyright owner and your work might just disappear unless it is original. You are using someone else's work so that is the risk you take – it is up to them if they want to allow it to be used on SoundCloud and other sites or not so get over it!
