In their possible songwriting roles, Disc Jockey: a person who curates and plays sound recordings to an audience. DJs can mix sound recordings together to create new and unique versions or mixes. and New sound recordings based on pre existing sound recording that have been modified, added to, or rearranged rearrange or combine existing Typically, the recorded performance of a musical work protected as a phonogram under copyright law. to create new versions, known as New sound recordings based on pre existing sound recording that have been modified, added to, or rearranged, Rearrangements or combinations of existing sound recordings, or DJ sets. Under National laws that protect creators' and other rights holders' moral and economic rights in musical works, performances, and sound recordings., these may be considered Any form of modification or alteration of a musical work or sound recording to create a new musical work or sound recording and thus A new work based on a pre-existing work. if the remix or mix is A creative contribution to a musical work that is sufficiently distinct from any pre-existing musical work.
Remixers and DJs may use parts of musical A collection of notes, melodies, chords, rhythms, arrangements, instrumentation, and more, excluding lyrics., The words written to be performed by singers, rappers, and other vocalists. and sound recordings in any combination to create the version or sound they want.
What does a remixer do?
Remixers create new versions of sound recordings called remixes. They usually receive the original Separate recordings (tracks) that represent an individual line of recorded performance, such as a vocal, drum, guitar, keyboard, or bass performance. recordings, called Individual tracks or recorded pieces of performances that make up a sound recording, for example, separate recordings of drums, guitar, or voice performances., to create a new version that is different from the original.
What does a DJ do?
A DJ creates new and unique versions of existing An original musical composition with or without lyrics. and sound recordings, or a set of such, called mixes. They do this, for example, by mixing multiple sound recordings together, changing the The selection and combination of musical instruments., The rate or speed at which music plays., and An alteration of a pre-existing musical work that may incorporate changes to, for example, tempo, harmony, instrumentation, and orchestration., or adding sounds to transition from one recording to the next. Typically, they are not changing the actual multi-tracks, or stems, as a remixer might.
Why can remixers and DJs be considered songwriters?
Remixers and DJs can be considered songwriters even though their work exists solely in relation to existing musical works and sound recordings. In some cases, their new versions of musical works can be original enough to qualify as derivative works, making the remixers or DJs songwriters, and thus . But in any case, all the original A person or company that has Intellectual Property Rights in a musical work, performance or sound recording need to agree.
If you are a remixer or DJ and you make an original contribution modifying an existing musical work, you may qualify as an A type of creator who modifies an existing musical work's composition to create a new so-called derivative work. and thus a co-author of the derivative work. See our page on Adaptors to learn more.
Copyright ownership for remixers and DJs
If a remixer or DJ modifies a pre-existing musical work and sound recording, and the modified work qualifies as a derivative work, the remixer or DJ will co-own the The controls creators or rights holders have over what they have created or produced and over their identity and image. in the modified work but needs to obtain authorization from the authors of the original work, and the rights holders of the original sound recording, to use the derivative work.
Learn more about derivative works in our topic Covers and Derivative Works.
To understand authors' rights in more detail, visit the Music Creators' Rights topic.
Video Credit: Tiffany Orvet, Dilun Riad Edmon, Daniel Hjellum, Tim Ljungstedt, David Lebna, Artu Kontkanen, Tobias Leo Nordquist, Ponny Höijer, William Engström, Parapix