Preparing Remix Packs For Record Labels

A good remix pack lets a remixer open your parts and start work straight away. A bad one costs days of questions and re-exports. This is how I want a pack prepared for Keep Thinking Music. It also works for any label.

What goes in the pack

• Full-length stems of every part.
• Your original premaster, ready for mastering.
• Key MIDI patterns, if you want the remixer to have them.

Put everything in one folder named after the track. Zip the folder.

Print full-length stems

Always print your stems from 0:00 to the end of the track, inclusive of tails. Every file then lines up as soon as it’s dropped into a session.

Check the files after exporting. Don’t assume they are right.

Label every part

Use the same labelling rules as my stem export guide:

• Prefix each part by type: DR for drums, BS for bass and FX for effects.
• Use BUS_ for buses or groups.
• Use RTN_ for returns.

Set your export correctly

• 24-bit WAV at 48 kHz (44.1 kHz is also accepted).
• Dither off. Normalising off.
• Around -6 dB peak on the master channel. This is a guide, not a strict rule.
• No processing on the master channel.

Include the premaster

Put the original premaster in the pack. I master from it, so it follows the same rules: around -6 dB peak and nothing on the master channel.

Consider adding MIDI

This is optional. If you would like the remix artist to have access to your original MIDI patterns, consider exporting the key MIDI elements. Perhaps it’s the theme or the lead, or maybe a hook or drum pattern that is synonymous with the track’s identity.

What happens next

If there are any issues with the premaster or mix, we will be in touch to request corrections. If we’ve agreed to sign the music, any requests will only be minor, so we can get the most out of the mastering process. Please remain receptive to these requests.