Remix Culture on FreeMix

Remix culture is a frame of mind — a way of life. At it’s core is the conviction that music meant to be shared and built upon by the very people that love the music. Remix culture evolved out of a long history: from jazz artists including pieces of other songs in their solos, to reggae riddims being reused for different dubs and versions, to the rise of the disco 12” single, and finally to today’s multi-genre remixes.

FreeMix is designed around the idea that music grows when creators build on each other’s work — with clear attribution, transparent licenses, and visible creative lineage. It’s about mixing things up — literally. And it’s not just about dance music; we think some amazing things can happen when genres get mashed up in unexpected ways.

How Attribution Works

1. Someone uploads a track with a license that permits remixing ( FM:OPEN , FM:REMIX , FM:NC , or FM:STEMS )
2. Someone else downloads the track (or its stems), creates something new, and uploads their derivative
3. During upload, the remixer links their work to the source and describes the relationship
4. FreeMix records this attribution on the open protocol — it’s permanent, transparent, and verifiable
5. The remix appears in the source track’s remix tree, and both creators are connected through the chain

Types of Derivatives

Type	Description
Remix	A substantially new arrangement or composition using the source material. The remixer’s creative vision defines the result.
Sample	A portion of the source is incorporated into a new composition — a vocal loop, a drum break, a melodic phrase.
Mashup	Two or more source tracks are combined into a new work.
Edit	A modification that preserves the original’s structure and intent — extended intro, instrumental, acapella, re-edit.

Check the License First

Before remixing someone’s track, check their license:

• FM:OPEN — Do anything. No restrictions.
• FM:REMIX — Remix freely. Check modifiers for credit/royalty requirements.
• FM:NC — Non-commercial only. You can remix, but you can’t sell the result.
• FM:STEMS — Use the stems, but don’t redistribute the full track.
• FM:DJ — Performance edits only. Not for full remixes.

Attribution Is Automatic

When you upload a remix and link it to its source, FreeMix handles the attribution chain. The original creator’s profile, the license terms, and the creative connection are all preserved and visible to everyone.

We’re relying on your attribution

It’s crucial that you link your remix to the source. As remixes can sound very different from the original, we don’t have a way to automatically assign a derivative work to its source. Thus, it’s important that creators of dervative works assign credit to the original to ensure sources are attributed correctly and royalties are distributed fairly. Everyone needs to do their part.

Ready to upload a remix? See Uploading Remixes.

Want to see how creative lineage is visualized? See The Remix Tree.