Jeff Wang Blog

Are music remixes “original”?

Are they new?

Granted, the lyrics, the underlying beat, and the underlying song used to create the remix is not original. But the DJ has to interpret it in his own unique perspective. He/She adds their own voice to the song–thus a “remix.” Without his unique touch, it wouldn’t be original. But because he put his voice in the remix, it is.

Yes, he doesn’t own the song. But do writers own words?

Books are simply an author’s interpretation of the world, or their own mind, and created by re-arranging words, sentences, and grammar, none of which they own.

How creative the remix or the book is can be debatable. Creativity is characterized by how unique and enjoyable the “new” product is. But we have to accept that it is new, not just to the creator, but to the world.

The other approach is to realize that everything is derived.

Comedy. Music. Artists.

Everything is inherently derived. That’s how humanity was built to thrive. It’s a cornerstone of evolution and adaptation.

We take something good. And we make it better.

When taken these two approaches together, you can see that they aren’t so different.

We can accept that what we create is derived, but we can also make it unique. We can make it original because we made it.

So don’t worry about what’s new or what’s cool or what’s original. Worry about creating.