Remixing of Music is Good or Bad : Ethical Dilemma

Table of Contents

Introduction

Remixing of music is good or bad; we will discuss both sides of it. What is remixing music? Remixing music is the process of altering any famous old song or piece of music, and with modifications, it is re-released. These days, the trend of remixing old songs is growing.

Whenever any old, famous song is re-released, it becomes a matter of societal debate. Is it ethical, doing justice to the music, or just a money-making business?

Reasons behind remixing music:

The first reason is a lack of creativity. Creating something new requires a lot of hard work. So, it is a shortcut to change something in the old song and release it again. We can see nowadays that Bollywood not only remixes old music but also remakes old films and South Indian movies.
Old songs are already popular. So, as it gets released again, it catches the immediate attention of the public.
Today’s generation enjoys fast music or party songs. So, they just add fast music to the old songs and release them.
Nowadays, YouTube makes money through views. So, the company thinks that even if the song is not liked by the public, it will earn money from YouTube. Because so many people will only come to watch the remake of an old song.

Remixing of music is good or bad: Good

It revives the old song. The present generation, which has forgotten the old songs, comes to know about them.
By again hearing the song, people gain interest in knowing that song’s history.
The present generation likes fast music. Due to fast music, they are inclined towards Western or Korean music. If remixing music is keeping our youth in touch with Indian music, then it is considered good.
Remix music is often used in party songs where feelings, emotions, and lyrics are not required. They focus more on music. So, in this aspect, remixing is not considered bad.
Things change over time; do we wear the same dhoti-kurta even today? Or the pants we used to wear during the 1980s. In due course, we have modified it; we have started wearing jeans or trousers. Similarly, if the taste of music is changing over time and music directors are doing the same for their profitability, we should not criticise them.
Remixing is a good way of changing a dull song into an energetic and popular one. So, remixed music can be considered refreshing.
The taste of music varies from person to person; the remixing of music can be considered as adding colour to a black-and-white movie. There are many instances where remixed music was liked even more than the original.
Remixing is like disrespecting legends like Lata Mangeshkar, Md. Rafi, and Kishore Kumar. We must preserve the heritage they gave us and preserve it for the upcoming generation, rather than disrespecting them through the absurd remixing of songs.

Remixing of music is good or bad: Disadvantages

Some songs have a deeper meaning and emotions involved in them that the music composer wants to express to their audience. In most cases, the old songs are not remixed properly, which destroys the essence of the song.
It doesn’t give credit to the old makers. The person who composed the song first should be given credit at the beginning or end of the song. But it is not being done.
Somebody has created something, and making some minor changes is unethical.
Generally, in the remixing of music, high beats are added to the song, which creates noise pollution and is harmful to health.
The bad part of remixing is the way this song is depicted in videos. Generally, obscenity and glamour are added to an old song in the name of a remix to get more eyeballs, and it destroys the beauty of the song.
It is a wrong perception that the young generation only likes fast music. Even these days, singers like Arijit Singh with soulful music are winning millions of hearts, and they are mostly of the young generation.
The reason why the young generation likes new fast songs is because they are not exposed to the old melody; when they listen carefully, they too will like it.

Conclusion:

Remixing of music is good or bad; the perspective depends on the individual. According to my point of view, the remixing of a song should not be done. Before making any remix, the proper permission should be obtained from the creative team of the song. Songs should not be mixed to earn fast money. The government should come up with some norms regarding the remixing of music.