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Best way / most professional way to say no to a remix offered by a label/producer

So I always have trouble finding the right way while sounding professional to say no to someone or a label that asked you to remix their track. Any advice on how to say it while still keeping a good relationship with them?

well you could always say not at this present time as your very busy working on new material. But if you have any future releases your needing remixed then drop me a line.

But if you say no more than twice then i think they would not get back to you period.

yeah, i would just say thanks so much for the offer, but i'm really busy at the moment. look forward to working with you in the future though etc

what sort of shit problems is that? just tell them the truth, IE u dont have time or you dont have any ideas for that track. Or the hidden true truth: you wont give me any money or promotion so i rather work on my own stuff.

What's wrong with saying you have no ideas for the track and therefore won't do it?
Or that you have other projects going?

Just be honest.

F u pay me

quote:

Originally posted by DjStephenWiley F u pay me

yeah that as well. lol

quote:

Originally posted by Fledz Just be honest.

I disagree. Labels lie and steal all the time, so they won't respect you unless you do the same to them. Tell them that you're very busy ghostwriting Tiesto's next album, so you'll need a few weeks, then keep extending your timeline, and when they start demanding your remix, tell them you sent it to them already, then start demanding a payment of $2,000.

Dont have time, busy schedule.

quote:

Originally posted by cryophonik I disagree. Labels lie and steal all the time, so they won't respect you unless you do the same to them. Tell them that you're very busy ghostwriting Tiesto's next album, so you'll need a few weeks, then keep extending your timeline, and when they start demanding your remix, tell them you sent it to them already, then start demanding a payment of $2,000.

nice one cryo then when they say they've not got it blame there inadequacy that they lost the song.

and demand more money.

quote:

Originally posted by Waza well you could always say not at this present time as your very busy working on new material. But if you have any future releases your needing remixed then drop me a line. But if you say no more than twice then i think they would not get back to you period.

Waza said it best

1) say no with a short reason : being busy is fine
2) let them know that you still want to collaborate but it just isn't the right time.

TO the other poster. saying you don't have any ideas is moronic. He will assume you won't ever have ideas and you and kiss that contact goodbye,

quote:

Originally posted by RichieV TO the other poster. saying you don't have any ideas is moronic. He will assume you won't ever have ideas and you and kiss that contact goodbye,

i doubt this is valid, u act like all label owners are morons. if he contacted you in the first place he must have had a reason for it, he probably knows your work and like it. so by saying that u dont have ideas for that track ur actualy saying that it sucks ass and u dont want your name anywhere near it on a nice manner.

I BET NO ONE IN THIS THREAD HAS EVER ACTUALLY HAD TO APPROACH THIS SITUATION BEFORE!

JUSS SAYIN!

untrue i had to turn down a remix this summer beacuse i had holidays.

quote:

Originally posted by Nightshift I BET NO ONE IN THIS THREAD HAS EVER ACTUALLY HAD TO APPROACH THIS SITUATION BEFORE! JUSS SAYIN!

Actually, I get asked to do remixes (from labels and other artists) on a surprisingly regular basis. And, I'm not sure why, since I've never actually remixed anything and I'm obviously not a big name or ultra-talented producer. So, my serious answer is that I just do as others have suggested and tell them the truth - in my case, it's that (a) my production time is very limited due to career/family, so I prefer to spend my music time on my original stuff, and (b) I'm just not good at remixing.

quote:

Originally posted by palm so by saying that u dont have ideas for that track ur actualy saying that it sucks ass and u dont want your name anywhere near it on a nice manner.

mo , by saying you don't have ideas, you are saying you're creativity is limited and you aren't dependable. Music is a industry that lives on creativity ( chuckle ) and saying you don't have ideas will most likely shut that door unless you are a name producer and, if you are a name producer, you probably aren't the type of idiot to say something that makes you look bad.

let me sum it up

saying you are busy means you could do it but you don't have time right now .

Saying you don't have ideas means you can't do it and you might not able to do it again either.

it really isn't rocket science.

a true artist dont give a fuck about formalities like that. he makes music if he wants to and can have whatever attitude he wants as long as what he makes is good and dont cause any problems for anyone. people handles the truth, u dont have to lie to protect their feelings. honesty win always.

quote:

Originally posted by palm a true artist dont give a fuck about formalities like that. he makes music if he wants to and can have whatever attitude he wants as long as what he makes is good and dont cause any problems for anyone. people handles the truth, u dont have to lie to protect their feelings. honesty win always.

what is your day job?

engineer how come?

I find it strange that you don't see the repercussions in passing something off because you aren't able. Would you hire an intern back that didn't have ideas for the current engineering project ? People remember what you don't or are not able to do and when ever they need someone for a future project, a thousand other willing people will come to mind before the guy that doesn't get ideas.

i dont mix hobbies and money. if id actualy get any money for a remix the case would be totaly different, id get time and ideas solely beacuse of that. and id loose respect for myself lol. we are all whores. im gonna have to leave now btw, its late in europe and i gotta earn those money to pay for all the shit ive ordered while being online today.

Guess it kind of depends on what you're being asked to remix, and the real reason you can't/won't do it.

Couple of years back when I was producing more regularly, I would occasionally get asked to remix some incredibly generic-sounding tracks. One time the dude sent me a < 1 MB zip file with, I think, a 1-bar MIDI arp-type line and a patch for some VST I didn't even have. At those times I said look, I'm honoured that you asked me, I think you're a talented producer with some great tracks to your name, but I have a particular style and I just don't think I'd be able to adapt it well to this track.

More recently, I've had to say (truthfully) that I just don't have much time for production at all, and even though it sounds like a great project, I don't want to set unrealistic expectations about what I can accomplish or how soon.

Of course, if you have a different reason - such as you're looking for money and they aren't offering any/enough, then you ought to tell the truth instead of making excuses.

Minimal track I got asked to remix recently:

The track is shit, the stems and the remix pack is the most uninspiring crap I've ever come across.

If I remix this, I've basically got to write an entire new track, and I can't be bothered.

There were a few more expletives in there, but helps that label owner and I are friends.

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