ANSWER · MORE GUIDES
What Is an Extended Mix vs a Radio Edit?
“What is the difference between an extended mix and a radio edit?”
An extended mix is the full-length version of a track made for DJs, typically five to seven minutes, with a long drum intro, complete arrangement and a long outro. A radio edit is the short version, usually three to three and a half minutes, that starts close to the hook, drops repeated sections and ends quickly, made for radio, playlists and streaming.
Extended mix
Also sold as Original Mix, Club Mix or Extended Version, this is the producer's version for the dancefloor. It has:
- A drum or percussion intro of 16 to 32 bars.
- The full arrangement: build, drop, breakdown, second drop.
- A drum outro of 32 bars or more, with vocals removed.
- A length of five to eight minutes, depending on genre.
- A club master, loud and with mono bass.
It exists because DJs need the intro and outro to mix, and because the floor can take longer builds than a radio listener will.
Radio edit
The radio edit is cut down from the same production. It usually:
- Starts within a few seconds of the hook, often with a one or two bar intro.
- Drops the second verse or a repeated drop.
- Ends with a fade or a hard stop at around 3:00 to 3:30.
- Removes explicit words if necessary.
- May be mastered quieter for streaming normalisation.
It is the version on streaming playlists and in music videos, because listeners skip anything that takes a minute to start.
Side by side
| Extended mix | Radio edit | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 5 to 8 minutes | 3 to 3:30 |
| Intro | 16 to 32 bars of drums | A few seconds |
| Outro | 32 or more bars of drums | Fade or stop |
| Made for | DJs, clubs | Radio, playlists, video |
| Mixable | Yes | Barely |
| Loudness | Club master | Streaming master |
Other versions
- Dub or instrumental: the extended mix without the vocal, useful for layering.
- Edit: in DJ circles, a modified version of someone else's track; see the DJ edit page.
- Remix: a new production built on parts of the original.
- Intro edit: a radio edit or album version with a DJ intro added, which is exactly what Club Ready Music's DJ Edit tool makes.
Extended mixes and radio edits in Club Ready Music
The Studio renders tracks of two to five minutes with the intro and outro lengths you choose, so a five-minute render with a 32-bar intro and a 64-bar outro is an extended mix in structure. An Extended Mix suffix is added to the title and the tags when that option is on. Ticking "Radio edit 3:30" asks for a short version alongside.
The DJ Edit tool is the other direction: it takes a radio edit or album version you upload and gives it the extended-mix structure by adding a drum intro and outro built from the song's own drums.
Frequently asked
Which version should DJs buy?
The extended mix. It has the intro and outro needed for mixing. A radio edit usually starts on the hook and ends on a fade, which leaves nothing to mix with.
What does Club Ready Music produce?
The Studio renders an extended-style track with your chosen intro and outro lengths and can label it Extended Mix. An optional Radio edit 3:30 adds a short version from the same render.