Obtain a digital copy of the song you wish to remix. The best medium to work with is a raw, tack-by-track breakdown of the song. This will allow you to adjust individual levels, such as bass and drums, while completely phasing out the vocal track to replace it with your own. If you cannot obtain a raw copy of the song, find a copy from any form of digital media. You will need software like Pro Tools or Reason that can identify the song's components and separate them into individual tracks. This will not give you the full range of capabilities of a raw copy, but it is a great way for novices to learn the art of remixing.
Isolate the individual tracks from the song using your music editing software. Create stereo tracks for bass, guitar, drums, keys, effects, vocals and all other components found in the song. Your editing software will give you the option to label each track. Label them by instrument name and save your progress.
Write down and practice your revisions. A remix takes an established song and modifies it by adding contributions and removing certain elements. Your first step is to brainstorm and imagine what the new song will sound like. Write down all modifications for further reference. Connect a microphone to your computer so you can add a new vocal track to the existing song. Before recording, practice a few dry runs of your remix. The first attempts should accompany the original vocals. As you build confidence, lower the original vocals and practice again. Lastly, you can practice your vocal track without any accompaniment. Do not record until you are fully confident and satisfied with the quality of your contribution,
Record your remix tracks. After you have experimented with the gain and volume on the vocal track while rehearsing, set the dials to their optimal levels. Record your vocal track. When you are finished, you can remix other tracks by saving your progress and rerecording the song with your alterations. You may include harmonization with the original vocals. Mute the original vocal track throughout the song and unmute it during accent points. Do this while recording so the changes are permanent. Save after each recording. You can use this same process to adjust instrument levels or fully replace them. You can also add new tracks that include samples or other instruments. Contrarily, unwanted tracks can be deleted.
Save and create a hard-copy of your finalized remix. After all the levels have met your specifications and all revisions have been made, save a final copy of your remix. Your editing software will provide you the option to convert the song to a variety of media. There are many options available, but CD or MP3 are the most common and practical choices. If you convert your remix to MP3 format you can share it on social networking sites, find marketing outlets for it or make it available on your website. If you burn the remix to CD, you will have a hard copy that is highly portable.