Frequently Asked Questions

For questions on submitting, please see Submission Standards and Instructions.

For a complete answer on using OverClocked ReMixes elsewhere, please see Content Policy.

If your question's not covered here, email us at admin@ocremix.org or use our Contact form.

What is OverClocked ReMix?

For more information, please see our Mission.

For media inquiries (interviews, articles, conventions), please contact us at press@ocremix.org or use our Contact form.

OverClocked ReMix is a not-for-profit site that accepts high-quality submissions of arranged or "ReMixed" video game music from talented ReMixers the world over. These arrangements are more than just updated versions of the original tracks, but are reinterpretations, often in an entirely different musical genre than the source material. What sets OverClocked ReMix apart from other video game music sites is the breadth of its content. We offer music from almost any style imaginable. Hillbilly, techno, rap, orchestral—you name it—we accept ReMixes from virtually any console or computer game soundtrack. Anything from Shinobi to Portal is fair game.

OC ReMix in 10 short minutes, as presented at MAGFest 5 and edited by José the Bronx Rican

Why is it called "OverClocked ReMix"?

This site started off as a spinoff site of www.overclocked.org, an online comic about the emulation community. It has since grown more popular and more important than its parent site. The comic was named "OverClocked" simply because it sounded cool. The word "ReMix" was chosen but is not necessarily appropriate, as the tracks here are more re-arrangements than remixes. (Think of this as the difference between a "remix" and a "ReMix.") Also note that this site is commonly referred to in abbreviation as both "OCR" and "OC ReMix".

Super-pedantic OCR Style Guide

Whether or not you get the spelling, spacing, or capitalization correct, we always appreciate fans spreading the word about OC ReMix. However, for media and the detail-oriented among you, here are the official ways of referring to the site:

• OverClocked ReMix - Full name of the site. Capital O, C, R, and M.
• OC ReMix - Abbreviates OverClocked. There's a space between OC and ReMix.
• OCR - Three letter acronym for the site.
• ocremix - All lowercase, no space. URLs and official account usernames, e.g. @ocremix, facebook.com/ocremix.
• ocremix.org - All lowercase, no space. The site's URL.

Common mistakes:

• OCRemix / OCReMix - Needs capital M. When capitalizing, always put a space between OC and ReMix.
• Overclocked Remix - Needs capital C and M.
• OverClocked - Don't leave out ReMix.
• OCRM - The M is not part of the abbreviation.

How did it start and who is this "djpretzel" bloke?

djpretzel, also known as David Lloyd and djp, is the founder, designer and site administrator of OverClocked ReMix, or as he says, "More accurately, I am a long-haired whiteguy© from Northern Virginia, USA, born 7.25.1979. My Gmail inbox is frightening."

OverClocked ReMix started in late 1999 when djpretzel decided his musical skills were getting a little rusty because he didn't have a regular "ritual" or habit of consistently composing: "I loved old video game music, and I loved arranging, and I put the two together and figured I would make it a sort of exercise, and learn a little in the process."

After searching and finding lots of specialized sites, namely C64 and Amiga remix sites, djpretzel found there was nothing that encouraged multiple genres or even tunes from a variety of platforms. From the beginning when djpretzel began accepting submissions, they were fantastic and have improved ever since: "The momentum and enthusiasm from the ReMixers encouraged me to take time away from some of my other web activities and focus it here - a decision I have not yet found myself regretting."

djpretzel provides writeups for every ReMix on the site, helps ReMixers with technical and equipment advice, and bypasses the judging process to contribute his own ReMixes to the site in a shameful insult to democracy.

To date, OCR has more than 2,500 ReMixes and 30,000 registered users from around the world.

How come all the writeups for songs are positive?

djpretzel says, "It has often been said that I pick out the good parts and ignore the bad, and that my "reviews" are way too charitable. Let me emphasize - these are not intended to be reviews, merely writeups indicating my opinion of the positive elements of a ReMix and why I think someone might find it worthwhile to give a listen to.

What's the process for getting a ReMix posted?

For more information, please see Submission Standards and Instructions.

Submissions are evaluated by either djpretzel or the site's judges panel. The judges panel currently consists of several community members, with judges providing their own evaluation for a submission as part of a vote for its passage or rejection. If passed, the submission is made freely available on the site as an official OC ReMix. The bar is set very high for aspiring OC ReMixers, with only 10-15% of all submissions actually making it through the entire process.

Isn't this music copyrighted?

For recognition and representation within the games industry, please see Industry Recognition.

For information on non-profit usage of OverClocked ReMixes, please see Content Policy.

Yes, the original soundtracks and source tunes which OverClocked ReMixes are based on are copyrighted material. We are not out to infringe on the copyright owner's rights by making money off of their content. We are a fan site, and all material on OC ReMix is freely available and contains information on the source tune's game origin and composer (if available). The ads, merchandise, and donations for this site go only to pay for bandwidth, hosting, promotional, and other administrative costs. We are a not-for-profit web site established to honor the video game industry, not detract from it. We at OC ReMix encourage users to buy professionally released video game music soundtracks to support game music.

How do I get the ReMixes?

Most visitors will only ever read this section of the FAQ :). There are several ways to obtain OC ReMixes. There are also several ways not to obtain them. Let's cover a couple of the ways not to first:

• Don't email site administrators asking them to send you a ReMix, or a CD or DVD of ReMixes, or "ONE BIG ZIP WIT ALL DA REMIXES." Please!
• Don't buy ReMixes from anyone selling them on CD/DVD. Paying for the price of the blank media, itself, is OK.
• Don't download tons of mixes from the site via HTTP - use the torrents. This really helps us out, helps others out, and is easier than you think.

BitTorrent is the single best way to get A LOT of ReMixes without costing OverClocked ReMix a lot of bandwidth, i.e. money. If you're intent on downloading dozens, even hundreds of mixes, use the torrents. Please. It's the single best way you can help us with bandwidth while at the same time enjoy the mixes. See http://bt.ocremix.org for details.

Technical problems you might encounter with HTTP downloads

• If you want to save the download to your hard disk: Right-click the link and select "Save Target As," then browse to the directory you want to put it in. Don't keep downloading the same song to listen to it directly off the site. That's probably the single worst thing you could do in terms of our bandwidth and your own.
• If your computer tells you the download is "MPGA" and not MP3: Your computer is lying to you. Your MIME types are off or something. Don't email the site administrators. Try renaming the file or reinstalling your MP3 player of choice, i.e. Winamp, etc.

This music is amazing! I feel like I owe you MONEY! How do I send you MONEY?

The arrangements on OC ReMix are available free of charge, and all OC ReMix staff are unpaid volunteers. All revenue from ads, merchandise, and donations is fed back into OCR for bandwidth, hosting, promotional, and other administrative costs.

We sincerely appreciate your support and offer many ways you can help keep OCR running strong:

• Purchase official OCR t-shirts, hoodies, stickers and other merch from our Store;
• Purchase from our affiliate links to our Amazon aStore, eStarland, and zZounds; or
• Donate through PayPal.

Can I use OC ReMixes in my YouTube video, website, livestream, podcast, radio show, etc.?

For a complete answer and additional information, please see our Content Policy's Terms of Use.

We're often asked if OC ReMixes can be used in creative endeavors like YouTube videos, Twitch.tv streams, radio shows, podcasts, presentations, games... even weddings!

Basically, as long as you do NOT make any profit AND you credit both the artists and OC ReMix for each track used, the answer is YES, you have our blanket permission to use OC ReMixes. In those specific circumstances, that also means you do not need to contact us to formally ask.

However, if your content is monetized, being sold in any context, or you're generating revenue from ads, the answer is NO. In those instances, we recommend getting individual permission from each artist.

How should I credit artists & the site when using or linking OC ReMixes?

For a complete answer and additional information, please see our Content Policy's Terms of Use.

We ask that you always properly credit both the artists and OC ReMix when using, redistributing, or performing any OC ReMixes. This helps any curious fans find their way back to ocremix.org to download the tracks they like, which makes YOU awesome for helping spread the word!

For spoken credits, saying something like, for example, "That was djpretzel with 'Twoson Hits the Road', an EarthBound mix from ocremix.org" would be great.

Otherwise, crediting BOTH the artists AND http://ocremix.org in text form within a video or livestream, in a video's description, tagged in a podcast MP3, or included on a website are all sufficient.

GOOD examples:

• Music: djpretzel - EarthBound 'Twoson Hits the Road' OC ReMix - http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR01427/
• Song: EarthBound 'Twoson Hits the Road' by djpretzel (http://ocremix.org)
• "Twoson Hits the Road" (djpretzel / http://ocremix.org)

BAD examples:

• HEY CHECK OUT THIS EARTHBOUND MIX >> CLICK HERE
• This EarthBound mix is by OC ReMix!!

How can I get sheet music, tabs, MIDIs, or project files of OC ReMixes?

Though we have a forum thread highlighting available transcriptions and source files of OC ReMixes, they are not formally hosted on OCR, as these sorts of files are rarely offered by the artists. Nonetheless, we recommend contacting individual ReMixers as your best bet if you are looking for these kinds of files.

Why have some songs been removed?

For more information, please see ReMix Changelog.

ReMixes may be removed from this site for a number of reasons - if a ReMix is determined to be 'stolen' (i.e. not created by the submitting artist), if it fails to meet several of the other submission guidelines pertaining to originality and content, and at the request of the ReMixer as well.

Why aren't the ReMixes categorized by genre, i.e. techno, jazz, orchestral, etc.?

OC ReMix has no intentions of categorizing pieces by genre. We've discussed this matter several times - what it boils down to is a feeling that:

• There are many pieces that don't fit nicely into genres or have multiple genres, and putting them in "miscellaneous" and "multiple" categories would be kind of lame; and
• Part of the purpose of the site is to open people's minds (and ears) to new horizons. Try everything. If all you want to do is download Square techno, so be it, but you'll be missing out on tons of great songs. We've decided not to implement a system that would encourage that kind of navigation.

A third reason could potentially be that djpretzel would feel lonely having the only piece in the hillbilly genre, but we think the first two reasons are strong enough.

Why aren't the ReMixes ranked by popularity/ratings?

We try to maintain a high level of quality in reviewing submissions, and believe that the music posted on OCR sets a benchmark in its representation of the non-commercial game arrangement community. However, there will always be pieces that some people may not like whether due to a ReMix’s genre, game source, etc.

We encourage experimentation, curiosity, and an open mind. We don't believe a rating system, or segregating out the "good" mixes by an arbitrary or democratic factor, would support that ideal.

Why don't you have (more) ReMixes or an album of [game/series]? Can you make some?

To direct arrangement requests to the community, please post in our Requests forum.

We appreciate the enthusiasm, but please don't direct ReMix or album requests to staff. We aren't responsible for what is submitted to the site, and we only post ReMixes that artists themselves submit to us.

While we do have the Requests forum, getting a request fulfilled is often difficult and a matter of convincing ReMixers or a potential album director to cover it.

Nonetheless, many ReMixes and some albums have focused on more obscure or underappreciated games. The best thing the community can do is download, review, promote, and share these more esoteric mixes & albums, and encourage musicians you know to take a crack at under-arranged material!

We certainly don't want to only promote popular games. That's why we've repeatedly rejected the idea of a rating system or anything involving popularity in our submissions evaluation process.

Why do you have so many ReMixes of [game/series]?

Again, staff aren't responsible for what's submitted to the site. Our policy is not to discriminate against any submission based on game, platform, or past representation on the site.

Most ReMixes are made because artists themselves choose themes for which they are nostalgic. Many OC ReMix submissions arrange video game music from the 8-bit and 16-bit eras, which remain the most memorable, melodic, and nostalgic eras for a large number of gamers & musicians.

You may be overlooking a lot of the gems on the site from a huge range of games. Why not search through our listings or grab the torrents to check them out?