Versions & edits

Radio edit

A radio edit is a shortened version cut for airplay — usually under four minutes, with the long intro and outro removed and the arrangement tightened. It is the version that gives a DJ the least to work with.

Measured in our catalog

Only 803 of 443,414 titles with a duration (0.18%) say "Radio Edit", and they run to a median of 3:30 against 5:48 for the catalog — 2 minutes shorter.

They are genuinely rare here, because this is a catalog assembled from dance-music releases rather than from radio. Where a radio edit does appear, the extended version of the same release almost always exists alongside it.

803

Radio edits

0.18%

Of the catalog

3:30

Their median length

5:48

Catalog median length

Measured on 11 August 2026 across public tracks whose TITLE carries the marker, with a duration.

Why it matters

A radio edit removes exactly the material a DJ needs. The intro that has been trimmed for broadcast is the intro you would have mixed over, and the hard ending leaves nothing to fade out of.

It is worth checking which version you actually own before you build a set around a track, because the two cuts of the same record behave completely differently in a mix.

Frequently asked

How long is a radio edit?+

A median of 3:30 across the 803 titles here that carry the label — around two minutes shorter than the catalog median.

Why do DJs avoid radio edits?+

Because the parts that were cut are the parts a DJ uses. A trimmed intro and a hard ending leave almost no beats to mix over at either end.

What is the difference between a radio edit and a clean version?+

Length versus language. A radio edit is shortened for airtime; a clean version has explicit lyrics removed or masked. A track can be one, both or neither.

Related terms