Versions & edits
VIP
A VIP — Variation In Production — is the producer’s own rebuild of their own track, usually made for their own sets. It is not a remix: same artist, same record, a different arrangement built to land harder.
Measured in our catalog
1,431 titles in the catalog carry a VIP marker, and they run to a median of 4:18 — 1:30 shorter than the catalog’s 5:48.
Shorter than the extended mixes around them (5:23) and shorter than a remix, which fits what a VIP is for: a producer rebuilding their own record to do one job on a floor, rather than a release that has to serve every purpose at once.
1,431
VIP titles
4:18
Median length
5:48
Catalog median
5:23
Extended mix median
Measured on 11 August 2026 across public tracks with a duration whose title carries a VIP marker (1,431 of 443,414).
Why it matters
A VIP tells you something a remix does not: the producer was not satisfied with how the original played out. They are almost always arranged around the floor rather than the release, with the drums pushed forward and whatever did not work in a club taken out.
They are also the version most likely to be the one you actually want and least likely to be the one you already own, because they often arrive long after the original and rarely lead a release.
Frequently asked
What does VIP stand for in dance music?+
Variation In Production. It is the original producer’s own reworking of their track, distinct from a remix, which is somebody else’s.
What is the difference between a VIP and a remix?+
Who made it. A VIP is the original artist rebuilding their own record; a remix is another artist reinterpreting it. The catalog holds 1,431 VIP titles against 50,945 remixes.
Are VIP mixes better for DJing?+
Usually they are built for it — arranged around the floor rather than the release. They are also shorter: a median of 4:18 against 5:23 for extended mixes, so there is less room to work at each end.
Related terms
Remix
A remix is a new production built from another artist’s parts — usually a different arrangement, often a different genre and tempo. The original vocal or hook survives; almost nothing else has to.
Dub
A dub is a mix with the vocal stripped back or removed and the rhythm section pushed forward. It leaves long, sparse stretches to mix over, which is why the dub is so often the DJ-friendly cut of a release.
Bootleg
A bootleg is an unofficial edit or remix released without the rights holder’s permission. It circulates on USB sticks and private links rather than through stores, which is exactly why you will not find many for sale.
Extended mix
An extended mix is the DJ cut of a release — a longer intro and outro with more bars of beats at each end, so there is room to mix in and out. It is the version that belongs in a set.
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