Extended, radio edit, intro, clean, dirty: which version should you play?

Extended mix vs radio edit: same song, different job

The radio edit is the short version, the one you hear on the radio and on streaming platforms. It often runs under three minutes and gets straight to the point: the vocal comes in within the first few seconds, and the track ends on a hard stop or a fade.

The extended mix is the long version made for DJs. The track is the same, but it starts and ends with a long stretch of rhythm: 16 or 32 bars of drums and bass, no vocals. That's what gives you time to match the tempo and blend the two tracks.

Here's one track in three versions, as they exist in the catalog:

The extended version is almost twice as long as the radio edit. The extra seconds are almost all at the start and the end: that's room to mix.

In electronic music, you'll also run into the original mix. It's the producer's own version, as opposed to remixes. In club genres (house, techno), it often already has the shape of an extended.

Intro, short edit, quick hit: versions made for DJs

A lot of pop, hip-hop and Latin tracks only come out as radio versions. To make them playable at a party, specialized editors build DJ versions:

• Intro: 8, 16 or 32 bars of beats are added at the start, often with an audio cue before the vocal comes in. The track becomes mixable.
• Outro: same idea at the end, so you can mix out cleanly.
• Short edit: a shortened version, so you can move on faster without waiting for a long track to end.
• Quick hit: a very short version, one to two minutes, that keeps the chorus. Handy for running through hits in open format sets or at weddings.

Clean or dirty?

• Dirty (or explicit): the original lyrics, swear words included.
• Clean: the explicit words are cut, replaced by silence, an effect or a different take.

The clean version is a must as soon as you play for a broad crowd: weddings, corporate events, events with kids, some bars and radio stations. The dirty version is still the norm in clubs for hip-hop and urban music. The simplest move is to have both and decide on the spot.

Tool versions: acapella, transition, mashup, flip

Some versions aren't meant to be played on their own, but to build something during the set.

• Acapella: the vocal alone, no music. You lay it over another track's instrumental to create a live remix.
• Instrumental: the opposite, the music without the vocal.
• Transition: a track that changes tempo along the way, for example from 100 to 125 BPM. It takes you from one genre to another without a break.
• Mashup: two (or more) tracks already mixed into a single file, often the vocal of one over the music of the other.
• Flip, bootleg, edit: unofficial reworks, more or less close to the original. A remix, on the other hand, is usually commissioned or approved by the artist.

A few examples from the catalog:

1. Movin' To The Sun (100-125 Transition)Hugel, Imael Angel, Ultra Nate · House125.1 BPM4A
2. Good Girl (Acapella)Cloonee & Prospa · Acapella129.7 BPM10A
3. Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! X Freed From Desire (Toys Mashup)Toys · Nu Disco130 BPM7A
4. Timber (Original To Denero Remix) (Flip Edit) (Clean)Pitbull, Kesha · Dance Pop129.8 BPM1B
5. I Gotta Feeling (Intro)The Black Eyed Peas · Dance Pop128.3 BPM9B

Across the whole Nocti Pool catalog, here's how the version types break down:

• Original11,006
• Remix2,470
• Edit2,334
• Mashup1,027
• Acapella217
• Transition194
• Flip137

Which version should you download?

It all depends on where you're playing.

Situation	Best versions
Electronic club (house, techno)	Extended mix or original mix
Bar, open format	Intro, short edit, clean and dirty
Wedding, corporate event	Clean, intro, quick hit
Radio show	Radio edit
Live remix	Acapella and instrumental
Moving from one genre to another	Transition

When in doubt, grab the extended or the intro: it's easy to shorten a track by mixing out early, much harder to make it longer.

Reading a version name

File names almost always follow the same order: the title, then the remixer or editor, then the type of edit, then the lyrics version. For example: Title (Remixer Name Remix) (Extended Mix) (Clean).

On Nocti Pool, these labels stay in the title of each track page, and you can filter the catalog by version type.

Frequently asked questions

Why do DJs use extended mixes?

Because they start and end with beats and no vocals. Those sections give you time to match tempos and blend two tracks without the vocals stepping on each other.

What is an intro version in a DJ pool?

A version of the track with an added beat intro of 8 to 32 bars. It's mostly used for pop, hip-hop and Latin music, which rarely come out in long versions.

What's the difference between clean and dirty versions?

The dirty version keeps the original lyrics. The clean version cuts or replaces the explicit words, for weddings, corporate events or radio.

What's the difference between a remix and an edit?

A remix reinterprets the track, often with new elements, and is usually approved by the artist. An edit reworks the structure (intro, cuts, loops) without changing the music in depth.