DJ

While there are few things better than coming home with a fat stack of old records after a day spent scouring garage sales and antique shops, sometimes your ‘black gold’ sounds more like a piece of plastic. Don’t throw out your vinyl just yet though, the tips in this blog can help you make them sound fresh again!

Making a mixtape that’s good enough to enter into a contest can be a daunting task, but what you get in return is usually more than worth the hassle: valuable experience, exposure, new contacts, and so on … But how do you make a mixtape that distinguishes you, and only you, from the immense sea of other Djs out there? Guestblogger, Amar Amlani (Dice DJ) reveals everything he’s learnt about the subtle art of making contest-worthy mixtapes.

For DJs, an organised music collection is vital to playing a flawless set. Adding structure by labelling files, folders and subfolders, finding the right tracks can be made much easier, and it can even help you add better transitions to your mixes. That means it’s time to bring order to the chaos! In this blog, I offer beginner DJs a handful of digital music managements tips.

Just like regular instruments, DJ gear is increasingly available in a purpose-built version for kids. From mixers and controllers to complete sets, young’uns have more and more to choose from every day. So what are the perfect introductory bits of DJ kit? In this blog, I’m going to tell you what your pride and joy needs to take their first steps into the world of DJing!

You see it more and more with living room and kitchen Djs, but also with professionals: playing with a DJ controller combined with an Android tablet or iPad. This set up doesn’t just make you more mobile but gives absolute beginners the ideal first step into the world of Djaying, especially since Djaying using Spotify has been proven to work. However, this kind of set up is not as straight forward as people might think. So, we’ve put this blog together to answer the most frequent questions that arise when picking out the right DJ controller to use alongside iOS and Android. Which controllers can handle it? And what do you need to look out for?

Everyone does it: get on the train and hole up with a good pair of headphones or ear-buds; soundtrack their walk to work with some happy-music, or go for a jog while jacked into some solid motivational smash hits. In most of these everyday sitches, you’re likely to push the volume up to compete with the traffic, the other commuters on the bus, or the heavy breathing of your fellow joggers. Fair enough. But what most people don’t realise is that this can unfortunately cause your delicate ears some serious damage. In this blog, we seek to answer the most essential questions regarding the hearing damage caused by using a humble set of headphones or ear-buds.

Finding the right tracks is one of the most fun challenges that come with being a DJ. But where do you even begin your search? As you know, buying a lot of singles or multiple versions of the same song will start to add up sooner or later. Today, guest blogger Amar Amlani (DiceDJ) is here to tell you all the tricks of the trade, so you can continue, or start, to astound your audience with fresh beats.

Since the welcome disappearance of CDs, along with the need to lug cases of them from gig to gig, a new question has arisen to match the new age of DJing: which is the best data storage format out there? There’s the pocket-sized SD card and the equally portable USB stick and the two are already battling it out for memory-based supremacy. Everyone has their own thoughts about who will win and the internet is filled with discussions and comment sections bristling with debate. But, is there actually such a thing as ‘the best USB stick’ or the ‘greatest SD card’ for DJs? In this blog, I’ll try to separate the fluff from the facts.

For some time now, DJ-ing has long been as much about the show as it is about what you play or what kind of effects you throw in. You’re never going to blow minds by just hitting play and sipping a cocktail. As such and especially for mobile Djs, the standard setup has expanded to include some pretty progressive lighting gear. Guestblogger and DJ, Brian (BRIVE) shares some of his experiences and tips to help guide you through what’s out there and to elevate your show and make sure your name, as well your tunes, stick in the heads of your crowd.

Without a doubt, Twitch is one of the biggest and hottest social media platforms in the world right now. In case you missed it, Twitch is a live streaming video platform which is used by over 140 million people every month. In comparison to other platforms that provide a streaming function, like YouTube, Twitch is far more popular due to the great working member-system, the advanced options they provide for streaming and their payout system.

There’s a never-ending debate of mixing live vs pre-recorded sets. Some will claim that a DJ should be able to just “feel the vibe of the audience” and act upon it, while for others, a great mix comes from preparation and organization. Of course there is a difference when you play for a crowd or when you make a mix for a radio show, podcast, or demo. Guest Blogger Jeroen of Moon Jelly Agency asked DJs within the agency’s network how to prepare for making a DJ mix and created a list with 7 tips to help you prepare your DJ set.

One of the most influential streaming platforms in the music industry, SoundCloud, has helped to kick-start the careers of many previously unknown artists. The open audio platform once started as a website for upcoming artists to upload their tracks, but has evolved to a platform with advertisements for revenue and an option for paid subscriptions. However, the website now has 175 million registered users and continues to function as the main track sharing platform for new artists. Today, Guest blogger Melvin van der Waal from Moon Jelly Agency shines his light on the benefits of the SoundCloud Pro Unlimited subscription.