DJ Forum

Below is a list of useful links for the best DJ gear, controllers & software. Please reply to this topic if you find any other useful links ... Year Links 2025 5 Best Pro DJ Controllers (Learning To DJ) Top 5 DJ Controllers Under $600 (Equipboard) Best All-In-One Standalone DJ Systems (Digital DJ Tips) Best beginner DJ controllers 2025 (Music Radar) Best DJ Controllers (The DJ Shop) Top 7 Best DJ Controllers of 2025 (Product London) 2024 Best DJ controllers 2024: Hands-on control for Serato, rekordbox, Traktor and more - our expert picks Best DJ Gear 2024: 11 best DJ software for mixing and playlisting in 2024 Best DJ plugins of 2024: Free software and apps for DJing…

Yes, you can absolutely learn to DJ online because the technical core of the craft, including beatmatching, phrasing, and software navigation, follows clear patterns that translate perfectly to video. While a screen cannot simulate the physical energy or unpredictable environment of a live crowd, it is the most efficient way to master your gear and […]View the full article

Beatport has just confirmed that Beatsource will be fully merged into its platform, bringing these two huge DJ platforms together into one single service. These are two of the biggest names out there in the DJ music world, but for a while, they’ve started to overlap, and there’s been a fair bit of confusion between […]View the full article

That tangle of mystery cables stuffed behind your gear isn’t going to sort itself out, but this practical guide is a good starting point. No more guessing, no more Googling – we answer all the questions you’ve ever had about DJ cables, from “Will this shock me?” to “Why won’t my turntable stop buzzing?” (and … Continued The post DJ Cables Explained (No More Guessing!) appeared first on Digital DJ Tips. View the full article

If you’ve ever shown up to a gig and realised you’ve left your USB at home, you’ll understand exactly why cloud DJing is such an attractive idea. What if your music was just there? Log in on the hardware and it’s all waiting for you. No USB to prep, carry, forget, or corrupt. Engine DJ … Continued The post Engine DJ & Dropbox: Can You Really DJ Without USB? appeared first on Digital DJ Tips. View the full article

Beatsource has confirmed it is shutting down as a standalone platform and merging fully into Beatport, creating a single DJ-focused streaming and download service. Beatsource subscribers are being contacted now and will be invited to transfer their accounts over the coming months – after which, access to Beatsource will be permanently terminated. We predicted exactly … Continued The post It’s Official: Beatsource Is Merging Into Beatport appeared first on Digital DJ Tips. View the full article

As promised at launch, Rane and Serato have announced Serato DJ Pro support for the Rane System One, the motorised standalone DJ system. The integration uses the System One’s OmniSource architecture to let DJs switch between Serato DJ Pro and standalone sources without interruption – meaning you can have a track playing from USB on … Continued The post Rane System One Now Seamlessly Supports Serato DJ Pro appeared first on Digital DJ Tips. View the full article

If you’ve got a standalone Engine DJ unit (like the Rane System One or Denon DJ’s standalone range), here’s a tip that’s going to make your home set-up a whole lot simpler. No USB drive or cables needed – your laptop doesn’t even have to be in the same room! Exporting to a USB drive … Continued The post How To DJ From Your Laptop on Engine DJ Gear (No USB Needed!) appeared first on Digital DJ Tips. View the full article

RANE and Serato have just confirmed that Serato DJ Pro is now officially supported on the RANE System One. Sadly, this isn’t standalone Serato built into the unit, and you still need a laptop running Serato DJ Pro. Instead, what’s changed is how Serato now sits inside the System One’s OmniSource workflow. Plug your laptop […]View the full article

The Global DJ Census 2026: Click here to access your free report! Has Serato reclaimed the top spot in DJ software? Are more DJs livestreaming? And just how many are using AI in their DJing? The answers (and much more) are in the results of our 2026 Global DJ Census, the biggest and longest-running DJ … Continued The post 5 DJ Trends To Watch In 2026 (According To 22,000 DJs) appeared first on Digital DJ Tips. View the full article

You know that bit of a track you’re still humming the next morning? The part someone’s trying to sing back to you at the DJ booth when they request it? That’s the hook – and according to our tutor James Hype, it’s the single most important element of any club banger. In this free lesson … Continued The post What Is a “Hook” And Why Does Every Club Banger Need One? appeared first on Digital DJ Tips. View the full article

Not so long ago, digital DJs had no music streaming option at all. If you wanted to DJ, you needed the music files – downloaded, bought, or ripped – on your computer or USB drive. That was it. Things have changed – fast. Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Beatport, SoundCloud, and more have arrived on DJ … Continued The post Why Serious DJs Still Buy Their Music (And Don’t Rely On Streaming) appeared first on Digital DJ Tips. View the full article

Alan D. Oldham, better known as DJ T-1000, carries the history of Detroit techno in everything he makes. His new EP Ghosthack bridges that legacy with the immediacy of modern production. The music feels tactile and deliberate, reflecting a workflow that has never lost its connection to physical control. At the center of that process is Maschine. For Oldham, it’s the hub that keeps his creativity anchored. The pads, sequencing, and portability all allow him to move fast while staying grounded in rhythm and feel. Ghosthack came together through this direct, instinct-driven approach, merging old-school grit with modern precision. From his early analog sessions in Detroit to …

DJ LIFE’s magazine featuring Laidback Luke, Nostalgix, Cosmic Gate, DJ Slim McGraw, Rane One MKII, New Gear & More! In the February 2026 issue of DJ LIFE Magazine (Vol.6 No.1), we caught up with dance music mainstay — DJ, producer, and Reloop developer — Laidback Luke. As we usher in the new year, it’s also [...] The post DJ LIFE Magazine – February 2026 Issue Vol.6 No.1 appeared first on DJ LIFE Magazine. View the full article

Reading a crowd as a DJ means observing how people respond to your music and adjusting your track selection, energy and direction in real time. This ability to look at a crowd of people and figure out what they want is one of the most important skills out there and is what separates a great […]View the full article

Got older tracks you love but can’t play because they just don’t hit hard enough on a modern dancefloor? The drums are weak, the kick doesn’t punch, and dancers don’t respond. That’s the problem a redrum solves – and with stems, you can do it live, right in your set. In this free lesson from … Continued The post Live Redrums: How To Make Any Track Hit Harder Using Stems appeared first on Digital DJ Tips. View the full article

The post From EFX to RMX, we explore the evolution of our DJ effectors appeared first on Pioneer DJ. View the full article

The latest update doubles down on creative visuals, smarter BPM control, and enhanced lyric intelligence for DJs. VirtualDJ continues its steady evolution with the release of VirtualDJ 2026 Part 2, an update that leans heavily into AI-assisted performance, all while keeping the needs of hands-on DJs front and center. Rather than chasing automation for its [...] The post VirtualDJ 2026 Part 2 Expands AI-Driven DJ Tools appeared first on DJ LIFE Magazine. View the full article

VirtualDJ has released another major update to its software, adding AI-generated visuals, improved lyrics detection, and – most interestingly for us – a long-teased “Fluid BPM” system with a BPM Stabiliser designed specifically for DJs who mix without the sync button. Truly reliable auto beatgrids Reliable variable beatgrid analysis has been a hot topic since … Continued The post VirtualDJ Gets Fluid Beatgridding & AI Video Visuals appeared first on Digital DJ Tips. View the full article

Ever wondered what everything does on the back of a professional DJ mixer? What plugs in where? Why there are so many different kinds of sockets? You’re in the right place. Understanding mixer connections helps you work with any DJ gear, in any venue – controllers, CDJs, all of it. Professional mixers contain pretty much … Continued The post DJ Mixer Inputs & Outputs: Every Connection Explained appeared first on Digital DJ Tips. View the full article

With thousands of new tracks released every week and millions already out there, building a quality DJ music collection can feel overwhelming. How do you go from “all the world’s music” to having the right tracks ready for your next gig? The answer is our Playlist Pyramid method – a simple, systematic approach we’ve taught … Continued The post The Playlist Pyramid: From Music Discovery To Great DJ Sets appeared first on Digital DJ Tips. View the full article

TrackSniff is a new web-based AI tool that does something Shazam can’t – it analyses entire DJ mixes and returns timestamped tracklists. The service actually launched in August 2025, but it only just came to our attention when one of our students flagged it for us. The idea is that you paste a YouTube, Mixcloud, … Continued The post TrackSniff Is A Shazam Alternative Built For DJ Mixes appeared first on Digital DJ Tips. View the full article

Want to see how a legend organises music? In this free lesson from DJ Jazzy Jeff’s How To DJ Right (just one of the full suite of DJ and production courses you get with an All-Access Pass), Jeff opens up his Serato library and walks us through how he thinks about genres and styles – … Continued The post DJ Jazzy Jeff’s Genre System: How A Legend Organises 40 Years Of Music appeared first on Digital DJ Tips. View the full article

If you’ve ever switched from a DJ controller to CDJs and found yourself accidentally triggering tracks when you just wanted to preview a hot cue, you’ve discovered one of DJing’s most confusing quirks. It’s the difference between gated and normal hot cues, and it can really trip you up if you don’t know what’s happening. … Continued The post Gated vs “Normal” Hot Cues: Why They’re Different On CDJs & Controllers appeared first on Digital DJ Tips. View the full article

London’s iconic Ministry of Sound club reopened its main room – The Box – on 30 January as part of its 35th anniversary celebrations, after replacing its instantly recognisable Martin Audio sound system with a new KV2 custom rig, controversially now fully integrated into the room’s structure. This move alone was definitely risky: the iconic … Continued The post Ministry of Sound Reopens After Risky Main Room Rethink appeared first on Digital DJ Tips. View the full article

If you’re a Rekordbox user who’s been tearing your hair out because your auto loops won’t line up properly – even though your beatgrids are perfect – we’ve found the problem, and more importantly, the fix. This isn’t about using quantize to keep your loops tight during performance. This is a specific bug in Rekordbox … Continued The post Rekordbox Auto Loop Bug & How To Fix It appeared first on Digital DJ Tips. View the full article

Every turntable released since the Technics 1210 MK2 has tried to copy its layout, feel, and legendary build quality. Technics got everything right with this one, as the Mk2 remains the most sought-after version (later models arguably didn’t improve things). While hi-fi enthusiasts use these turntables to carefully place vinyl and kick back to enjoy … Continued The post 7 Technics Turntable Hacks Every DJ Should Know appeared first on Digital DJ Tips. View the full article

Scrolling through thousands of tracks trying to find what to play next? That’s no way to DJ! The solution is simple: stop thinking song-to-song and start organising your music into “minisets”. In this free lesson from our Mixing For Mobile & Wedding DJs course (just one of the full suite of DJ and production courses … Continued The post The “Miniset” Method: Organising Music For Better DJ Sets (Free Lesson) appeared first on Digital DJ Tips. View the full article

Ever watched a DJ cutting channel faders in time with the music and thought it looked too difficult? That technique is called a “fader cut”, and while it looks cool, mastering the skill itself is pretty straightforward. We break it all down in this tutorial. If you want to add some “flash” to your next … Continued The post How DJs Use “Fader Cuts” To Elevate Their Sets (Free Lesson) appeared first on Digital DJ Tips. View the full article

Since its release, DJ Studio has occupied a great sweet spot in the DJ software world. It’s designed to make DJ edits, mashups and mixes, without the extra production complexities of a full-blown DAW like Ableton. Instead, it’s always felt like something that was designed by DJs for DJs, and its workflow and tools really […]View the full article