There’s a lot of music out there these days and a good proportion of it is really superb. However, with such a large quantity of new music being released every week, searching for the very best tunes for your next set is a skill that it is definitely worth spending some time developing. There are a few simple steps you can take to narrow down your search and ensure that your online shopping trips are as much fun and as easy as they should be.
Here are 6 tips we can share with you for online tune shopping.
- Get to know the different genre sections. Part of the skill set of a good DJ is being able to recontextualise tracks, to take them and put them to work in a new context – so even if you generally play techno, there will be plenty of other brilliant pieces of music that could work for your sets in other genres too. There are great tracks in all genres, you should be hunting for them.
- DJ Charts. Some charts are just a list of the DJ and their mates’ latest releases, but often a DJ chart will contain some real gems. Checking out the chart of a producer or DJ whose stuff you like can be like opening up an audio treasure chest.
- Shazam is your friend. And 4 am in the middle of the dance floor is a great place to discover your favourite new tune. Just remember that there’s a growing anti-phones-in-the-club movement, what with little glowing screens being really distracting and ruining the vibe – so whip it out, do the deed and then go about your dance floor business.
- Use the Want List. Want lists are great, they’re like the bag of vinyl that decent record shops used to keep behind the counter for favoured customers back in the day. You can have a listening binge, put a stack of tunes in the list, have a cooling off period and then return with a level head to make some choice buying decisions.
- Following your favourite labels and artists on social media is one of the most effective ways to get tips and pointers on new releases.
- Shop at Traxsource! Obviously, there are other music retailers and they’re all great in their own different ways, but you know that when it comes to House music, we are the industry specialists.
You’re probably going to have to learn some artist names, pseudonyms, labels, and producers; but becoming a master of your chosen genre is one of the most fun things about being a DJ – you get to completely geek out in the name of your job, and in the process, you’ll slowly become a musical expert.
