In this edition of our Inside Track podcast, we explored whether Calvin Harris ripped off Chicane for his latest single, diving into the ongoing debate around the derivative nature of pop music sampling versus simply copying the feel or essence of a track. 

Next, we discussed the importance of DJs learning to use all different types of DJ gear. With so many formats and technologies out there, versatility remains a crucial skill for any serious DJ.

Finally, we wrapped up with a conversation about the three key things that need to happen for someone to truly get hooked on DJing for life.

As ever, this was a really fun discussion, made more so by our wonderful live student audience here at Digital DJ Tips, who joined us for the recording. Thank you to them, thank you for listening, and we hope you enjoy the show.

If you enjoy this podcast and you can, please do give us a five-star rating on Apple Podcasts. It really does make a difference.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Intro

00:17 Episode overview

00:59 Does Calvin Harris' new song copy Chicane?

17:25 Why DJs should be able to play on all gear

30:05 The three things that make you a DJ for life

Want to get your question answered on an episode of this podcast? Digital DJ Tips course owners get to ask questions in their student-only group. Your first step to getting involved is to buy a DJ course, so come and join our community at https://www.digitaldjtips.com.

From how to deal with inappropriate music requests to the biggest challenges facing DJs in 2025, we answered a whole range of student questions here at Digital DJ Tips this week. Enjoy!

As ever, this pod is supported 100% by the students of Digital DJ Tips, and it was recorded in a live webinar with lots of real-time feedback. If you enjoy it and you can, please do give us a five-star rating on Apple Podcasts. It really does make a difference.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Intro

00:14 Episode overview

01:16 How should DJs handle tricky requests?

08:09 What do you think about DJing with the Rekordbox iOS app?

16:57 Will Apple Music streaming work on my older DJ gear?

24:29 What are the biggest challenges facing DJs in 2025?

42:02 Tips for DJing festivals when you're used to open-format sets? 

Want to get your question answered on an episode of this podcast? Digital DJ Tips course owners get to ask questions in their student-only group. Your first step to getting involved is to buy a DJ course, so come and join our community at https://www.digitaldjtips.com.

In this edition of our Inside Track podcast, we kick things off with the question, "Why are DJs always expected to be doing something? Is looking busy really that important?" 

We also dive into why popular software platform VirtualDJ sometimes gets a bad rep among the wider DJing community. And finally, we look at the importance of recording DJ sets, alongside some of the challenges that come with it.

As always, this pod is supported 100% by the students of Digital DJ Tips, and it was recorded in a live webinar with lots of valuable student feedback. If you enjoy the podcast and you can, please do give us a five-star rating on Apple Podcasts. It really does make a difference.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Intro

00:15 Episode overview

01:32 Should DJs always be "doing something"?

14:41 Why VirtualDJ software is so divisive

23:13 The challenges of recording DJ sets

Want to get your question answered on an episode of this podcast? Digital DJ Tips course owners get to ask questions in their student-only group. Your first step to getting involved is to buy a DJ course, so come and join our community at https://www.digitaldjtips.com.

By combining the best of the old way of DJing with modern technology, Phil feels he has an opportunity to entertain and educate a new generation of DJs about some of the most important fundamentals - and as you'll hear, he's taking it to a massive stage this summer. All is revealed in this special episode...

Read the full article here: https://www.digitaldjtips.com/first-gig-on-vinyl-in-22-years/

As ever, this pod is supported 100% by the students of Digital DJ Tips, and it was recorded in a live webinar with lots of student feedback. If you enjoy it and you can, please do give us a five-star rating on Apple Podcasts. It really does make a difference.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Intro

00:14 Episode overview

01:02 How it started

02:40 Creating a custom system

04:15 Sourcing DJ gear

06:20 Building the booth

07:35 SKAA speakers

08:37 Digging for records

11:00 Practice sessions

12:41 Finding a "test site"

14:50 Gig takeaways

20:18 Next steps...

Want to get your question answered on an episode of this podcast? Digital DJ Tips course owners get to ask questions in their student-only group. Your first step to getting involved is to buy a DJ course, so come and join our community at https://www.digitaldjtips.com.

We get all philosophical right at the beginning this week, with a question about when (if ever) DJs should finally hang their headphones up. We also talk about music curation vs. creativity, what to do when the gear in venues is unreliable, and we try to answer the question, "Why does no one make separates in the DJ world anymore?"

These and other queries asked by our wonderful DJ community are all answered in this wide-ranging April edition of our Your Questions podcast. 

As ever, this pod is supported 100% by the students of Digital DJ Tips, and it was recorded in a live webinar with lots of student feedback. If you enjoy it and you can, please do give us a five-star rating on Apple Podcasts. It really does make a difference.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Intro

00:15 Episode overview

01:07 When is it time to quit DJing?

12:39 Where's the new modular DJ gear for consumers?

18:36 Any tips for balancing music curation with creativity?

29:19 Should DJs pre-plan transitions or mix on the fly?

34:47 How do you deal with unreliable equipment at a DJ gig? 

Want to get your question answered on an episode of this podcast? Digital DJ Tips course owners get to ask questions in their student-only group. Your first step to getting involved is to buy a DJ course, so come and join our community at https://www.digitaldjtips.com.

The big news this week, of course, was the arrival of Apple Music as a streaming platform on all major DJ hardware and software. We then looked at the absolutely essential software that all DJs need before finishing up with a discussion on using laptop-free gear in 2025. 

As ever, this pod is supported 100% by the students of Digital DJ Tips, and it was recorded in a live webinar with lots of valuable student feedback. We'd like to extend a special thank you to everyone who participated in this very busy show! 

If you enjoy the podcast and you can, please do give us a five-star rating on Apple Podcasts. It really does make a difference.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Intro

00:15 Episode overview

01:30 Apple Music arrives for DJs

13:54 What software do you REALLY need as a digital DJ?

33:21 All-in-one/standalone vs laptop DJing 2025

Want to get your question answered on an episode of this podcast? Digital DJ Tips course owners get to ask questions in their student-only group. Your first step to getting involved is to buy a DJ course, so come and join our community at https://www.digitaldjtips.com.

In this show, recorded live to an audience of Digital DJ Tips students, we tackle some of the big questions our community has asked our tutors in the last few weeks.

We cover how to record great mixtapes effortlessly, what to do when you've established a mobile DJ business but want to grow further, how to set all the different volume controls on DJ gear (so that your mixes sound loud and clear), and more!

As ever, this pod is supported 100% by the students of Digital DJ Tips, and it was recorded in a live webinar with lots of student feedback. If you enjoy it and you can, please do give us a five-star rating on Apple Podcasts. It really does make a difference.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Intro

00:15 Episode overview

01:09 Advice for growing an established mobile DJ business?

10:58 Any tips for improving "poor quality" DJ mixes?

16:32 Which music prep software do you recommend for DJs?

23:38 How do DJs pick which songs to include in their mixtapes?

26:06 When releasing mixtapes, should DJs focus on quality or quantity?

30:36 What's the process for setting volume controls on DJ gear? 

Want to get your question answered on an episode of this podcast? Digital DJ Tips course owners get to ask questions in their student-only group. Your first step to getting involved is to buy a DJ course, so come and join our community at https://www.digitaldjtips.com.

On the Digital DJ Tips DJ school Inside Track podcast this month, we're looking at three topics that the DJ community is talking about at the moment. This month we've got:

1. The real price of DJing - What does it really cost to take up DJing as a hobby? Not only getting the equipment but keeping up with subscriptions and so on. We do the numbers for you.

2. Lossy versus compressed music - What's the difference between a lossless and a lossy file, and an uncompressed and a compressed file, and do DJs need to know? We dive deeper..

3. Rekordbox subscriptions still down - They've been down for a while now, meaning people can't subscribe, cancel, upgrade, or downgrade their subs. What's going on? And what issues for DJs using software does this highlight?

As ever, this pod is supported 100% by the students of Digital DJ Tips, and it was recorded in a live webinar with lots of student feedback. If you enjoy it and you can, please do give us a five-star rating on Apple Podcasts. It really does make a difference.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Intro

00:15 Episode overview

02:05 The real price of DJing

14:25 Lossy versus compressed music

27:31 Rekordbox subscriptions still down

Want to get your question answered on an episode of this podcast? Digital DJ Tips course owners get to ask questions in their student-only group. Your first step to getting involved is to buy a DJ course, so come and join our community at https://www.digitaldjtips.com.

An unusually busy podcast today with lots of questions so varied that I had to scattergun through them to a certain extent, but that made it more vibrant, and there was an awful lot of feedback from the community as well.

As ever, this pod is supported 100% by the students of Digital DJ Tips, and it was recorded in a live webinar with lots of student feedback. If you enjoy it and you can, please do give us a five-star rating on Apple Podcasts. It really does make a difference.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Intro

00:14 Episode overview

01:12 Is a DJ considered an artist?

06:21 How does songwriting fit into music production?

11:00 Best way to mix house music into drum & bass?

14:00 What separates hobby and pro DJs?

21:50 I'm ready to upgrade - which DJ controller should I get?

27:29 Do you have training for DJ.Studio software?

31:12 For DJing with stems, should I use Mp3 or WAV files?

36:29 Should I DJ with streaming services on my phone?

39:35 Tips for getting more DJ gigs? 

Want to get your question answered on an episode of this podcast? Digital DJ Tips course owners get to ask questions in their student-only group. Your first step to getting involved is to buy a DJ course, so come and join our community at https://www.digitaldjtips.com.

Should DJs scratch? - Some love it, some hate it, some can do it, some think they'll never be able to - but at the end of the day, how important is scratching for DJs?

Have you got G.A.S.? - Gear Acquisition Syndrome is a trait that for some reason particularly affects hobby DJs. What is it? Is it a problem? And if so, how should you deal with it?

The 3 ways to market yourself as a DJ - None of these promo strategies are wrong, but knowing what you are (and aren't) prepared to do will make it easier for you to decide which route is right for you.

As ever, this pod is supported 100% by the students of Digital DJ Tips, and it was recorded in a live webinar with lots of student feedback. If you enjoy it and you can, please do give us a five-star rating on Apple Podcasts. It really does make a difference.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Intro

00:15 Episode overview

01:13 Should DJs scratch?

16:46 Have you got G.A.S.?

29:30 Three promo strategies for DJs

Want to get your question answered on an episode of this podcast? Digital DJ Tips course owners get to ask questions in their student-only group. Your first step to getting involved is to buy a DJ course, so come and join our community at https://www.digitaldjtips.com.