In this episode, DJ reviewer extraordinaire Mojaxx (whose gear reviews have informed generations of DJs) joins us to chat about all the changes in DJ gear since vinyl was replaced by CDs, and to reminisce about long-forgotten kit that still has a place in our hearts, while also looking to the future.

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

00:14 Episode overview

02:05 - Meet Mojaxx: From Hi-Fi systems to DJ gear obsession

05:16 - The digital revolution: DVS, controllers & the last 15 years

09:18 - The two parallel worlds of DJing converge

12:09 - Simplicity vs complexity: Have we lost something important?

15:10 - Gear Acquisition Syndrome (G.A.S): Want vs need

20:56 - Stop chasing the perfect gear - it doesn't exist!

25:07 - Pioneer DJ's secret: 25 years of consistency

32:06 - Failed innovations: The Red Sound triple crossfader

35:19 - When DJ technology gets too complex

40:00 - The truth about using more than two decks

42:53 - AI and DJing: Art vs craft

46:40 - Preserving DJ culture in the tech age

52:33 - The backwards DJ journey: From apps to vinyl

56:16 - Closing thoughts + vinyl episode teaser

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.

If you've been wondering whether you're too old to start DJing, DJ Jazzy Jeff has news for you: mature music lovers are driving the biggest DJ renaissance in decades, and it's the young crowd that's missing out.

Fresh from a European tour that saw him playing everything from Wembley Stadium to intimate beach parties in Portugal, Jeff observed something remarkable happening in dance music...and we chat all about it with him on today's special podcast episode. Enjoy! 

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

00:14 Episode overview

01:02 Why the OGs are getting booked everywhere

03:54 The first hip hop cruise: Rock The Bells success

06:00 The thing that keeps DJs in the game for 40+ years

11:04 Curating from more new music than ever

13:46 The right conditions for listening to music

17:41 What it was like playing with Will in front of 80,000 at Wembley

23:19 MagMob VIP origins & where to catch Jeff's livestreams

27:45 The purpose & evolution of Playlist Retreat

32:12 What Jeff has learned from hosting a creative DJ retreat

35:03 How AI will change DJing (and what will stay the same)

39:04 Making music for the FIFA 2026 World Cup

40:58 What it was like filming two DJ courses with us

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 help you fix your messed-up music libraries, explain why yes, it is still important to use headphones as a DJ despite what some "young cats" might tell you, and help a new DJ who is feeling completely overwhelmed by all the possibilities that modern DJing presents. 

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

00:14 Episode overview

02:08 How to keep on top of your DJ music library

16:46 Why headphones are still important for DJs

26:24 How to conquer overwhelm when you're returning to DJing

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 Your Questions podcast, we have a mobile DJ asking if it's even possible to play like James Hype for 5-6 hours...and whether he should...

We then tackle the classic gain staging issue of not going "into the red" before discussing harmonic mixing and whether DJ gear should always be horizontal! (Yep, you heard me right.) It’s the usual mixed bag of absorbing questions from our wonderful community. I hope you enjoy what we’ve got for you this month!

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

00:53 Should mobile DJs mix like James Hype?

08:53 Mixed In Key, DJ software analysis, or both?

17:27 Advice for setting the gain on DJ gear?

23:35 Pros & cons to bringing your own booth monitor?

27:52 Why do DJs mix "flat" (aka horizontally)?

31:54 How long does it take to complete your online DJ training?

36:30 What's the audio quality like on standalone 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.

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.