Is DJing With Streaming Services The New 'Sync'? #TuesdayTipsLive - Online DJ School

Music streaming in DJ apps: Is having access to millions of songs at the touch of a button trigging the same kind of debate today in DJing that using the "sync" button triggered a few years back? Does it make things "too" easy? Are you less of a "real DJ" for streaming at gigs? Is it reliable? What if the internet goes down?

In short, is it the next big thing - or a distraction?

We share our thoughts on the topic, including "hybrid" DJ collections, current streaming options in DJ software, reliability of online music libraries and WiFi, our recommendations for success, as well as predictions for the future (Apple Music, hardware integrations, cloud lockers, and so on)

Let's discuss: weigh in below with your thoughts on DJ streaming...

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[FermbizX]

I use SoundCloud not only for uploading my mixes, but its the biggest source where I find new artists, labels, and new tunes. Its opened up a whole new world for me. And with that, I'm sorta old school, I enjoy searching and purchasing music, whether it be vinyl or digital. I like to compare the music I purchase to comic books. I like to play the music I found and present it to the world and say, this is from my collection, I hope you enjoy!

I've been following you guys for the past month, and if theres anything I learned so far, its that DJ'ing can can be presented in anyway, that includes the sync button (i dont use 😛), or now, using streaming services to DJ with. I welcome it all.

Thanks for the video!

[daveparadice]

Making it "easier for new djs" should never be a problem. Just means you have to be better, more creative to stay ahead. I cant wait to get into streaming. Haven't dabbled yet, def will. People hate change, people hated cdjs, NOW what. CDJ's took over the DJ world, streaming will too, Im fairly confident of that. Good vid mate, thanks!

[johnlock]

Recently did a gig and my external hard drive failed part way through. Using Deezer and Virtual DJ I finished the night. Seamlessly they worked as if it was my hard drive.

[simplewealth_]

As a wedding DJ, will be great to make playlists on Spotify for the songs I need for that particular wedding I know I will never use again. I will fully embrace streaming songs as I love filling my local library with songs I love and will use all the time. For events where I know I will only use the song once will be great to be able to stream them. Now the big question is, will I be able to cache the Spotify/tidal playlists to my laptop while I’m at home, or will I have to wait until I’m at the event to stream it live and depend on the internet connection. That might be the deal break as I can’t risk not having the first dance song, etc. stored locally

[GAPPYAKADJTOMA]

I don't understand why there's so much hype about it being too easy for new DJs... I was brought up in the turntable days & carrying milk crates full of records around. When the digital DJ software was introduced it only lightened my work load. Now, I don't have to carry all those crates around. Plus, today the sync feature isn't what people think. In traktor there's beat sync & tempo sync. I use tempo sync to make quicker mixes, but I would never use beat sync. Tempo sync just matches the speed allowing the DJ to still have full control of the audio... With beat sync the DJ will not be able to do that... Anyway, older DJs need to stop hating on newer DJs. If the technology was available back then I'm sure the older DJs would've used it... Technology will continue to evolve. So let's just embarrass it & enjoy it. Bless up.

[CastroBlues]

Is streaming the new sync button? No. Should it be used for live performance? You run a risk. If you lose internet connection, or if you have low bandwidth, you're done. If companies allow you to save music locally within your software, then its a game changer! I think it's still worth investing in your music and procuring so you ultimately own it. For practice or simple gigs, its really awesome!
All the music on a service like Spotify is a serious weapon DJ's can add to their arsenal!

[VilmarSimson]

Fair assessment, it definitely falls into the same category for me.
It is going to be the next big thing as the generation that is coming up is living a subscription based lifestyle (Apple Music, Spotify, Netflix, Hulu). Owning less as they can't afford a big house with enough space due to crazy house prices to hord it all. It's further lowering the threshold for people to try out DJing.

Arguments can be made that DJs are not investing in the art by purchasing (and supporting) the artist.
They will not know the tracks they play.
The time spend to get tracks is now reduced as somebody can now look at a Spotify top 100, search for the names and play them.
Venue's and promoters can now have anybody stand behind the decks and play from a laptop cause they have sorted the music.

On the flip side it allows DJs to play a gig they were not properly informed about. Thinking you have to play Urban but the crowd doesn't want it, they want Latin music.
Gives DJs that bit of creativity to go beyond their comfort zone without heavily investing time and money at first.
Makes a DJ brand more important.

It's a double edged sword and it should not matter as long as the crowd is dancing and enjoying themselves.
DJs just need to keep proving why they are needed by being and staying creative and surprise a crowd.
The relationship between the DJ and the venue/promoter is going to be interesting.

[haroldtan]

Aside from songs that get grayed out, I am telling you right now that not all tracks or not all remix versions are available on Spotify, Tidal or other streaming services

[dj-peterofficial]

Some contradictions.... If using it as ''when needed'', the music will NOT be on the computer and a reliable internet connection WILL be needed. If agreeing on that the music need to be on the computer to not rely on a internet connection to be on the safe side, why not get the music from any available source like we do now anyway? As a DJ it's important to know when to play the right part of the right track to the right people at the right time... and looking for the perfect remix to fit the way I play is very important to me, and I suppose to most DJ's. It takes time and preparations to even know which version(s) of a track to use. Taking a version randomly could absolutely destroy a perfect set and a full dance floor.

Finally, being a pro DJ, playing since 1985, change is unavoidable but to ensure a future where all the money spent, and time invested in getting and knowing your music, it has to be transferable to any other platform you may want to use in the future. Nothing ever stays the same. The WORST time ever as a DJ, was when I had to decide if I wanted to start all over collecting and buying all my music again when CD's replaced vinyl in the mid 90's. 10 years of investment, gone! Not only the many hours I had to invest to make the transfer, but the money I had to spend on either buying new CD's, or burning $15 60 min CD's on my $1800 studio grade CD audio burner.

Back to the topic... Using Serato now and this streaming service they have, how will that affect a transition to another platform, or software in the future? Back to Vinyl->CD situation? That's actually when a lot of DJ's quit playing, and I will never put myself in that situation again. It's the sum of my music collection and my knowledge about, and how play it, that sets me apart from a lot of other DJ's. Without the knowledge about my collected music, it's just a bunch of, although very good, music. ...and vice versa.

[QuadratAugenFresse]

Well not being able to tell that one girl (you know her) you dont have that track, will kill me.

[chillumvillain]

I have two main issues with the idea of using a streaming service for DJing and why I would consider it very taboo. One, the requirement of an internet connection, and two, the low quality of the files available through the streaming service. For my first hang-up I would like to refer to Murphy’s Law. “Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.” So eventually as a DJ you will run into a scenario where you will lose access to the internet and it will hurt and perhaps even halt your DJing performance. With a streaming service I feel that it will inevitably happen and with that in mind it makes me uncomfortable to use. For my second hang-up I would only want to use the highest quality files so that the audience and myself experience the best set possible. I believe that most of the streaming is around 256 Kbps, and if I’m not mistaken our ears stop being able to hear the difference in quality from 320 Kbps and above, however I always desire something higher than 320 Kbps because at that point I feel that your body can feel more of the frequencies and can enjoy the higher quality even if your ears can’t hear them. That is one of my favorite parts about good, high quality music. It crosses over from just hearing the music to feeling it and tickling multiple senses. With that in mind I want the highest quality music I can get with the largest range of frequencies within reason, and for the time being I don’t believe streaming services will be able to meet that quality threshold. I do like the idea of having a larger access to music for artists so that DJs can individually tailor his or her sound and improve their options for what they want to play in a set. Hopefully then they can spend more time on how they want to mix their music instead of spending as much time figuring out what to mix. This has potential and I like that it makes DJing more accessible, but I hope that an influx of new DJs will not cause a heavy dilution in the passionate/ talented DJ pool resulting in an abundance of sub-par sets and performances. Let’s do our best to keep the bar set high and even raise it with these new tools at our disposal.

[RoyalFireSquad]

Really happy with it! You forget the monetize fact...this is maybe one of the last steps to get dj’s back in the influencers business again?!? (Paid by click/listen) nothing new...but now str8 into the bedroom/gig! (Djproducers-Friends from you can find it...)
🔥🔥🔥

[Mark-ftyx]

New tech is a fantastic thing. Be more craative, sync and spend your time adding loops and samples over your mix.

However where I do have a problem is when venue/club owners devalue a good dj's skills because music costs less. Ease of access to become a dj has generated new dj's who are giving their services away for free to get a start. More dj's fighting for gigs, so professionals are less valuable because of over supply.

Here is Australia dj's are getting less money or if their lucky, the same wage they got ten to fifteen years ago. As a result the average music venue has very low skilled dj's playing music.

Is this killing the scene/culture for performance dj'ing?

[marklewis]

Will you b able to record your own sets still Using tracks from spotify for example ..as you dont technicly own those tracks..

[DanielleKingdjdinosaur]

i dont need streaming services but of course many djs might.The downside is now people will expect you to have whatever they want.

[djlys]

I'm a week late, But this is a great topic.
Personally, I prefer to own my music.

To those that make the 'its making it too easy': STFU!
1 still needs a thing called talent..

[phinds]

Phil, just so you know, when you look down to look at your tablet or your notes, it distorts your mic pretty badly. Could use a limiter on your mic, , ,

[DjDecanus]

Did you ride your horse and buggy to the market today or did you drive a car or better yet take public transit?

[EmmitElliott]

It is not the new sync button. I welcome streaming. It allows me to have access to songs that I generally would not be on the radar for. I have a huge library now and still miss songs. Streaming does not replace timing, mixing and most of all selecting music. If you played horrible sets before streaming you will still play a crappy set while streaming.

[Aves_]

I like the idea, but I'm hoping for Spotify premium integration into more services.