[DJ Music Selection Techniques] 3 Recommended Music Source Websites for DJs [Comparison]

When you're DJing, you have to think about what music to play, right?
Do you want to play music from a particular genre, or do you want to focus on a particular story or theme, or do you want to show off your own personal taste...?
How do DJs who play at gigs or those who release mixtapes on the internet collect their music and choose what to play?

In this blog, I'll show you some methods for collecting sound sources that I recommend for everyone who wants to DJ! If you're a DJ, the first thing you need to do is collect sound sources!

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●DJ CITY.JP Record Pool
●Beatport Pro
●Sound Cloud

[Recommended for professional DJs! High-quality sound source purchasing sites for DJs]

DJ CITY.JP　Record Pool

DJ CITY, a music source site from the US, offers a service called Record Pool. It provides promotional music for a fixed fee. By paying around 3,600 yen per month, you can listen to and download the latest dance music.
The 3,600 yen fee may seem a little expensive, but it's worth it!

1. High-quality sound sources that can be played comfortably in clubs
You can download sound source data in Mp3 format at 320kbps! The data is compressed with little degradation, so it's high quality!
2. A lot of remixes for DJs, a cappella/voice sound sources, instrumental versions, etc offered.
You can download percussion-only tracks, scratch tracks, and a cappella tracks that are useful for making remixes, so you can expand the range of your mixes!
3. You can keep up with the latest music from overseas
The latest hit charts are posted in ranking format, so it's recommended for people who want to play music that is aware of trends!

[Strong in EDM and HIP-HOP genres!]

Beatport Pro

This is another dance music streaming site from the US. The difference between this and the DJ CITY site that I showed you earlier is that the music genres it handles are more EDM-oriented.
Of course, there is also more serious house and techno, it's best for EDM!

1. This site has a full range of popular music rankings for each genre
The site is divided into over 30 genres, and it shows the top 100 songs in each! Being able to search for songs by genre is extremely helpful when thinking about creating a mix!
2. You can also use it just to listen to music, which is extremely convenient!
With Beatport Pro, you can listen to tracks for free without registering on the site! If you find it troublesome to register your own address, I recommend you visit the site without logging in and listen to the tracks listed in the rankings!
3. Beatport Pro has exclusive pre-release tracks and tracks from minor labels!
If you want to surprise your audience, you can play a good tune that hasn't been heard before.
With Beatport Pro, you can discover exclusive tracks from up-and-coming artists overseas, as well as deep and core tracks that only music enthusiast who are always on the lookout for trends.

[Recommended for those who can't spend much money! A platform for posting and sharing music]

Sound Cloud

In addition to DJs, Sound Cloud is also recommended for bands, DTM users and anyone who plays music. If you're not familiar with Sound Cloud, it's probably easiest to think of it as a YouTube-like platform where you can upload audio files.
It's free to register and use, and depending on the audio file, it may be possible to download (or purchase) it, so if you come across an audio file you like, check to see if it's available to download!

1. Individuals are uploading sound sources too, so you can listen to interesting remixes and mashup sound sources!
Of course, like other sound source sites, labels and major artists are uploading sound sources, but if you create an account, you can upload sound sources yourself too!
There are so many songs, so the chances of finding a good sound source are also high!
2. Both uploading and downloading are basically free!
As mentioned above, the reason why so many people are uploading their own tracks is probably because of the low barrier to entry of “basically free”! Whether you're looking for tracks or uploading your own, you can make the most of it!
3. The smartphone app is really convenient! You can search for tracks anywhere
Sound Cloud can also be used with smartphone apps to easily listen to sound sources! It also supports background playback. It is recommended for people who want to listen to music while commuting to and from work.
The way Sound Cloud core users use it is to look for sound sources outside, and then download them on their PC or other device when they get home!

The methods for collecting sound sources introduced here are just a small part of what's available! In addition to the above, there are also lots of disc guides, music search apps, and websites where you can listen to mixed sound sources!
Let's all start building up a stock of songs you want to mix and play at clubs! Once you've got a good collection, it's time to move on to DJ play! In future articles, I'm going to write 'Beginner Support! Recommended DJ Equipment and Tips for Choosing the Right Equipment'!