Preselecting playlist

Some DJs assemble their playlist for a dance ahead of time, especially if they play their music from their laptop or iPod.  Others plan out their general rotation of dance types but wait until the moment to select the song itself, watching the dancers' energy to see what the perfect tune for that moment will be.

Both approaches are equivalent to creating a lesson plan for teaching a class, so therefore my advice is the same as on my teaching tips page, for the same reason.  I recommend creating a good plan, then improvising on it at the moment.

When you assemble a playlist in the quiet of your office or home, you can try to guess what the mood of the dance will be at each moment, but you can never be sure.  It's easier to accurately guess the rotation of dance types... a calmer tango after a fast exhausting swing, for example.  So you can draw up a playlist of dance types.  But the variables for selecting the best tunes are so complex that it's far better to use your intuition, in watching the energy of the dancers at that moment, to choose the perfect song.

Have you ever pre-assembled a playlist of tunes then thought, "It seemed like a good idea when I wrote the playlist, but that tune just didn't work very well."  Yes, that will happen at least once every night, and more likely several times.

You can say, "oh well, that's good enough" if you want to be a "good-enough" DJ.  This page is suggestions of how to be abetter DJ, maybe a great one.

An ideal compromise is to plan out your playlist ahead of time, including the song titles, then re-evaluate your choices right before you get to each one, during the dance.  "Was that really the best choice for right now?"  You'll probably find that most of your preplanned list is okay, then occasionally you'll make a substitution when you feel that your first guess wasn't really the best choice for this moment, or if you come up with a better choice which didn't occur to you during your prep time.

Here's a specific suggestion to help come up with the perfect tune for the moment.  Have second music player (not the one playing music for the dancers) with headphones, to hear your possible song choices during the three minutes when the previous song is playing.  Our memory of our music collection is often sufficient, but actually hearing the next tune, in the real context of the moment, is usually better.  (This method works better with CDs and MDs than with laptops and iPods.)

Best DJ Headphones

You are likely to find this guide helpful, if you plan to buy DJ headphones , but find it pretty challenging to navigate the vast terrain of offers, differing in frequency ranges, bass response, swivel mechanisms and other parameters. Instead, we narrow you choice options, presenting these 10 Best DJ headphones for you to choose from.

Skullcandy SK Pro

 These headphones, aimed specifically at DJs, are very popular with their eye-catching variety of colors, so that everyone can find something to their taste. You can comfortably wear these headphones for a long time due to the ear cups with thick leatherette soft ear pads, which are large enough to fit comfortably around the ears, and not just rest on them. Skullcandy SK Pro isn’t fatiguing sound-wise, too, with the 50mm drivers, which deliver warm, deep bass and clear, crisp treble. The model features a coiled cord, 90 degrees swivel of ear-cups, is designed to fold and is overall portable and compact.

Sony MDR-V700

 The MDR-V700DJ is in the top range of headphones Sony produce specifically for DJs. This model features deeper, down to 5Hz, bass response, a wider driver, swiveling and reversing ear-cups, a carry case, and a 10 foot-long cord. Their thick design gives a misleading impression of heaviness, while in fact they are very light and comfortable to wear, with a wide molded headband keeping them tightly in place. The warm and balanced sound they deliver with strong bass and detailed upper frequencies doesn’t tire the ears over long time.

Sennheiser HD 25-C II

 What makes Sennheiser HD 25’s so largely preferred by professional DJs are such advantages as better outside-noise isolation (even in extremely noisy environment) and the rough build of construction. Though hard to break, even if they do, every damaged part can be replaced. This model also features rotating ear-cups (for one-ear monitoring), a nylon carry bag, a 3 metre-long coiled cable, and a pair of velvety velour earpads for replacement. Their light and adjustable (to virtually any head size) construction is very comfortable to wear for extended periods of time.

Audio-Technica ATH-PRO5-MS

(camouflage)

 These stylish ATH-PRO5-MS camouflage headphones feature warm sounding bass with their powerful 40mm drivers, and their wide, 15 – 28,000 Hz, frequency range gives them a natural sound. Their lightweight construction – with large, comfortably fitting earcups and well-padded headband – is very comfortable to wear. The single-sided coiled cable and strongly rugged all-metal affair of jack connector mean they are not easy to break.

Panasonic RP-HTX7

(black)

 One of their bestselling models, Panasonic’s retro styled RP-HTX7 comes in a diversity of colors. With a variety of adjustments and wide headband this model is designed to fit most comfortably the majority of consumers. These headphones are pleasant to wear for long periods without any pressure on your head, with their large, foam, leatherette-covered earpads fitting comfortable around the ears. The full, warm sound of their wide (7 – 22,000 Hz) frequency range doesn’t tire. Though relatively short (only 1.2m), their single-sided straight cable won’t tangle easily.

Sennheiser HD-215

Though the most affordable among the broad range of Sennheiser’s DJ headphones, HD-215’s boast a lot of features of more expensive models, such as rotatable ear cups (for one-ear monitoring), outstanding isolation from outside noise, and a detachable single-sided 3m coiled cable. The soft foam earpads with large, comfortably fitting earcups may be not quite ideal for people with small heads or those looking for lower profile headphones. Sound-wise, the great stereo imaging gives them a real sense of space and depth.

Allen Heath Xone XD-53

 These Audio Technica-manufactured headphones provide excellent isolation – a feature so much-welcomed by DJs working in noisy environments. They offer rotating and swiveling earcups (for easy one-ear monitoring); a metal-reinforced, adjustable headband; a coiled, 3m single-sided cord; a folding design for compact portability and leatherette carry pouch. This model features fantastic sound with a frequency range 5 – 33,000 Hz; and their 53mm, large drivers provide detailed crisp highs, deep thumping bass and punchy mids without distortion.

Sennheiser HD 25 SP II

 With the look and many features of its older brother HD 25s, this Sennheiser HD 25 SP model is more affordable. The HD 25 SPs headphones feature a single headband, a frequency range of 30 – 16,000 Hz, and a double sided cable. Though smaller and lighter in design, the HD 25 SPs are built to last with virtually all of their parts being replaceable. This model features also excellent noise isolation and detailed clear sound.

Technics RP-DH1200

 This leading model of Technics weighs 435g and features a pretty chunky construction, and yet, it’s a rather common sight in DJ booths with the shiny face on the ear cups it has. The RP-DH1200s feature an impressive 5 – 30,000 Hz frequency range with bright and full of bass sound, which doesn’t tire. The headphones fold down to be stored and transported in a leatherette carry case which they come with. This model allows for one-ear monitoring with its rotating and swiveling ear cups, secures good noise-isolation, and the ear cushions and padded headband allow for comfortable listening for prolonged period of time.

Technics RP-DJ1200A

This Technics RP-DJ1200A model is designed for DJs, who prefer smaller headphones. It features a 5 – 30,000 Hz wide frequency range and delivers a solid bassy sound, though not quite so thumping, since its drivers are only 41mm. RP-DJ1200A supports one-side monitoring with its 270 degrees- swivel folding swing arms on ultra-rugged headband. And the 3-meter long single-sided coiled cord will make minimum tangles to get annoyed with.

How sell your mixtape on iTunes and Amazon

This year I will be coming out with a mixtape and I in fact want to sell it on iTunes and Amazon to obtain at least a little money back, due to the fact that I have actually invested a whole lot into it, however all this copyright stuff is confusing me.
“The mix is exclusive remixes of top tunes. Will they enable this, and if not, what are my various other choices? I a minimum of want to sell my mixtape for $ 1, as I’ve worked so difficult to put it together I want to at least obtain a little cash back from it. Please help me.”.

Even if you’ve made your own re-edits or remixes of tracks for your mix, it is still is covered by the original tracks’ copyrights, and you cannot upload mixes to these services to sell containing such product.

If you simply wish to get your songs out there, Mixcloud is a great place to publish to. If you wish to get some refund, there are 2 services I know of.
Beatport has service that enables you to publish and start selling your blends (it’s calledBeatport Mixes). You can do something similar with a brand-new service just launched by The Future FM.
Bear in mind that the possibilities of you making much money from publishing an unidentified mix to the net are reduced– honestly you ‘d be better using your mix as a “calling card” and attempting to get paid DJ gigs with it.