The Digital DJ Tips Podcast

Every DJ's Secret Weapon (It's Not What You Think)

In this edition of our Inside Track podcast, we explore how the best DJs use volume as a secret weapon. Among all the advanced techniques of modern DJing, it's easy for newer DJs to overlook just how fundamental volume control is to a great performance. We'll look at why it matters so much and share some simple ways to improve your use of it. Next, we dig into where DJs actually keep their music and data. Emails, photos, documents - most of us store everything in the cloud these days. But what about DJ music libraries and performance data? We share the results of our recent community survey, which reveals some interesting thinking from our students and the wider DJ world. Finally, we ask, "How necessary is beatgridding, really?" Preparing your tracks for DJing is something that only became a thing with digital music - after all, you can't beatgrid a vinyl record. But does every DJ need to do it, and what happens if you don't? We explore the arguments for and against beatgridding your tracks. 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 00:15 Episode overview 02:23 How the best DJs use volume as a secret weapon 20:04 What DJs REALLY think about keeping their music online 32:47 How important are beatgrids for 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 [https://www.digitaldjtips.com].

"Help! I've fallen OUT OF LOVE with DJing!"

In this Your Questions edition of the podcast, we help a poor soul with DJ burnout, discuss the best standalone DJ software, dive deep into stems DJing, and even talk about how to keep your gear clean.  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 00:58 Is there a major Engine DJ update coming? 05:14 I'm falling out of love with DJing - help? 10:04 Should I use MP3s or WAV files for stems? 13:56 Can you split tracks into 16 stems? 18:33 How do I create mix CDs with track markers? 24:40 How do you clean your DJ gear? 27:30 What Apple laptop should I buy for 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 [https://www.digitaldjtips.com].

Why do some DJs HAMMER their effects?

In this edition of our Inside Track podcast, we explore whether DJing can actually be taught, or if you either have "it" or you don't. Some argue that if you need training to be a DJ, you'll never make it because "real DJ skills" simply can't be taught. We'll dig into this debate and what it means for aspiring DJs. Next, we discuss how important effects really are for DJs. In the rush to make gear more powerful and attractive, manufacturers seem to love adding effects - standalone effects units, hardware effects, software effects, effects across different mixer sections, and so on. But are they actually essential, or just nice-to-have features? Finally, we tackle the controversial topic of crossfader-less mixers. Every now and then, someone releases a mixer without a crossfader, and certain corners of the DJ world throw their hands up. But many DJ mixers over the years haven't had one. We'll look at where the crossfader is important and where it isn't, so you can form a better opinion on mixer designs that ditch it. 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 00:15 Episode overview 01:23 Can DJing really be taught? 20:52 How important are DJ effects?  35:51 They killed the crossfader!  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 [https://www.digitaldjtips.com].

How to structure your 2026 DJ goals (and actually hit them!)

From breaking down the brand-new Apple Music integration on CDJ-3000X players, to helping a student structure their entire DJ year using 90-day goals, to tackling impostor syndrome when other DJs copy what you do - it's a bumper first edition of 2026 with an hour of questions from real DJs.  We also cover booking live artists for your club night, choosing the right speakers for home DJing, learning to repair your own gear, and why you should wait before upgrading your operating system. It's all here on this Your Questions edition of our 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 00:14 Episode overview 01:21 What's Apple Music like on the CDJ-3000X? 04:47 How should I structure my DJ year to hit my goals? 17:39 How do I book live artists for my club night? 24:53 How much time do you spend fixing software errors? 39:04 How to deal with impostor syndrome and copycat DJs? 44:37 What speakers should I buy for home DJing? 49:15 How do I learn to repair my own DJ equipment? 55:01 When should I upgrade my operating system? 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 [https://www.digitaldjtips.com].

How to protect your hearing as a DJ

In this edition of our Your Questions podcast, we tackle hearing protection for DJs and whether in-ear monitors are the answer. We also cover building flexible DJ sets that don't lock you into rigid playlists, the right microphone for streaming, how to upload your mixes to Mixcloud (properly), and the debate over whether 90s hip-hop still works for today's crowds.  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 01:15 How to protect your hearing as a DJ (earplugs, in-ear monitors) 08:04 Best practices for building DJ playlists 13:40 Should you plan your entire DJ set in advance? 22:01 How to upload DJ mixes to Mixcloud 26:34 Best microphone for DJ livestreams? 31:48 When does "old school" hip-hop become outdated? 37:50 Closing thoughts 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 [https://www.digitaldjtips.com].