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Topic: Building a music library

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Okay, I need to ask. How do you guys keep up with all the music that gets put out these days? It seems that I'm constantly trying to keep up with what's hot on the radio. It seems there is always something that I'm missing. I've tried pools, CDs, listening to the radio and downloading, charts. Is there a point when I can catch up and then only keep up. It's exhausting just thinking about it. How many songs do you download and rip every week?
 
Posted Sat 09 Apr 11 @ 2:03 pm
Being a DJ is definitely a full time job these days. I constantly have music playing while searching for new tracks, my TV always has music videos on, I look at charts constantly and download 75 new tracks a week on average. One of my subscriptions is to zipDJ where they have 3 separate charts for Club, Dance and Urban which helps stay on top of things a little bit.

It's hard work these days with music being so transparent and not holding on the charts very long. My guess would be that a lot of members have the premium membership and cache their music on the fly as required.

AC
 
I download everything I can get my hands on. I pay through the nose & go to sites that post free music & get it all, even if I don't like it. I grab about 500-1000 songs every 2 months & I cant even remember it sometimes.

I check Billboards & some of my other favorite site I got to & keep up with artists on Twitter & Facebook. I get alot through iTunes since I don't mind paying and people give me cards as gifts so that makes it easy.

When I worked at clubs I would listen to DJs and see what they played, asked them & punched it into my phone to search out later.

It's part of the job. You have to keep up with the Joneses.
 
There are weeks when I do not download or rip anything! My crowds tend to cater on the pop dance remix side and some of the "new" that comes out won't actually be a "hit" with my crowd until weeks or months later! Example...VIC "Wobble" from 2008 is HUGE right now for me. When I first played Katy Perry "ET" after it being on the radio it cleared the floor. You have to find out what works for you and your crowd and ignore the "filler".
 
ive been thinking the exact same thing for a while now.....i normally check top 40 charts on several sites ie bbc radio ect.,
i download nearly every second day now cause im trying to get a video collection also...my music goes back to the 50s being a party dj.......i do recommend trying to get a few remixes of chart songs so if you do have to up the beats your still holding the pop crowd to.....
my secret weapon to find out what is big is my 15 and 13 year old kids lol they give me a list and call me oulfella ha
 
What is new this week is old next week! That's just how it seems sometimes, lol!

I listen to radio, watch the top 10 countdown video shows on Fuse, BET, VH1, etc. I look at the youtube videos people post on facebook and like DJ Staffy, I ask my kids what's hot! Some of my DJ pools have ratings I follow, plus I watch for the youtube numbers for hits on a video that is considered new, along with the like/dislikes.

I download at least 100 new songs every week without blinking, but some of those can be new artist wanting me to play their latest song on the air and yes anytime I find those free download offers for purchasing another kind of product I take full advantage if I'm purchasing that product. For example, I brought a electric shaver and they offered 100 free itunes downloads with it, I built a reggae list with it!

Like AC said, being a DJ is a full time job these days.

Happy DeeJaying,
DJ COACH K aka THE MIX MONSTER
 
Lately I'v been going quite methodically through record labels as a lot of labels have similar sounding artists, so if you like an artist you should check out who else is on the label. Then I go to http://www.discogs.com/ and pretty much scan through all the releases by the artist, listen to the songs on youtube if I haven't already heard them, and download as I go.

I find this great as you find lots of gems that you wouldn't see in the charts. Although I spin drum & bass mainly, so the audience isn't usually looking for the latest in the charts.

I enjoy searching for tunes though, it feels much better finding big tunes independently rather than downloading all the latest chart music. I appreciate that this is a lot easier to get away with for underground music though.
 
I get PrimeCuts, TopHits Video, PromoOnly Express Video. I subscribe to Smashvidz, 8th Wonder, Virtualremixes, Yourremix, Beatport, and Strictly Hits. I am a premium member and have a Rhapsody subscription. I also have Shazam in case I hear something I don't know. If I tell you I don't have it, I'm lying because I'm always on line and can get it.
 
i subscribe to LatinosUnidosOnline.net, Smashvidz, VirtualRemixes and PromoOnly. i get all the latin, american music and videos out.
With Latinos Unidos i get about 2500 songs per month and 80-100 videos. smashvidz i get about 120-140 videos per month, virtual remixes i get about 12 videos per month and 25 songs...promo only i get only the videos weekly.
 
Its hard trying get everything all the time. Download many songs every two weeks. I load up my new music into my session folders. The biggest mistake is to not separate music or just add into one folder that says July 2011. The reason why add them into session folders of that same genre is, You want to know where your songs are instant. You dont want to take a while looking for your next song because your guessing what to play next.


This is how i have my library setup.





I just want to mix non stop and make the best of each gig i have. The + next to most of the genre has subfolders inside. Session folders.
 
i really could do with sorting my collection out into genres, my collection is arranged by artists and each artist contains sub folders containing the artists albums. then i have folders for, techno, jupstyle, makina, house, top 40's mainstream (when i have the itme to keep up), and a few other genres. it would probably shorten my folder list if i sorted into genres, but i cant treally be bothered.

and i need to write id3 tags to a lot of them.
 
CRashster wrote :
Okay, I need to ask. How do you guys keep up with all the music that gets put out these days? It seems that I'm constantly trying to keep up with what's hot on the radio. It seems there is always something that I'm missing. I've tried pools, CDs, listening to the radio and downloading, charts. Is there a point when I can catch up and then only keep up. It's exhausting just thinking about it. How many songs do you download and rip every week?


1st i go to www.americasmusiccharts.com click on top 40 & print up that playlist, then click on urban print that playlist also. i keep a folder with me when i go DJ in my folder/binder i have tab's that have different months i use these as quick reference as to whats hot right now. and just like (DJ Superaceman) said i also use = zipdj.com then i check that palylist & what i don't have i down load it to the right folder's like some of my crates are listed as follow New Music Top 40 & New Music Urban so when im doing school dances or just a teenage party in general i have whats poping right now. hope this helps out
 
Outside of the hits over the decades......people wanna dance to what they know...play stuff that fits....I rarely listen to the radio (netradio excepted) ...those tunes will be on any pool out there...i dont try and keep up...shazam was mentioned.... thats about all I use outside of my library and knack to play tunes that people liked...but have forgotten....Tune In app is good for new and old tracks...hope i helped...
 


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