A DJ mix or DJ mixset is a sequence of musical tracks typically mixed together to appear as one continuous track. DJ mixes are usually performed using a DJ mixer and multiple sounds sources, such as

turntables A phonograph, in its later forms also called a gramophone (as a trademark since 1887, as a generic name in the UK since 1910) or since the 1940s called a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogu ...

CD players A CD player is an electronic device that plays audio compact discs, which are a digital optical disc data storage format. CD players were first sold to consumers in 1982. CDs typically contain recordings of audio material such as music or audio ...

, digital audio players or computer sound cards, sometimes with the addition of samplers and

effects unit An effects unit or effects pedal is an electronic device that alters the sound of a musical instrument or other audio source through audio signal processing. Common effects include distortion/overdrive, often used with electric guitar in el ...

s, although it is possible to create one using sound editing software. DJ mixing is significantly different from live sound mixing.

Remix service A remix service is a company that provides remixed music to disc jockeys. History In the United States, the disco craze of the late 1970s led to the release of extended "disco" versions of songs, typically released as 12" vinyl singles. Many o ...

s were offered beginning in the late 1970s in order to provide music which was more easily beatmixed by DJs for the dancefloor. One of the earliest DJs to refine their mixing skills was DJ Kool Herc. Francis Grasso was the first DJ to use headphones and a basic form of mixing at the

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

nightclub Sanctuary. Upon its release in 2000, Paul Oakenfold's '' Perfecto Presents: Another World'' became the biggest selling

DJ mix album A DJ mix or DJ mixset is a sequence of musical tracks typically mixed together to appear as one continuous track. DJ mixes are usually performed using a DJ mixer and multiple sounds sources, such as turntables, CD players, digital audio players ...

in the US.

Music

A DJ mixes music from genres that fit into the more general term electronic dance music. Other genres mixed by DJ includes hip hop,

breakbeat Breakbeat is a broad type of electronic music that tends to use drum breaks sampled from early recordings of funk, jazz, and R&B. Breakbeats have been used in styles such as hip hop, jungle, drum and bass, big beat, breakbeat hardcore, and UK ...

and

disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...

Four on the floor ''Four on the Floor'' is a 1999 compilation album consisting of songs by bands on Panic Button Records. It features four tracks by four of the labels bands, Screeching Weasel, Moral Crux A moral (from Latin ''morālis'') is a message that is c ...

disco beats can be used to create seamless mixes so as to keep dancers locked to the dancefloor. Two main characteristics of music used in DJ mixes is a dominant

bassline Bassline (also known as a bass line or bass part) is the term used in many styles of music, such as blues, jazz, funk, Dub music, dub and electronic music, electronic, traditional music, traditional, or classical music for the low-pitched Part ( ...

and repetitive beats. Music mixed by DJs usually has a

tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...

which ranges from 100 bpm up to 160 bpm. Jeff Mills 2

Technique

A DJ mixset is usually performed live in front of an audience in a nightclub, party, or

rave A rave (from the verb: '' to rave'') is a dance party at a warehouse, club, or other public or private venue, typically featuring performances by DJs playing electronic dance music. The style is most associated with the early 1990s dance mus ...

setting. Mixsets can also be performed live on radio or recorded in a studio. Methods of mixing vary slightly depending on the music genres being played. House and trance DJs tend to aim for smooth blended mixes while hip-hop DJs may use turntablism, scratching and other cutting techniques. Some DJs, particularly those mixing

Goa trance Goa trance is an electronic dance music style that originated in the early 1990s in the Indian state of Goa. Goa trance often has drone-like basslines, similar to the techno minimalism of 21st century psychedelic trance (psytrance). Psychedelic ...

may prefer to mix during a

break Break or Breaks or The Break may refer to: Time off from duties * Recess (break), time in which a group of people is temporarily dismissed from its duties * Break (work), time off during a shift/recess ** Coffee break, a short mid-morning rest ...

in which instead of beats, washes of synthesized sounds are combined. Further refinement to the mixing quality can be provided with

harmonic mixing Harmonic mixing or key mixing (also referred to as mixing in key) is a DJ's continuous mix between two pre-recorded tracks that are most often either in the same key, or their keys are relative or in a subdominant or dominant relationship with ...

which avoids

dissonant In music, consonance and dissonance are categorizations of simultaneous or successive Sound, sounds. Within the Western tradition, some listeners associate consonance with sweetness, pleasantness, and acceptability, and dissonance with harshness ...

tones during a mix. Herc on the Wheels of Steel

In live situations, the progression of the DJ set is a dynamic process. The DJ chooses tracks partly in response to the activity on the dance floor. If the dance floor becomes less active, the DJ will make a judgement as to what track will increase dance floor activity. This may involve shifting the tempo or changing the general mood of the set. Track choices are also due, in part, to where the DJ wishes to take his or her audience. In this way, the resulting mixset is brought about through a symbiotic relationship between audience and DJ. Studio DJs have the luxury of spending more time on their mix, which often leads to productions that could never be realized in real-time. Traditional DJ mixing with vinyl required the DJ to sync the tempo of the tracks and modify each track's volume and equalisation to create a smooth blend. DJs can use a mixer's

crossfader In audio engineering, a fade is a gradual increase or decrease in the level of an audio signal. The term can also be used for film cinematography or theatre lighting in much the same way (see fade (filmmaking) and fade (lighting)). A recor ...

to switch between tracks or use the volume control for each source with the crossfader permanently positioned in the middle. Mixing is usually done through the use of

headphone Headphones are a pair of small loudspeaker drivers worn on or around the head over a user's ears. They are electroacoustic transducers, which convert an electrical signal to a corresponding sound. Headphones let a single user listen to an au ...

s and a monitor speaker or foldback as basic aids. At this basic level, the DJ is required to develop a specific auditory skill where each track's tempo has to be distinguished while listening to more than one piece of music. The use of compact discs and players such as the

CDJ A CDJ is a specialized digital music player for DJing. Originally designed to play music from compact discs, many CDJs can play digital music files stored on USB flash drives or SD cards. In typical use, at least two CDJs are plugged into a DJ ...

brought technological advances for the DJ performing a mix including a readout of the bpm and a visual representation of the beat. Modern computer technology has allowed automatic beatmatching and led to debate regarding its use, which is sometimes described as cheating. DJ software provides automatic beatmatching and key detection which simplifies harmonic mixing.

Legality

To be released commercially, DJ mixes often need many copyright clearances and licenses. The vast majority of DJ mixes throughout the years have only avoided legal action because the copyright holders generally do not choose to take legal action against the DJ for the unauthorized use of their material.

Distribution

During the late 1990s and early 2000s, DJs would often distribute their recorded mixes on CD-Rs or as digital audio files via websites or

podcast A podcast is a program made available in digital format for download over the Internet. For example, an episodic series of digital audio or video files that a user can download to a personal device to listen to at a time of their choosing ...

s for promotional purposes. Many popular DJs would release their mixes commercially on a compact disc. With declining CD usage, it has become more common for DJs to release their mix recordings through websites specifically set up for the purpose. Some of these sites, such as

Mixcloud Mixcloud is a popular British online music streaming service that allows for the listening and distribution of radio shows, DJ mixes and podcasts, which are crowdsourced by its registered users. In April 2018, Mixcloud announced that it raised $ ...

, and formerly

Mixcrate Mixcrate was an online audio distribution platform based in California, United States that enabled its users to upload, promote and share their DJ mixes to a worldwide audience and to help DJs promote and grow their careers as professional DJs. It ...

, allowed for legal streaming of DJ mix recordings through established revenue deals with record publishing companies. When DJ sets are distributed directly via the Internet, they are generally presented as a single unbroken audio file; cue sheets may be provided by the DJ or fans to allow the set to be burned to a CD, or listened to, as a series of separate tracks in the way it would be produced as a commercial mix.

References

External links