Tracklists, or should I say lack of.

[ImNotDedYet]

What if, on SoundCloud, you tag the names of the artists/record labels and provide no track listing? Are you for or against this idea?

That's exactly what I'm thinking of doing. I think it provokes people to dig, which is good, and it may turn them onto other things they like outside of just that song. I'm kind of leery to post anything resembling a tracklist, artist, etc. on soundcloud for fear of them taking down the mix. Maybe paranoia?

[Kwal]

That's exactly what I'm thinking of doing. I think it provokes people to dig, which is good, and it may turn them onto other things they like outside of just that song. I'm kind of leery to post anything resembling a tracklist, artist, etc. on soundcloud for fear of them taking down the mix. Maybe paranoia?

A bit of paranoia.. Yeah.

I mean, you're less of a threat if you at least attempt to credit said artists rather than just putting your name on the mix and that's it.

[ImNotDedYet]

A bit of paranoia.. Yeah.

I mean, you're less of a threat if you at least attempt to credit said artists rather than just putting your name on the mix and that's it.

Thx for calling me out bro.

[JasonBay]

There are a few reasons why I don't attach a tracklist to my sets. First, it gets people talking. I've noticed that listeners will interact with themselves when trying to figure out what a track is. From the uploader's perspective, that's a good thing. Second, you're not giving anything away to the (local) competition. I spend a great deal of time digging for music and I'm not going to just hand it over to a hack who doesn't put the work in. Third, it makes people wonder what's in the set. I'm less likely to listen to a set if I see a tracklist and recognize all of the tunes in it. At least without a tracklist, there's an element of mystery.

I will say, though, that I'm happy to send people the tracklist if they ask for it, and I'll gladly give someone the name of a tune if they just want to know that. When I promote my podcast here on DJTT, I provide a tracklist. But on SoundCloud, I kind of like to keep people guessing.

Why wouldn't you want to give the artists and labels credit for the music they are making? Why would you try and "hide" them from people who might want to support and buy there music? Are you really that threatened by those "hacks" in your local scene? If so, then I think that alone says a lot about your skills and talent as a DJ. And if you're still going to send someone a tracklisting upon request, then what's the point of not posting one to begin with?

For as long as I have been doing this, I have always posted a tracklisting. I want the artist and labels I'm supporting to get recognition, and hopefully other DJs will pick up on what's hot, new and fresh. And as a direct result hopefully I'll hear less shitty music being played, so everyone wins.

If you're too lazy to even provide a tracklisting, then why should I even take the time to listen to a mix? I mean, even Radio 1 provides a tracklisting for all the Essential mixes FFS! Those guys aren't afraid of some "hack" playing their tracks, because they'll never be able to play it like they can.

[JasonBay]

But onto the original point. I follow too many people on soundcloud, mixcloud and youtube. I have a list of mixes to check out that are 100 deep, and these are mixes I'm pretty confident I'm going to like. I'm not going to take the time to listen to a mix from some person I don't know their musical style or taste when I have no clue what's in the mix or at least have some semblance of a clue of what's in the mix. And if I know all the songs in the tracklist and know I like the majority of them, I'd most certainly give that mix a listen.

Exactly what homeboy just said

[biutze]

Why wouldn't you want to give the artists and labels credit for the music they are making? Why would you try and "hide" them from people who might want to support and buy there music?

I do give the artists and labels credit, and I don't "hide" them from people. On my SoundCloud page, I tag the names of the artists whose tracks I feature as well as some of the record labels: https://soundcloud.com/paulmargiotis

Are you really that threatened by those "hacks" in your local scene? If so, then I think that alone says a lot about your skills and talent as a DJ. And if you're still going to send someone a tracklisting upon request, then what's the point of not posting one to begin with?

There is no need to get personal, Jason. You can listen to my mixes and decide for yourself if I'm a hack. I've been DJing for roughly 6 years, I hold and have held residencies at some of the top restaurants, clubs, and lounges in my city, and I've opened up for Mat Zo, Paul Oakenfold, and soon Adventure Club. The point of not making the tracklisting public is for others to dig for themselves. I point them in the right direction by providing tags. And hacks are a legitimate threat in almost every scene, Jason, but I think that's a different topic for a different day.

If you're too lazy to even provide a tracklisting, then why should I even take the time to listen to a mix? I mean, even Radio 1 provides a tracklisting for all the Essential mixes FFS! Those guys aren't afraid of some "hack" playing their tracks, because they'll never be able to play it like they can.

I'm not too lazy to post a track listing; I just choose not to. And since when is the quality of a mix dependent on whether the DJ includes the track listing? Let's say Radio 1 decided not to post the names of their tracks. Would their mixes suddenly lose value? Certainly not.

Look, I get it: many of you here are about the community and supporting the scene and all of that good stuff. So am I. I try to help out other DJs as best as I can, but the simple fact is that our altruism isn't always reciprocated. It's OK to keep a few cards close to your chest when you're in an environment where others are trying to take you for everything you've got.