A quest for tracks - How do you go about acquiring new music?
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  1. #1
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    Default A quest for tracks - How do you go about acquiring new music?

    Thanks to nifty software and good tutorials the technical aspect of DJing is no longer an issue to me.
    Now I've come to discover that finding likeable as well as compatible tunes is a far greater challenge.

    An example: Floating Points - Myrtle Avenue, my current favorite.



    Now how to find compatible music? Other tracks by the artist are quite different in style / tempo. Youtube's suggestions are pretty much useless and good playlists are very rare. Checking sites like lastfm and Groove magazine for Tracklists and suggestions based on similarity has been my best bet so far.
    After hours of searching the few aquired tunes often do no match well, as the key maybe disharmonius or the intro / outro are too packed to mix well. Back to square one.

    In short, how do you go about finding new tracks / artists to match existing ones?
    Last edited by monokoi; 11-13-2012 at 06:08 AM.

  2. #2
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    Where do you get your tracks from?

  3. #3
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    Thank you for your reply.

    Where do you get your tracks from?
    "Get" as in purchase? At the local store and online.

    It's only after selecting and purchasing tracks, that I realize they do not mix well with existing ones. My still very small music library is probably part of the problem ~ 60 tracks. How do you go about buying a new track, already knowing it'll blend well with some title you already own?

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by monokoi View Post
    "Get" as in purchase? At the local store and online.
    Right answer. If you had said something like youtube/rapidshare I would have known what your problem is


    After checking tracks by the same artist, you can go on checking tracks on the label the track was released on. This should lead you to other artists that will lead you to other labels that will lead you to other arti... - you get it..

    It definetely isn't an easy job, and you will have to browse through tons of music in order to find just a few gems. Try simply checking out the "new tracks" section of your favourite genre(s) on sites like beatport to find stuff you can't find by the method explained above. This helps a lot in discovering new stuff and keeping your style diverse and interesting.


    As to finding tracks that mix well together: at the end of the day this comes down to experience, there isn't any real shortcut. Once you've been mixing for a while and simply trying out what works and what not you'll eventually develop a feeling for this and will be able to identify tracks that should mix with the ones you already own.

    On the other hand you can always try and find ways to make things work together you initially thought wouldn't.

    If the store shows the key of the tracks, you can use this as an orientation for which tracks would match harmonically, but I actually wouldn't recommend this, as I really think you should learn this vital part of the art of DJing instead of relying on some computer algorithms to sort things out for you

  5. #5
    DJTT Tankard fullenglishpint's Avatar
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    There's nothing wrong with looking for music in compatible keys. People keyed their tunes way before mixed in key etc were around, it just makes sense. Read up on mixing in key and if you look on beatport it'll tell you what key a track is in. Then, using either the circle of fifths or the Camelot wheel (same thing, different labels) you can get an idea whether they'll mix we'll together. It's not a guarantee, but if a track is a similar style, tempo and key to another it's a good indication that they'll go well together.
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  6. #6
    Tech Mentor Fango Jett's Avatar
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    The best way to search music is by checking beatport by the genre you like. When you found a track you like, just youtube it for the full version and decide is the track is suited for your style. After, you can buy it directly from beatport or search it on iTunes or other sites.

    If you've found a favorite artist, you can browse his beatport-chard. This will be mostly music you will also like. So you can get in touch with other artists from the same genre who correspond with your original prefered artist.

  7. #7
    DJTT Tankard fullenglishpint's Avatar
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    I use beatport pro and I listen to the previews of as many songs as I can in my favourite genres. I add the ones I like to my cart, then wait for a beatport discount code to come around. Normally doesn't take long.
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  8. #8
    Tech Guru MWagner's Avatar
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    Every monday I load up all the drum and bass new releases for the week on beatport and listen to all of them. Then I check through the DJ Charts to see if anyone I know I like has put one out, usually there's at least one every week. I regularly check drumnbass.net for freebies, and constantly watch my soundcloud groups for anything new and interesting. I also listen as much as possible to the other DJs on my radio station and ask for track ids when I here something I like but don't know.

    Honestly, I put a shit load of time into looking for tracks, and this is nothing compared to how it used to be when I would go crate digging at the local store. There's not really any quick way around it I don't think.
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  9. #9
    Tech Wizard Vermilion's Avatar
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    There's no quick fix in the search for new music. I easily spend a good 30-40 hours of my week searching for new tunes with most of it coming from foraging through Soundcloud and music blogs (XLR8R, Fact, etc). Forums are also a fantastic place to find new music. See if there are any decent forums that compliment your tastes, sign up, get involved. There's a few genre-specific threads on DJTT also and seeing as you posted Floating Points up there you might be interested in the Deep House/Bass Music thread. Also be sure to check out the thread of free music as there's some great stuff in there.

  10. #10
    Tech Guru Otacon's Avatar
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    As long as i'm awake im more than likely browsing new music. I usually check beatport's new releases first, then I check the new releases from all the labels I enjoy, then just do artists similar to however I feel that day. Listen, rinse, repeat
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