So I am hoping that from the title its pretty straightforward but here is some background.
I consider myself a very honest guy and pay for all the music I am able to mostly from beatport and Itunes. I got to thinking however, suppose (hypothetically) I am opening set with other DJ’s or playing at a huge festival. How is it that DJ’s won’t play songs in my set in their sets as well? I understand that their are millions of mixes out their but do you submit a tracklist before hand? Please excuse my ignorance but I have always wondering this sort of thing.
There’s nothing to stop people playing the same tune. In fact, I’ve been to things where it almost seems like the pre-requisite for getting a set was agreeing to play a particular track …
That would depend on the opener, and the resident.
I guess I could imagine a resident and/or headliner saying “don’t play this”. Certainly when I’m playing before someone, I ask them if there’s any tune they want me to leave alone.
Usually they look at me like “wtf?!”, which I assume means people don’t ask that question as a matter of course.
shrugs A good warm-up artist has some idea of what the headliner might play, and what their big tunes are likely to be. That’s part of being a good warm-up artist.
A good headliner should turn up for at least part of the warm-up guys set, to hear if there’s a tune played that they may want to leave til later in their set (or leave out).
Well its mostly an understanding between DJs. The first obvious rule is that if you opening for a headliner don’t play any of the tracks they have produced, like a resident opening for a headlining DJ. If you are warming up for a resident, if really depends on how long you play and what they are going to play. I mean if the resident is known for playing hard electro all night, maybe playing progressive house to house is a good mix. I always play a level down then who I am opening for. If its a festival…well its pretty much impossible to know at that point.
Back in the day (mid 90s) local DJs in my neck of the woods would get into punch ups over someone “nicking” someone else s tune". It was all pretty fucked up if you ask me. Back then of course, buying patterns were different with vinyl. Depending on distribution, Local DJs often found themselves paying for and subsequently playing the same tracks.
Today things are different. Places like Beatport give everyone pretty much the same access to music. I play primarily drum and bass so I just select the genre and listen to everything since the last time I logged on. I don’t skip anything and I generally don’t gravitate towards something just because it’s on a certain label or from a certain DJ. In fact half the time I am not even paying attention to that stuff - just listening. To me it means that what I play is simply a reflection of what I like and I think people appreciate that.
Having said ALL OF THAT - I primarily play with a collective of DJs under our IMTC banner. If someone else in the collective has played a track - I won’t play it unless I am doing some kind of review mix. In those cases I will name check the DJ for the track.
If you are playing what sounds good and is reflective of your style, I don’t think you have anything to worry about. If that sound happens to be the same sound as every other DJ you know, you might consider looking for something that’s different yet rocks you and the dance floor.
But Hell - what do I know? My expertise barely stretches past Device Manager.
Depends on the place and who your either going on before or after. I played in a club where I would get there early to listen to the other DJs and support the venue but to also listen to what they were playing so I didn’t bore the crowd with the same tunes. Of course the DJ who had the timeslot before me would play 3-5 god awful tunes in a row just to clear the floor and be an asshole. But whatever.
Quite simply if it’s not stated ahead of time and you think the crowd can go for another round then go for it. You have to remember that depending on how late a venue is open you may have entirely new crowd. People come and go and if it’s that summer anthem and the crowd is going play it again. I’m sure more people will be plenty of people who would love to hear it again or have just gotten there and haven’t heard it yet.
This is also a good time to point out the importance of cultivating a unique sound. The way you play a record may not be anywhere near the same way the guy before you played it. I know he wouldn’t play the same set of records you played before it or after it which will add to how that record is felt within the set. He could have played a great trance record after a funky electro house one which IMHO wouldn’t have been the best option but you could totally nail it when you play the same record. Think less about whatever anyone else is playing and figure out what they wanna hear and you’ll do alright.
If your opening for someone that produces, playing one a remix of one of their songs that you are sure they won’t do anything with always gets people hyped. Its bests if its cross genre, like a house song made dubstep.
I’ve been with 1 international DJ who i won’t mention. who was so drunk during an end of the weekend set actually loose track of dj’ing and ending up playing castles in the sky 6 times one after another with no blending. proper funny
Don’t worry if other people are going to play the same track as you. I think the only thing you have to worry about is playing a track that is produced by someone if they are playing after you. It’s a bit of no no to play someone else’s music if they are playing the same event.
at festivals it’s not that big of a deal and mostly comes down to who can drop it the best. at a smaller club type of setting it’s kind of lame and people in the crowd will notice it specially if it’s an older song or if you don’t drop it better than the last guy
The whole ‘not playing a track from a producer before they play’ thing gets me frustrated.
My only experience of this is with dnb gigs, most of the producers I go and see only play their latest unreleased dubs and dubs from other people. Maybe 1 of their older songs if youre lucky.
A lot of these guys have an absolutely killer back catalogue and im going to see them because I want to bounce around to tunes that I know and love. But I dont hear them, I hear stuff Ive never heard before.
Thats great as an education and a taster, but doesnt leave me saying “that was an absolutely killer set”.
however, I went to see E.D.I.T the other day. He smashed together pretty much all of the biggest hits over the last 3 years (as far as I can tell, none were his own) and left me completely blown away!
I think you should talk to the guy before hand and ask if he’s dropping his own tunes. If anything, dropping his stuff is both flattering and pumps up the crowd.
We have learn’t that it is best not to tell other DJ’s you have ‘dibs’ on songs, as it sounds childish and pathetic.
If you are warming up, then the next DJ should have a completely different song selection. As they are mean’t to be building up the crowd energy from what it was when you left it; Otherwise they will be going back on themselves.
If you are desperate to play that popular song that the previous DJ played, then try playing a different remix of it, or throw your own twist on it (mash it up or use the acapella and mix that over another song).
We ALWAYS listen to the previous DJ’s sets before going on, as it is polite and respectful to the DJ before and also it means you won’t get an empty dance floor for playing exactly the same song(s) as the previous DJ.
Its completely dependant on the crowd as the may request a previous played song again (think I heard DJ Fresh - Gold Dust (Vocal VIP remix) 3 times in one night).
Would love to open for deadmau5, illegally download all his unreleased songs and play them one after another whilst wearing a deadmau5 head and then say thanks for coming, you are all faggots, stick my fingers up and walk off the stage
Absolutely spot on. Within my night we all play vaguely similar music in that the night doesn’t sound disjointed but we all very much have a sound of our own.
