Hey guys, thanks for all the responses! This is what it came out to so far:
If we get significantly more I’ll post the results as well.
Where’s the record store/online option?
So everyone has mentioned the more straight-forward methods like virtual- and actual crate-digging. But there’s the lifestyle shift you should make, too. ALWAYS be on alert for the music you hear going about your day. Hearing a song in a commercial. Going shopping and hearing a song on the store radio. Hearing a song in a movie or TV show. Use Shazam or Soundhound and record or make a note of what you’re hearing. I’ve found a lot of good tracks that way.
discogs is my latest addiction. Holy hell I can get lost in there.
For sampling and producing I find this helps but I have yet to hear anything I play on the radio, in a movie or tv show.
I use a few methods not mentioned here.
A method I like to use is torrenting huge music packs that weigh in way over a gigabyte of random tracks, then dig through that. This is the best way to get rare bootlegs in 320 I find, after that huge download I usually end up with no more than ten new tracks tops, even when it contained over 500 songs.
Another great method is using a Spotify app called Soundrop. This has rooms which have a theme and people (even yourself) can add a song to the playlist. To me this is the future of radio for a musician, when I don’t have time to actively dig through music, I put this on in the background. Be warned though, you can end up listening to 5 hours of non deep house and only finding one decent track.
Or you could actually pay for music.
I myself just dig through records online, Juno, Chemical, Redeye, Discogs Etc
Best way of finiding new is checking out labels, who’s releases on that label, who else they’ve released on, this leads to finding new artists, keep doing this and you’ll find plenty.
I guess I asked for that one, allow me to clarify. I pay for Spotify Premium service and on top of that regularly buy songs from various sources. What I pointed out is that you find rare bootlegs that are impossible to actually find anywhere, having been made by some kid in his room in Mother Russia. Just because it’s a torrent file doesn’t mean it’s illegal, so just be mindful next time before you go accusing honest hard working DJs of theft.
So within the torrented files of music that you download, there are no tracks that have been released. its just all producers giving away edits for free?
I’m not saying that you don’t pay for any music, I only quoted you on the part about the torrents.
Yeah kinda goes same way for me. I like to let these kind of situations suprise me when im out shopping or whatever. I will try to remember some text from a from the tune if i can and write it down / memorize it. Then i type in the text in google and if im lucky it’l show up in the search field. Other half of the job done by Google 
There usually is, but none that I’ve kept or already didn’t have. For me it’s the best way to find mashups and “DJ Tool” type tracks that you just aren’t going to find anywhere else no matter how long you stumble around Beatport and Stompy.
Downloading a gig of music to get 10 songs to me would be taking way too long and not nearly specific enough to the style I play. Maybe for club edits and stuff this works for you.,
You can usually find a lot of free, downloadable stuff on soundcloud for mashups, bootlegs, etc. At least I can. Just join some groups that specialize in music you would play and check out the postings there.
As I thought, sorry but just don’t agree with it, like someone else has said, soundcloud is a great source where a lot of producers put up tracks for free.
Now I stand with my original statement, So fair enough you buy music, but your still illegally downloading others. Hard working DJ you might be, never questioned that.
Downloading however much music from torrents, in my opinion is lazy, illegal and well, I just don’t agree with it.
Now on with how the thread,
Digging through crates of vinyl, can’t beat it, if its got a good cover give it a play, you may like it.
Haha yeah! The same when they email me “secret weapons”, well, they’re not secret anymore are they… haha
I use beatport, VideoToolz2.0, dj city, and promo only