The Passionate DJ Podcast

Episode 155: Wherefore Art Thou Traktor?

Native Instruments has finally made some recent announcements in regards to new hardware and software coming down the pike this year. Namely, new revisions of the Kontrol S2 and Kontrol S4 are on they way, along with Traktor Pro 3 which is said to be written "from the ground up".

Traktor fans are excited to see signs of life, but there has been a larger conversation taking place for many months now. Has NI abandoned Traktor? Has it fallen off their priority list? Did they stop listening to their fans? David and Mo give their thoughts on the new announcements, and the overall problematic few years that Traktor has had. 

We also talk about other recent news in the DJ space, such as the announcement of the Pioneer XDJ-RR, the "not quite a recall" of the Pioneer DDJ-SX3, and the newly motorized Denon SC3000M player.

This episode was a livestream experiment, and the first live show we've done since Episode 100! Follow us on YouTube for the video version, coming later this week.

Wrap-Up Speech (transcript):

As a long-time Traktor user, I’m excited to finally see some signs of life in the Traktor ecosystem. In fact, I had planned on creating this episode long before this past week’s announcements from Native Instruments. But the question remains: will it be enough for Traktor to reclaim its spot as one of the biggest players in the DJ game?

This episode is titled Wherefore Art Thou Traktor?, and I feel obligated to comment on the grammar. The word “wherefore” is not short for “where”, even though it’s often misused in this way. It’s actually short for, “for what reason”.

In the iconic scene of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, their feuding families kept them apart. She isn’t asking “Where are you, Romeo”... she’s asking “Why are you Romeo? Why, oh why, did I have to fall in love with Romeo?”

Indeed I’ve had similar feelings about Traktor, lately. I don’t mean to be overdramatic, but as a longtime user… I find myself asking “Why did I have to fall in love with Traktor?” Because for a while, it looked like Native Instruments was going to leave me standing with a knife in my hand. How long would they back-burner it? Is Traktor going by the wayside? The other big software packages were adding feature after feature, while Traktor itself stood still.

Many users have already jumped ship, in favor of Serato or Rekordbox or some other platform… and don’t get me wrong, they are all great! But Traktor was always… um, a “pioneer” in the DJ space. NI was always at the bleeding edge! It’s what the nerds used! It’s what you customized! It’s what you got down and dirty with! But lately, it’s felt a lot more like an abandoned property.

We may be hearing more in the coming weeks, but for now, we still haven’t heard anything about streaming integration, or standalone hardware, or other features which might be imposed by a changing industry & technological landscape. Whether Traktor will embrace these necessities is yet to be seen.

I certainly hope that Native Instruments isn’t paying lip service, and that they truly want to put Traktor back on their priority list. This new hardware and software is a step in the right direction. Hopefully, Native Instruments makes me start to feel loved again.

We’ll keep tracking the progress on this as it develops, but for now… this has been The Passionate DJ Podcast.

Episode 154: Community Wishing Well

We're back from break!

In this episode, we take a Question of the Week from our Facebook Group (PassionateDJ.com/Community): "What do you wish other people understood about DJing?" We read all of your great responses to this question, and give our own reactions.

One recurring theme we found: feeling underappreciated. Do you ever feel like you don't get enough credit for your role as a DJ? We'd love to hear your thoughts... send us a voicemail and tell us what you think.

At the beginning of the show, Tony catches us up on his stage management work on the road, as he just got back from managing the back line at Breakaway Festival. He explains how the booking process works, and the logistical puzzle that needs to be thoughtfully completedm, for a successful large-scale show. We also talk about the upcoming Paul Oakenfold show in Dayton, being thrown by 3DMentional Entertainment with direct support from our own Trip Turlington.

This episode also features a voicemail message from Matthew, asking advice about how to incorporate DJing and live performance into his current world of music production. We give our thoughts and advice on how to go about this.

Get Bonus Episodes: https://patreon.com/passionatedj/

Join The Community: https://facebook.com/groups/passionatedj/

3DM pres. Paul Oakenfold: https://www.facebook.com/events/234061040696386/ 

Episode 153: Golden Nuggets (Industry Insight From DJs Over 50)

Today we're talking about DJing, growing older, and celebrating the knowledge of seasoned DJs. In Episode 153, David skims over his article Twenty DJs Over 50 Who Still Top The Bill. Along the way, we listen to various clips from these seasoned and insightful DJs, pulled from the interviews found below.

P.S. - don't forget, we offer a monthly bonus episode for our Patreon subscribers! We're now officially more than halfway to our summer goal! 🙏

Interviews referenced in this episode:

In this conversation at Loop 2016 (presented by Ableton), Jazzy Jeff talks about how he's learned and adjusted over his years of DJing... and shares an interesting story about a conversation he had with Mac Miller.

From this interview on Radio Sunshine Live, Carl Cox talks about being successful and happy... yet needing to tune down his touring schedule for lifestyle reasons.

Giorgio Moroder tells us about his long career in music, and what it was like to become a rockstar DJ at an unusual age, in this Videodrome Discotheque interview.

Grandmaster Flash discusses what it was like to be a DJ in the 1970s, and what his favorite time period in DJing is, in this 2014 interview by Anne Mavity.

From this DJ Mag Best of British Awards 2015 video, Greg Wilson makes a few comments on the rarity of music, nostalgia, and DJing in the present day.

Joey Negro talks about how the music industry has changed in the last two decades, in this 2012 interview with DMC Magazine.

Larry Heard, also known as Mr. Fingers, drops lots of knowledge nuggets about dreams, regrets, and following trends in this Stamp The Wax interview from the end of last year.

Norman Cook, better known as Fatboy Slim, talks about his overall goal as a performer while chatting in this 2017 London Real interview.

From Billboard's Beyond The Beats series, Paul Oakenfold talks about the rise of EDM in America and modern technology in DJing.

Rounding out the episode, Pete Tong talks about how DJing has been a sort of eternal side-gig for him, and his secret to maintaining such a long career, in this O2 Academy TV interview.

We also mention Detroit techno legends Derrick May, Kevin Saunderson, and Juan atkins. While we don't play interview clips, you can hear plenty of them in our previous episode titled The Belleville Three.

Other DJs mentioned in the episode include Ben Watt, DJ Kool Herc, Jeff Mills, Junior Vasquez, and Marley Marl.

Special Announcement:

We're taking the month of August off of publishing the podcast. We'll return September 3 (Labor Day) with a crispy new episode. To stay in touch in the meantime, make sure to join our Facebook Group! 💙

Episode 152: The Dos and Don'ts of Mobile DJing

Today we discuss mobile DJing. If you spend your time DJing weddings, corporate gigs, private parties, or special events.... this episode may be invaluable to you, thanks to the wisdom shared by co-host Mo Dingo.

We talk about the importance of knowing your music, anxiety over the size of your music library, the need for using contracts, and more. We discuss the need to set aside ego, and the special considerations that come into place when DJing as a service.

Mo spends many of his weekends setting up DJ gear, talking on the mic, mixing music, and making sure someone's special event is going off without a hitch. In today's episode, David picks his brain about the struggles of mobile DJing, and they both break it down into a list of Dos and Don'ts.

Also, The Passionate DJ Podcast will be off for the month of August. So we have today’s episode, next week’s episode, and then we’ll be taking a little 4-week summer break. We’ll still be recording and posting videos to our YouTube channel in the meantime, so don’t go anywhere. We’ve already got some great shows planned once the podcast returns in September.

The one exception is that we’ll still produce an episode of our monthly bonus show, called Afterparty, for our Patrons. By signing up to support the show, you can help us to continue working as content creators, and bringing you more of what you love. We’re still shy of our summer goal, and need a few more people who are willing to step up and make a monthly pledge to the show… however small.

One more thing: from right now, through the end of August, you can get 15% off all Passionate DJ merchby using the coupon code “August”.

Episode 151: A Very Scratchy 80s

Ahhhhh... this episode is really fresh! Today we're exploring some of the earliest DJ scratching noises ever put on a recorded release. 

Back in the 1980s, hip-hop DJs were just beginning to discover how a turntable (or two) could be used as a sort of musical instrument. Some examples of these early scratches landed on albums or singles... there, to be preserved for all time.

• Become a Patron of The Passionate DJ Podcast, and gain access to bonus episodes!

In Episode 151, David picks one track from each year in the 1980s and we explore some early turntablism together.

The songs we listen to are:

(1981) Grandmaster Flash - The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel

Joseph Saddler, aka Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductee Grandmaster Flash, is known as one of the pioneers of turntablism. Wheels of Steel is one of the earliest examples that was ever... well, put to wax.

(1982) Malcolm McLaren - Buffalo Gals

One of the stranger tracks on this list, Buffalo Gals was a UK smash and also hit big in some major US cities. This early 80s pop track contains quite a bit of early turntablism.

(1983) Herbie Hancock - Rockit (I mean, obviously...)

This show basically couldn't have been done without including this song. D.ST, the DJ on Rockit, was only 21 years old when asked to join Herbie's band and ended up touring with them for three years.

(1984) DJ Chuck Chillout - Hip Hop on Wax Vol. 1

In '96, Chuck Chillout (aka Charles Turner) was responsible for helping DMX break onto the scene by playing Get At Me, Dog on the radio... but way back in the early 80s, he put out this scratchy cut.

(1985) UTFO - Leader of the Pack

UTFO's DJ, Mix Master Ice, took the classic Ahhhh scratch sound to a new level... and showed what a turntable can do in the hands of a capable DJ.

(1986) Schoolly D feat. DJ QS.T - Maniac (Remix)

A remix from a 1986 promo record, which featured “Gangster Boogie” on the other side. Listen to how clean some of these cuts are!

(1987) Sir Mix-a-Lot - Electro Scratch

Born Anthony Ray, he's been producing, rapping, and DJing since '83. While primarily known for Baby Got Back, many people aren't aware that he's a pretty wicked DJ.

(1988) Hijack - Doomsday of Rap

This group, credited as being inventors of Britcore, put out this highly-energetic hip-hop cut which contained some very spirited scratching.

(1989) Gang Starr - Words I Manifest (Remix)

A remix of this classic track was the much-preferred version of DJ Premier, who himself said "When we did the original I was still not that good at making beats yet."

We also have a listen to the very first DMC Championship set from 1985 by Roger Johnson, which you can also check out here.

The audio clip from the very end of the episode was sourced here.

Also mentioned in this episode:

The 100 Greatest Songs of the Century – So Far (Rolling Stone)

Support us via our Patreon Page 

Episode 150: Trouble in EDM Paradise

Hayoooo, we made it to Episode 150! Today, David and Tony talk about recent club shutdowns, lawsuits, and legal issues within the DJing, EDM, and festival communities.

We talk about:

• The first successful lawsuit against the ill-fated Fyre Festival, to the tune of $5 million, by festival "survivors" Seth Crossno and Mark Thompson.
• Recent libel and defamation lawsuits from Behringer against a Chinese blog called Midifan, and against 20 members of the pro-audio forum Gearslutz.
• A lawsuit against Orlando Police in regards to the tragic Pulse Nightclub shooting on June 12, 2016, one of the deadliest shootings in modern American history.
• A romantic comedy on Netflix called Ibiza, for which the Spanish government is suing, due to the fact that it was actually filmed in Croatia.
• A Beruit nightclub which was shut down by its government due to verses of the Quran accidentally getting played over the loudspeakers.
• Fender, Yamaha, Casio, Roland, Korg – and how their offices were raided by the CMA under suspected breaches of competition law.
• A Swedish festival which was shut down after a sexual assault plague.
• A Miami-based ban on.... horses in nightclubs?
• The "war on raves", and how it continues into modern times, based on stories from South Wales and Edmonton.
• The sentencing of the parties being held responsible for the tragic Ghost Ship fire.

Don't forget that we offer a monthly bonus episode, strictly for Patrons of the show. Sign up now!

Episode 149: 20 Small Wins for DJs

On The Passionate DJ Podcast, we encourage everyone to dream big, make bold moves, and constantly get out of the comfort zone.

But Episode 149 is about the small wins. Today, we're going to talk about 20 different ideas that can help get you get mild (but immediate) results!

These are things which you can do to improve your DJing, boost your promotion, expand your horizons, or simply make your life easier... all without taking longer than an afternoon break.

Don't forget: every month we release an exclusive bonus episode, only for our Patreon subscribers!

Here's what we cover in today's episode:

Small Wins

Win #1: Create Some Playlists (05:45)

Even when you aren't actively DJing, it can be helpful to "always" be building playlists which match a particular theme, sound, or concept.

This can happen within your DJ software, but is also useful in your everyday media player, such as Spotify, iTunes, or even YouTube.

Win #2: Prepare Your Bag (07:40)

While not under the pressure of a gig, why not check out the status of your gig bag?

How hard are you working to set up? How many times have you panicked, after realizing that you were missing something?

What "extras" should you drop in there now, that might save your ass later? (Hint: you can never have too many headphones adapters* ...)

Win #3: Build a "Rescue Kit" (09:00)

Speaking of things that could save your ass, I highly recommend putting together a sort-of first aid kit for your DJ gigs.

This could include any number of life-saving adapters (such as 1/4" to XLR, gender changers, RCA couplers, extension cords for audio and power...)

In my own bag, I have a small plastic box which contains a plethora of these adapters. And yes, that little plastic box has bailed me out, more than once!

I also recommend getting a breakout strip - that is, your own power strip to connect your hardware to, when sharing a booth with other DJs. This helps keep you out of each other's way.

Win #4: Soft-Delete Your Collection (13:14)

If your music collection has gotten unruly and oversized over time, it may be time to "delete" it and start over.

But, don't panic... you can simulate this deletion without actually losing all of your hard-earned music. 

By simply removing the collection and creating a new one in your software... or alternatively, by creating a new playlist that you work out of "from now on", you can get a fresh new perspective on your own DJing.

Win #5: Key Your Tracks (16:09)

Harmonic Mixing is a method which allows you to transition and layer tracks which are key-compatible. This allows you to mix styles that may otherwise clash, to mix melody-heavy tracks with each other, and to create amazing sounding mashups on the fly.

Key-mixing is a lot of fun, and it allows you to seemingly get away with murder. We discuss the Camelot Wheel (used to identify compatible tracks) and the benefits of this mixing method.

Recommended Listening: Episode 105: Thinking Harmonically (Our Chat With Mixed In Key)

Win #6: Go Manage Your Cables (21:05)

Perhaps now is a great time to figure out how you can tidy up your setup... for good.

By simply searching for "cable management" on Amazon, you can yield loads of results* and come up with  ideas on how to manage that booth-spaghetti.

A little bit of cable management goes a long way, but it's important not to paint yourself into a corner. Cable management can also be an extreme annoyance, if done the wrong way.

For example, consider velcro wire ties instead of plastic zip ties. This way, you don't have to bust out the scissors and ruin your hard work every time you want to slide your CDJ over 4 inches.

You can also find products which will help keep your cables and power strips hidden within a box, such as this Bluelounge* one that I use at my own desk.

Win #7: Learn How To "Over-Under" (24:13)

Speaking of managing your cables, this would be a great time to learn the over-under technique of cable wrapping.

This was taught to me years ago, by a backline tech. By altering the way you wrap your cables, you can save yourself a lot of headaches when you go to unwrap them later.

Here's a demonstration of the technique.

Recommended Listening: Episode 120: Know Thy Cables

Win #8: Clean & Calibrate Your Gear (26:09)

Dust! It's the bane of our existence.

Why not take some time to remove that dust? While it can be a pain to get inbetween all the nooks and crannies of your DJ mixer, I've had pretty good luck with these Swiffer Dusters*.

Do you have scratchy faders or sticky contacts? I had a situation like this with my Kontrol S4, and was able to remedy it using DeoxIT D5*. Of course, your mileage may vary... and please read the instructions and do your research before spraying anything in or around your gear.

In the interest of keeping your gear protected, Decksaver* is a great way to keep your gear clean, neat, and protected... while still looking nice and having perfect fitment. They can get expensive, but having it snap on perfectly is quite satisfying.

DVS users: how's your timecode signal? Is your signal coming through the needle properly? Turntable users, have you calibrated your decks?

Recommended Listening: Episode 45: Turntable Maintenance & Mods

Win #9: Contact 3 People (28:41)

Take the time to reach out to 3 different people which can help you make moves in your DJ career. You'd be amazed at how a small amount of outreach can lead to helpful small wins!

Get in touch with that promoter you've wanted to play for, or the owner of that venue where you want to promote a weekly show. Call that graphic designer friend and get your logo done, or call someone you've been wanting to collaborate with.

And don't forget the value of speaking in person, rather than sending an impersonal email or text!

Win #10: Create an "Emergency" Mix (30:03)

For those moments when things go wrong (CDJ doesn't power up, headphones go missing, or other hardware issues during changeover), it's extremely helpful to have a fallback.

Come up with an emergency mix (or playlist) which well-represents your sound as a DJ. Try to make it universal to you, so that it's helpful in any situation where you might need it.

Even an (offline) Spotify playlist on your phone is much better than 20 minutes of silence, while you're figuring it out!

Win #11: Learn a New Feature (31:52)

What does this button do?

Between gigs, why not explore those features of your hardware and software which you are unfamiliar with. Maybe you'll discover something that you like!

If you haven't ever taken the time to try Traktor's Remix Decks, to understand Slip Mode, or to realize what Serato's Pitch-N-Time does... now is your opportunity!

We tend to get set in our ways, but discovering a helpful new feature can be its own small win.

Win #12: Schedule a "Creativity Block" (32:57)

Set aside a block of time to explore creative ideas (try new sounds, play new genres, try a different tempo, attempt scratching, play with FX).

Change things up.... throw yourself under the bus! Don't just play a DJ set, but go in with the intent of trying stuff.

This is a great way to stimulate some creative energy, without waiting for the inspiration to put together a full mix or start a new project. Get your hands dirty!

Win #13: Set Cues and Loops (35:08)

Take a little time to think ahead. Find those cue points which will help you skip awkward intros when necessary. 

Or, find some clean loops and have them already set up within your collection. (Example: right before certain "events" happen in the track, like a big breakdown.)

This one is simple, but often overlooked!

Win #14: Schedule Social Media Posts (37:02)

Pick a day, and schedule a week's worth of posts from your fan page.

You want to keep the conversation moving in-between mixes and gigs, and you don't want to use your fan page solely as a distribution service. Social media platforms (like Facebook) want to see engagement, not spam.

I recommend picking a day, and scheduling 1 - 2 posts per day for the next week. Make sure you vary the types of posts, and make them relevant to you and your audience.

Once again, don't make it all personal spam. Sprinkle in the self-promo.

Win #15: Hand-Invite People to your Page (39:20)

When was the last time you actually directly invited people to your fan page? If it's been a while, this can be a significant small win.

You can often get 5, 10, 20, 30 new likes (depending on your friends list) just from taking the time to ask.

I do not recommend trying to game the system or send out mass invites to your entire friends list. Rather, take the time to directly invite people who you think would be interested, or are willing to support you.

Win #16: Check Your Gain Structure (40:54)

There are a lot of places to check your gain levels! Are you doing it right?

Obviously, step number one is to stay out of the red. That's the easiest way to make sure you aren't doing harm to your precious audio.

Outside of that, the best way to check optimal gain staging is to read the manuals of the involved hardware and software. Now's the time to learn, so that you have confidence going forward!

In my own personal setup, I counted 8 places where I need to set levels. We go over those checkpoints in the episode.

Win #17: Create Backups & Redundancy (43:03)

It's always a good time to make sure you have backups.

Mac users, run Time Machine. Save yourself the headache.

Everyone: keep a file-level backup. Whether it's to a USB key, external hard drive, or "in the cloud"... make sure you have a simply copy/paste backup of your music and important files. This could save your butt.

In the episode, I also discuss the importance of having hardware and software redundancy while gigging.

Recommended Listening: Episode 97: Disaster Preparedness

Win #18: Learn Your Shortcuts (48:05)

Is there some function of your software that you want access to, but there's no button for it on your controller?

Almost every function in all DJ software is mapped to some sort of keyboard hotkey. Now might be a great time to learn the important ones (e.g. Pitch Bend) in case something goes wrong. For example, a USB hub dies and you suddenly have no control over your tracks.

Win #19: Add Social Media CTAs (49:24)

Check all your social media bios and profiles. Figure out where you can put a link.

Fill that spot with the one most important link, which points to the one thing that you want someone to land on the most.

This could be your latest mix, your SoundCloud profile, a promo video, etc.

Using a service like Bit.ly, you can make these links short and tidy. This also allows you to track them, so that you understand where the clicks are coming from.

Win #20: Create a (Measurable) Goal (51:21)

Often, the hardest part of any pursuit, is actually deciding and giving yourself permission to do it.

Now is the time to create a solid goal, which helps get you to where you want to be as a DJ.

I recommend setting goals that follow the classic SMART criteria:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Relevant
• Time-bound

News This Week

• Rane releases v1.2 Firmware for their Flagship mixer, the Rane Seventy-Two. They made lots of small tweaks, implemented based on user feedback. See the full list of changes at Rane.com.
• Pioneer releases the new DDJ-400 DJ controller, set to replace the DDJ-RB at the $250 price point.

Don't forget: every month we release an exclusive bonus episode, only for our Patreon subscribers!

* We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Episode 148: Community Struggles

In today's episode of the podcast, we give our thoughts on the struggles people are having within the Passionate DJ community. We reached out to our Facebook Group, and pulled lots of great topics. 

Not a member of our Facebook group? Well, what are you waiting for?

https://passionatedj.com/community 

Here are some struggles which we address in Episode 148:

• Mental stamina with longer DJ sets
• Balancing professional life and DJing
• Knowing and remembering digital tracks vs. records
• Finding help with all the non-DJ stuff (promo, writing, design, video, etc.)
• Saying no to bookings, and finding time to record mixes
• Dealing with requests
• Dwelling on mistakes in the mix
• Finding new venues to play
• Stage fright; confidence
• Getting better gigs; playing the shows we want
• Getting clients to leave reviews
• Determining which DJ hardware to invest in

Tony starts out the show by telling us about his experience at Breakaway festival, and the story behind the awesome photo he took with legendary duo Sasha & John Digweed:

David also takes a few minutes to discuss other happenings within PDJ, including lots of incoming hardware reviews on our YouTube channel.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Episode 62: Advice for Busy DJs with Day Jobs
• Episode 143: How to Get More DJ Gigs

Episode 147: Summer Hardware & Industry

Today, David talks about happenings in the DJ industry, and the latest hardware to come out during the summer so far. We kept this one brief, as we didn't want to drag out the news stories out too much. But there's a lot going on, and you should know about it!

Here are some of the news stories we talk about in Episode 147:

Hardware & Software Updates

Xone:96 Announced

Allen & Heath has announced its first flagship mixer in over a decade. A modern evolution of the iconic Xone:92, the silver-faced kit features the analog architecture that made its predecessor popular. However, it adds some great modern features, such as a dual sound-card and onboard Traktor Scratch support.

It's also a great mixer for multiple-DJ sets (due to its dual-cueing setup), or any setups that require complex routing.

Pioneer DDJ-SX3 Launched

This third iteration of the original DDJ-SX follows the trend of dual-USB, while also adding another mic input, Color FX made popular on other Pioneer gear, and improved jog wheel latency.

It's interesting to see that Pioneer is still creating hardware dedicated for use with Serato, where they've spent much more time lately developing Rekordbox-centric controllers.

The SX3 is advertised at about $1000 and is available now.

Release of Virtual DJ 2018

With a heavy emphasis on video and visuals, the new Virtual DJ is sure to be a hit amongst its huge fanbase. The software includes built-in support for streaming to all the important platforms, including the ability to overlay waveforms, track info, logos, etc.

Check out all the new features of Virtual DJ here.

Denon to add Traktor Collection support

According to some teaser pics on social media, and statements made both by Denon DJ and Native Instruments, it seems likely that we'll soon be able to import Traktor libraries into Engine Prime (much like you can currently do with Serato).

Theoretically, you should be able to take your playlists, beat grids, cue points, etc. and play them on Denon Prime players from a USB key (instead of using a laptop).

This may be the closest thing we've seen to a "standalone" Traktor experience.

FL Studio Finally Launches for Mac

Image-Line's latest version of its DAW, FL Studio 20, comes with native Mac support for the first time in two decades.

Apparently, the reason in the long delay for porting the software to Mac had to do with the programming language used to write it (Delphi)... which is much better suited to writing software for Windows.

FL Studio 20 comes with loads of other updates, including support for time signatures, freezing for clips (to save CPU - finally!!), and the ability to have multiple arrangements so users can work with different versions of the same project.

Has the Electronic Music Industry "Peaked"?

According to the recent IMS (International Music Summit) Report, the overall value of the electronic music industry has fallen 2% to $7.3 billion. However, there may be an explanation: the fact that many "EDM" songs are actually being classified as Pop.

The full 29-page IMS Report is available in PDF format, here.

Girl (A documentary on Female DJs) Released

From the website, GirlTheMovie.com:

What started as a lark became an obsession after meeting the notorious DJ Sandra Collins.

Kandeyce Jorden's exploration of a blossoming subculture of the electronic music scene slams her face to face with a connection that can only be found by getting completely lost.

Detroit House Pioneer Dwayne Jensen Passes Away

R.I.P. to influential house producer Dwayne Jensen, who passed away on May 28. As a tribute, we send the episode out with this track:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGKBYm12MGQ

P.S. - don't forget to check out our content on YouTube!

Episode 146: The Free Bonus Episode

Today we're giving you a full preview of Afterparty, our monthly bonus show which is exclusively for Patreon subscribers of The Passionate DJ Podcast.

Become a Patron here: http://patreon.com/passionatedj 

If you're not familiar with Patreon, it's a great way to support your favorite creators and help pay them for the stuff you love. You decide the pledge, and then receive rewards in order to thank you for your support. 

In our case, we offer a monthly bonus show called Afterparty. The show is similar to The Passionate DJ Podcast; in fact, much of the show is made up of side recordings, deleted scenes, and other bonuses which would otherwise never be heard.

Sometimes you'll hear exclusive interviews with your favorite DJs. Other times, you'll hear pre-show banter and side conversations. We even toss in field recordings and on-site raw interviews. We then stitch all this together, polish it, and present it to you in a monthly bonus episode.

Patreon is a great way to support your favorite content creators, because it allows us to keep making the stuff that you love, and keep the advertising to a dull roar. 

Many don't realize that creating a single episode of our podcast can exceed 20 hours... not including promoting it, and not including the creation of our written and video content. By subscribing, you not only help the podcast to continue existing, but you get access to more of the show you already love.

Gain access to Afterparty here: http://patreon.com/passionatedj 

In this exclusive, free episode, you'll hear:

• Bonus tips from How to Get More DJ Gigs
• Extended discussion from our interview with DJ 2nd Nature
• A deeper exploration into Detroit Techno and its iconic tracks

We understand that not everyone is willing and able to support Passionate DJ monetarily, and hope that you will continue enjoying The Passionate DJ Podcast! 

If you'd like to support in other ways, you can...

• Share our episodes when they go live
• Leave comments on social media or PassionateDJ.com
• Tell your friends about Passionate DJ
• Leave ratings and reviews wherever you listen to us

But above all else, we really just appreciate you listening to the show!

One last time, that URL is http://patreon.com/passionatedj

See you there!