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How To Craft The Ultimate DJ Mix

- By Jade Story, March 2023

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Introduction

As DJs, music is an essential part of our lives, and for many people, nothing compares to the feeling of a well-crafted DJ mix. Not only is it an amazing promotional tool to create or boost your current DJ career, it is also a means to form your identity and brand. Posting regular mixes acts as your audio business card in the DJ world, so knowing how to craft an excellent mix is a powerful tool for any DJ to have.

Why Post Your DJ Mix?

Planned vs. Unplanned Mixes?

Define Your Purpose:

Deciding on your purpose for creating the mix sets the scene for everything that follows.

How can you create excellence if you don't have a clear purpose in mind? Purpose helps to build a story and create something memorable. Sit down and ask yourself what you want to achieve with this mix:

What type of setting will it be played in? Who is your target audience? What genre is going to be played throughout?

And finally, will you be mixing using decks or Ableton Live?

• Are you making it to potentially get a gig at your favourite nightclub? If so, this immediately narrows down what genre and energy level you would be playing.
• Perhaps you're creating it as a self-promotion tool. In this case, you have the freedom to choose exactly what you want to play to showcase your taste in music and your mixing skills, ultimately drawing in and creating your audience as you go.
• If you love a particular genre of music and want your name as a DJ to become known for playing that, put all your effort into building great mixes around that niche.
• Decks vs. software such as Ableton Live? If you're releasing a mix in the hopes of getting live gigs, then of course it's better to mix live on any set of decks you can get your hands on, as this way you will be able to showcase your live mixing skills and won't be overselling yourself with a level of perfection that you won't be able to replicate in your live sets.

Ultimately, your purpose for creating the mix sets the scene for everything to follow, saving you the time and frustration that come with a lack of direction.

Song Selection:

Take the time to find tracks that are not necessarily the most popular at the time, but ones that people may not hear on a daily basis. Mixes are an excellent way of giving your listeners an education in whichever genre you love to play.

Being led by your ear is how you create a distinct sound, which is so important if you're trying to build your brand as a club DJ in particular. This is your opportunity to showcase what you love to play, to showcase your niche and attract the right fan base, with your listeners coming to trust that you will deliver a certain sound. If you try to please everyone, you will lose every time.

Developing a consistent sound does not preclude you from playing other styles, but it does help your brand as a DJ looking to make a name for yourself to be known for a specific style.

Finding tracks that are relatively unknown can leave a huge impact on your audience, as the unexpected is powerful. We all know nothing beats hearing a great track for the first time. Putting in that extra effort to look beyond the Beatport top 100, for example, will go a long way in separating you from the pack.

Once you have narrowed down a playlist, track order comes into play as the next important step in creating your mix. This is where tools such as crafting an energy diagram and using the guidelines for mixing in key can make this process a lot faster and more effective.

The Energy Diagram:

An excellent tool that both DJs and producers make use of to outline energy levels throughout a song or mix.

These are:

The Ramp: Rising from a low BPM to a high BPM, creating a steady build, and bringing your audience up to your biggest tracks. This creates an overall sense of something building and as the energy rises with each track, it keeps the listener intrigued as to what's coming next.

The Mountain: This peaks in the middle of the mix and then steadily ends on a similar energy level to the start of the mix.

The Wave: This keeps the audience on their toes as you take them through a series of peaks and valleys throughout the duration of the mix.

Decide on which method of leading the energy of your mix will work best for you and plan to execute it using this energy diagram as a guide.

Mixing In Key:

Mixing in key refers to the practice of matching the keys of your tracks when transitioning from one song to the next. In music theory, each key has a specific set of notes that create a particular mood or feeling. When DJs mix two tracks in the same key, the resulting sound is harmonious and creates a smooth, seamless transition between songs.

There are several reasons why mixing in key is important for DJs. First and foremost, it creates a more enjoyable listening experience for the audience. When tracks are mixed in key, the sound flows more smoothly and cohesively, allowing listeners to stay engaged with the music and dance without any jarring interruptions or awkward transitions. Essentially, making the tracks speak to one another rather than over one another.

Additionally, mixing in key can also help DJs build their sets and create a unique, cohesive sound. By selecting tracks that are all in the same or complementary keys, DJs can create a sense of musical continuity and build momentum throughout their set. This can help to keep your listeners engaged and energized throughout.

Overall, mixing in key is an incredibly helpful tool for DJs who want to create an enjoyable, engaging, and cohesive musical experience for their audience. However, remember, it's a tool, instead of a rule. Learn to also trust your ears, and don't fall into the trap of continuously sacrificing what would be the next best track in the mix for an average track simply because it's in key.

Phrasing:

Understanding and using phrasing is one of the key facets of creating a mix that flows well. Phrasing is the practice of matching the beats and bars of two songs in a way that creates a seamless transition between them. This is an important technique used by DJs to maintain energy throughout a mix. Mixing in phrases helps you avoid any abrupt or disjointed transitions, which have the potential to ruin your overall mix.

Correct use of phrasing is the foundation of a good DJ mix and will take your mix from an amateur level to a professional level.

All music is made according to a certain structure, and phrases are what make up this structure. Every song is made up of beats, bars, and phrases. Phrases are made up of bars, and bars are made up of beats. The number of bars in a phrase differs between genres, however, within each genre, there will be an underlying structure that is most common. Most electronic dance music is made up of 16 or 32 bar phrases. These phrases form a rhythmic structure that your audience will naturally follow and expect to hear. When this is broken, it throws people off.

If you stick to the general rule of hitting play on your new track at the beginning of a phrase in your outgoing track, your mix will maintain a solid energy level throughout.

*This diagram clearly shows the 4 beats to a bar, with the accumulation of a particular number of bars forming a phrase.

Practice, Record and Listen:

Get Creative:

Sharing and Promoting: