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Can You Be a DJ Without Being a Producer?

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While DJing has become an art form, the act of DJing can’t exist without the dance music that becomes created and mixed.

But many beginner DJs or even professional DJs may be wondering if it’s possible to be a DJ without being a producer. So is this even possible?

You can still be a DJ without being a producer, as it’s a lot easier nowadays to simply just DJ, compared to back in the day. Back then, you didn’t have tools such as Soundcloud and YouTube at your disposal.

DJs used to have to rely on producing their own dance music to be a successful DJ.

In this article, we’ll be going in-depth into how you can be a DJ without producing your own music, and where you can access your music when you don’t create your own tracks.

If you’re interested in learning more about these topics, keep on reading.

How to DJ Without Producing Your Own Music  

As we stated above, it’s possible to be a DJ today without producing your own music.

There are a lot of options for DJs today in terms of how you can play music for an audience. But where do you go to gain access to music when you’re not creating your own?

Below we’ll explore some different platforms you can use to play music for your future clients.

SoundCloud’s Virtual DJ Software

SoundCloud is the largest audio platform in the world, and recently it’s given the DJ community a new opportunity in terms of playing music. With VirtualDJ, you can instantly stream and mix SoundCloud’s massive catalog in high quality.

All you have to do is download VirtualDJ, and once you’ve downloaded it, enable SoundCloud by logging in through a SoundCloudGo+ subscription. 

It’s recommended all DJs have this type of subscription, as SoundCloudGo+ gives you access to more than 200 million tracks from over 20 million artists around the world.

You’ll also be able to play music offline, and you won’t have to deal with advertisements.

SoundCloud also offers a great value for DJs, for just $4.99 you can create your SoundCloudGo+ subscription, and then have access to the largest streaming catalog for a bundled price of $16.99 a month.

If you are a DJ who doesn’t produce, this is a great option for you in terms of playing music for an audience. Below, we’ll explore some more platforms that you can use to be a successful DJ without having to produce your own music.

YouTube DJ

YouTube DJ is a free option that allows you to mash up different audios and videos from YouTube. This is an easy to use platform that allows you to feel very hands-on when creating your own mixes and mashups.

There are also popular mixes available from other DJs that you have access to as well, which gives this platform an extra appeal.

Not only does YouTube DJ give you access to the millions of songs that are accessible through YouTube, but you have the opportunity to mash up videos as well, which many of the platforms on this list will not give you the option to do.

Another plus is that YouTube DJ gives you access to instrumental and acapella versions of millions of different songs, which is definitely a plus when you want to combine different melodies with different vocals and so on.

This option is a go-to for a lot of reasons, not only is it free, but it gives you access to videos as well, and you’ll have plenty of instrumental and acapella options to all the hottest songs.

DJ Mode on Spotify

Spotify’s DJ mode will allow professional DJs to play and remix music from anywhere.

All you need is a Spotify Premium account and a third party software system that allows you to download Spotify music in the form of MP3, AAC, or WAV.

Once you have both systems up, feel free to move the Spotify audios to your third party system, and begin mixing and creating.

The most popular Spotify music downloader is Sidify, which allows you to download a digital copy of any song, playlist, or podcast from Spotify.

It’s also possible to download content from Spotify through Sidify without a premium account. Just simply open up the Sidify browser, and your Spotify will automatically open.

Once you have both browsers open, you’ll simply be able to drop and drag songs and playlists to Sidify.

From there, you’ll be able to download your audios in whichever format you choose, and then upload them to your third party DJ software.

If you’re looking for another simple way to DJ with Spotify, the video below will offer a step by step tutorial on how you can successfully entertain an audience with your Spotify playlist.

This is another simple and convenient platform that you can access for free that allows you to mix and create your favorite audios from Spotify in just a few easy steps.

Franchise Record Pool

If you’re a DJ who doesn’t produce, and you’re looking for another platform to gain access to music, you can always go the route of DJ pools or music pools.

Franchise Record Pool is one of the largest record pools on the web, with over 3,000 new tracks each month covering over 19 genres.

They also have access to thousands of music videos that can also be mixed if you’re interested in that aspect of DJing.

For $19.99 a month, this is a strong record pool for Hip Hop DJs, and it’s a wise investment if you’re a DJ who doesn’t produce their own tracks.

Digital DJ Pool

Another DJ pool option, Digital DJ Pool, has a wide variety of genres and artists, and they offer a five day trial for only $1. This platform also updates their tracks daily and always shows you what’s trending and being added to their site.

This is recommended as a great option for DJs looking for artists and songs that are more underground. While they have plenty of top tracks on their site, it’s a popular platform to find underground artists and audios.

You’ll also have access to unlimited downloads, and it’s only $20 a month for such a fast and easy to use platform that many DJs highly recommend.

You can begin mixing and creating new mashups and playlists from their site today, so what are you waiting for?

My MP3 Pool  

Our last DJ pool option, My MP3 Pool, has thousands of high quality audios available, and they are constantly updating their tracklist with hundreds of new songs every month.

They also have multiple versions of each track available, including radio, instrumental, and acapella.

For $19.95 a month, you’ll have access to so many different songs and genres that you can begin mixing and mashing within minutes.

For those who don’t produce their own tracks, it’s still possible to be a successful DJ, as long as you know where to go and how to begin.

Conclusion

We discussed some of the ways you can access music when you don’t produce your own, and what certain platforms can provide.

As you can see, there are many different platforms you can easily get access to that have thousands of songs, playlists, and even videos you can use for your next gig.

We discussed some free options, as well as some monthly membership options that give you more perks and bonuses.

So while you may not have to be a producer to be a successful DJ, you’ll know exactly where to look the next time you’re looking for new tracks.

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