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10 Best External Hard Drives for DJing

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Choosing the right type of external hard drive for your DJing gig can be a make or break situation. There’s no point in buying more hard drives every week, so it’s important that you buy one with enough storage. Fortunately, you’re going to learn all about the ten best options on the market today.

When you’re looking for the best external hard drives for DJing, you should make sure it has enough storage for your music, it’s compatible with your devices, and it doesn’t overheat. Other good features include a rugged case, slim designs for portability, and reliability from the company.

Throughout this article, you’ll also learn the following information about choosing an external hard drive for DJing gigs:

  • How you can choose the best one for your situation
  • How much storage you’ll need for your music
  • The current ten best hard drives for DJing

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Silicon Power 2TB Rugged Portable External Hard Drive

As the name states, the Silicone Power Rugged Hard Drive can take a beating without showing any signs of damage. It’s enclosed in a hardened case that protects your valuable information, making it ideal for those who toss around their backpack or drop their gear too often. There’s also a cable that attaches to the outside for easy storage.

Another great feature of this DJ external hard drive is that it has a massive 2TB storage capacity. You’ll be able to use it for several months before hitting the maximum limit.

It’s designed for all sorts of applications, so you’ll be able to bring your music from your laptop to another device without an issue.

Currently, you can choose from Black & Green or Black & Red. Both colors have a unique checkered pattern along the outside. All of the ports are labeled in bold text for easy viewing.

Speaking of which, this hard drive comes with multiple USB ports and a key to lock it. You’ll also enjoy the water-resistant outer shell.

Pros

  • Comes with a highly durable exterior layer for ultimate protection
  • Includes multiple models for different colors and storage capacities
  • Designed to be used with USB cables (you may need an adapter for Macbooks)
  • Compact design, which is perfect for storing it in a backpack, purse, or pocket

LaCie Rugged Mini 4TB External Hard Drive

Another tough hard drive is the LaCie Rugged Mini External Hard Drive. Much like the previous entry on the list, the outer shell is designed to wick moisture and prevent shock damage.

However, the shell on this product is made out of a slightly squishier material, which helps to disperse the pressure on impact.

One of the best parts of buying the LaCie hard drive is that you can choose from several models. Each of them has different ports, so you’ll be able to choose whichever option is the most compatible with your devices. However, you can use adapters since the vast majority of them work with this unit.

These simple hard drives are made to work with Macbook’s iOS and most modern versions of Windows. It only has one port on the current model, which takes away from any unwanted complexities.

Plug it into your laptop, smartphone, tablet, or desktop computer and start working right away.

Pros

  • Comes in a bright orange color so you’ll never lose it
  • Choose from multiple storage capacities
  • Compatible with almost all modern operating systems
  • Simple, durable design

Seagate Fast SSD 500GB External Solid State Drive

If you don’t need that much storage, then the Seagate Fast SSD is an excellent option. This 500GB hard drive is designed for DJs and other users who work weekly, but who don’t need terabytes to accomplish their tasks.

If you only add completed projects rather than test songs and other information, it’ll do just fine.

However, if you want to step it up a notch, you can also select the 1TB or 2TB model. These hard drives are designed to be nearly indestructible. They’re heavy-duty without adding too much weight.

Toss it in your pack, head to the gig, and start playing your music without any unwanted issues.

Another notable benefit of this hard drive is that it transfers data incredibly quickly. If you’ve ever used a cheap hard drive, then you’ve experienced the slow nature of the uploads and downloads.

With a nearly instant transfer, you won’t have to wait around for everything to go from your computer to the unit or vice versa.

Pros

  • Comes in three sizes: 500GB, 1TB, and 2TB
  • Designed for nearly instant data transfers
  • Doesn’t reduce the quality or file size upon upload
  • Made with a tough shell that won’t crack or chip

SanDisk Extreme 500 Portable 240GB Solid State Drive

SanDisk is one of the most popular brands in the industry, so it’s no surprise to see one of their high-quality drives on the list. The SanDisk Extreme 500 Portable 240GB SSD is an excellent choice for beginner DJs who want to save time and money.

They’re not nearly as expensive as other models, but the company somehow maintains similar quality.

240GB is more than enough for a plethora of songs, so you’ll be able to practice with your favorite apps and create your own content. Furthermore, you can upgrade to a bigger version of the same style from SanDisk if you find that there’s not enough storage on this product.

It’s also very compact for easy portability.

The porous metal ring around the edge of this hard drive is designed to clip onto your belt, backpack, or carrying bag. It’s also small enough to fit in your pocket, so you’ll be able to have it on you at all times. When you’re ready to use it, it unclips instantly for immediate access to the hard ports.

Pros

  • Made by a high-quality, reputable company
  • Designed for beginners and intermediate musicians (and other uses)
  • You can carry it with you in multiple different ways
  • Comes with a USB cable for instant transfer and high-quality content

Silicon Power 1TB Rugged Portable External Hard Drive

If you’re always on the move and you leave your hard drive in your backpack, then you should definitely get a durable model. The Silicon Power 1TB Rugged Portable External Hard Drive is a top choice for many musicians and other artists who want to keep their work safe from harm.

It’s made with a tough shell that prevents shock damage.

You’ll be able to choose from the traditional model made with a USB port or the updated USB-C model. Either way, you can also pick from a 1TB or 2TB storage capacity.

The four corners work to prevent the device from cracking thanks to the military-grade materials. It’s made with an internal suspension to further protect the device.

Unlike most other hard drives with a protective shell, this one can be removed. If you don’t want the bulky outer layer, you can remove the silicone or take off the entire shell.

You’ll be left with just the hard drive, which is still fairly durable on its own.

Pros

  • Comes in multiple sizes and with USB or USB-C ports
  • Designed with a removable protective shell
  • Easy to plug-and-play right out of the box
  • Includes a 3-year limited manufacturer’s warranty

WD 1TB Elements Portable External Hard Drive

If you want to save money and get a budget-friendly hard drive, then the WD 1TB Elements EHD is a great selection. It might not be as well known as some of the other brands on the list, but its simplistic design and low price make it one of the top choices for many musicians and artists around the world.

You can also choose a 2TB option, which is far more than enough for beginner and intermediate-level DJs. You’ll be able to store all kinds of content on these hard drives since they upload high-quality resolution without compressing images, videos, and audio files. Using a provided cable, you can transfer the info right away.

It’s compatible with USB 2.0 and USB 3.0, but you can also use a USB-C adapter to operate other devices. It can be connected to laptops, desktop computers, smartphones, tablets, and many other devices.

If you just want a basic hard drive with decent battery life, then there might not be a better option available.

Pros

  • Comes with two options: 1TB or 2TB
  • Designed to work with multiple types of USB cables
  • Budget-friendly price on renewed models
  • Long-lasting battery with instant data transfer

SAMSUNG T5 Portable SSD

By now, almost everyone in the tech industry (and the entire world) knows about Samsung. They’ve produced a wide variety of the world’s top products, including the Samsung T5 Portable SSD.

This durable, high-quality hard drive comes with 500GB of storage that can be transferred at an impressive rate of 540MB/second.

Blue, gold, red, and black are the four colors that these hard drives currently come in. You can also select 500GB, 1TB, or 2TB. They can hold 4K UHD videos, high-resolution photos, and large music files without a problem.

Although they only come with USB ports, you can use an adapter to connect them to a USB-C or other capable.

They also have models that come with USB-C ports if you want to skip the USB cable altogether. The slim design is found on every model, so you can slide it in your pocket or purse without taking up much room. Thanks to the rounded edges, it won’t poke your leg or break from direct impact.

Pros

  • Made by one of the industries best brands around
  • Comes with USB and USB-C ports for quick data transfer
  • Designed to hold the highest quality files
  • Small enough to fit in your pocket or purse

G-Technology 4TB G-DRIVE

For those who want the biggest hard drives on the market, the G-Technology G-Drive series is worth looking into. They offer multiple sizes, including 4TB, 6TB, 8TB, 10TB, and a whopping 14TB hard drive.

All of them are rather large, so you’ll need a backpack or a carrying case to bring them with you.

Despite their physical size, you’ll love the performance value of these hard drives. They’re made for instant transfers of the best quality files that you can create.

If you want to take your DJing hobby and turn it into a career, then these hard drives should be at the top of your list. Needless to say, you won’t have to get a new one any time soon.

With speeds that exceed 240MB/second, it’s easy to assume that nobody’s complaining about the instantaneous transfer. You’ll also relax with the peace of mind knowing that there’s a 3-year warranty on the internal components.

If anything goes wrong, send a message to the company. Note that the warranty only covers manufacturer defects, no user error.

Pros

  • Comes with some of the biggest storage capacity that you’ll find
  • Made for high-quality files of all types
  • Perfect for DJs of all experience levels as a long-term solution
  • Designed for incredibly fast data transfers

Toshiba Canvio Basics 1TB Portable External Hard Drive

Like Samsung, Toshiba is another top brand in the tech industry. They’ve made all sorts of useful devices for musicians, including the Toshiba Canvio Basics 1TB Portable EHD.

This device can be found in a 1TB, 2TB, 3TB, or 4TB size, all of which come with a durable exterior layer to prevent internal damage.

There are several ways to purchase this product, including a soft carrying case, a hard shell carrying case, an additional hard drive, or by itself. There are many other options to look through as well to find the one that best suits your interests.

Whichever one you go with, you can rest assured that they all have a 1-year warranty from Toshiba.

You don’t need to install any special dj software or other files. All you have to do is plug it into a Windows or iOS system for immediate usage through the various USB ports.

Unlike other large storage devices, this one doesn’t need an external power supply; Your laptop or PC will be more than enough to run it.

Pros

  • Comes in a variety of sizes with multiple carrying case options
  • Compatible with iOS and Windows operating systems
  • No installation necessary; Plug-and-play
  • Includes a 1-year limited warranty

DOJGT External Hard Drive

Last but certainly not least, the DOJGT External Hard Drive is worth checking out if you’re shopping on a budget. These super-slim hard drives are compact enough to carry with you in your pocket, purse, backpack, and even a wallet.

They’re only 3.9 x 1.26 inches, so you shouldn’t have any problems with portability.

If you decide to go with one of these hard drives, you’ll have a wide color selection to choose from, including silver, red, gold, blue, and black. Despite the small size of these hard drives, you’ll still be able to enjoy either 1TB or 2TB of internal storage capacity. It also transfers fairly quickly, which is always a bonus.

They’re designed with a USB-C port, making them perfect for iOS users on Macbooks and those with USB-C adapters.

The aluminum alloy exterior prevents shock damage. Since it’s so lightweight, it doesn’t really have any room to break if you accidentally drop it.

Pros

  • Comes in a wide variety of colors and sizes
  • Perfect dimensions for pockets, wallets, and laptop bags
  • Choose between 1TB or 2TB of storage capacity
  • Made with a USB-C port

What to Look For

Getting a new hard drive for your DJ music isn’t as simple as it sounds. You need to make sure that you’re looking for all of the necessary features rather than reaching for the first one that you find.

Below, you’ll find a handful of suggestions to help you find the best external hard drives for your DJing career.

  • The storage capacity should be the most important feature. Choose nothing less than 250GB if you want to store a decent amount of songs.
  • Next, speed should always be a concern. Make sure that you’re getting at least 100mb/second.
  • The physical size of the hard drive also matters since you’ll be carrying it with you to your gigs.
  • Durability is also an issue. Many of the hard drives have damage-resistance shells if you need extra support.
  • Finally, set a budget and stick to it. There’s no need to exceed the budget if you can find something in the range. There are plenty of low-cost and high-end hard drives on the list above.

Conclusion

Now that you’ve seen all ten of the best external hard drives for DJing, you’re ready to find the right one for you. Remember to look through the previous section so you know what to look for.

Here’s a quick recap of the post:

  • Durability, USB compatibility, and the dimensions shouldn’t be overlooked.
  • Make sure you’re getting the right storage size and speed.
  • You don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars to get a high-end EHD.
  • Consider slim designs if you don’t have a carrying case or bag.

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