Your Questions: Which Is the Best Streaming Service For DJs?

Digital DJ Tips reader Jaysyn writes: “My Apple Music trial just ended and now I have a decision to make: Spotify or Apple Music subscription? I know Spotify works natively with djay 2 software but I also know iTunes is supported as well. Do you know if Apple Music is supported and if so is it just like Spotify where I can access any song as long as I am a subscriber?

“Keep in mind I am not a professional DJ in the least bit, I am trying to teach myself and am at the very beginning stages. I have to think a music subscription of some sort can only make things better for me in the long run (considering I have kids that use the services as well). I just know I do not need both services… I hope!”

Digital DJ Tips says:

Apple Music does indeed let you see the tunes you add to your “library” within iTunes, but no DJ software can currently play those. So if you want to subscribe to a streaming service in order to use it within your DJ software, you’ll have to look elsewhere.

Spotify is available within djay 2 and djay Pro (on iOS and Mac respectively), although you need to be online for it to work. Virtual DJ has a similar streaming subscription service, although it’s not one your family can use outside of the DJ software like Spotify is, and it’s the same story for the forthcoming Serato DJ/Pulselocker tie-in.

So judging by your needs (streaming service the whole family can use, that you can also use in your DJ software), as long as you’re happy to rely on having an internet connection, Spotify and djay 2 or djay Pro seems like the best choice.

The way we recommend streaming services be used currently for DJs, though, is as discovery services; we still recommend that once you find tunes you like, you buy them and add them to a genuine local collection. If you decide to follow this route, then frankly, any streaming service you like will do, as of course you’re not relying on it integrating with your DJ software at all.

What streaming service do you use? Would you recommend it to other DJs? Please share your thoughts in the comments.