Last updated 2 February, 2018
In this week’s Friday Five, we’re leading with an article from Mixmag on why DJs today should know how to navigate the line between style and substance. We’ve also got pieces from Pitchfork, Soundfly, BBC Newsbeat and Billboard. Have a great weekend ahead!
- Walking The Fine Line Between Cool & Commerical Music – Are you a “better” DJ if you throw down deep cut after deep cut to a crowd of hoity-toity techno nerds compared to someone whose fist-pumping and tune choices rival the cheese section at Sainsbury’s? It isn’t all black and white, and surely there’s some sort of compromise. Mixmag explores Read more
- How To Be A Responsible DJ In The Streaming Era – Now that practically all the world’s music can be accessed from your phone for next to nothing, an artist’s paltry royalties from music download sales have dropped even lower, as if they weren’t measly enough. We can do something about that – Pitchfork shows us the way Read more
- How To Avoid Burnout – Stress isn’t bad: a healthy amount of it leads to growth and gives us a kick in the pants when we’re lagging. Prolonged stress, however, can wreak havoc on your confidence and mental health that may lead to a burnout. Here are some tips for preventing that from Soundfly Read more
- What It Takes To Be Britain’s Best Music Producer – Don’t know who Steve Mac is? Turn on the radio or listen to the Spotify charts and you’ll come across at least one of the many megahits he’s produced, which include Ed Shereen’s inescapable Shape Of You and Clean Bandit’s Symphony. He dishes some advice on how to be a chart topping producer in this piece by BBC Newsbeat Read more
- Why Aren’t More Female Artists Near The Top Of A Bill? – Though more women artists and DJs are being booked in festivals this year, few are given plum positions in a lineup, much less headlining slots with the exception of a handful of pop mainstays including Beyonce and Janet Jackson. Billboard has it Read more
So would you rather play cool or commercial music? Maybe something in between? Let us know in the comments below, and feel free to comment on any of the other articles.
Joey Santos
