Digital DJ Tips reader Roeland writes: “I always create full tracklists when I do a mix. It takes some time but I feel that credit should go to the people that actually create the tunes. People like a track, find out the name, buy it, and the producer gets his or her share. I’ve noticed that many big DJs also give out their tracklistings. However. I often ask DJs what they just played, and some refuse ‘because of the hard work’ or saying things like ‘you don’t need to know what I play’. So of course, that means I hear a cool track and I can’t use it in one of my mixes because I don’t know its title. What’s the general feeling on this? To me it’s just arrogance.”
Digital DJ Tips says:
I used to like nothing better when DJing back in the vinyl days than handing a record sleeve to someone so they could take a photo of the cover or scribble it down on their phone. I felt proud they wanted to know, and pleased my taste was appreciated! I also felt my job was to share the music, not hide it away. However, I equally saw DJs who actually covered up the labels on their tunes with white paper, or just refused point blank to share names of tunes, even (especially) with other DJs. Personally I never understood it, but it’s their right I guess.
This is definitely one to ask everyone’s opinion on though, as there are arguments in both directions.
So, over to you: What do you think? Is it ever right to hide the names and artists of the music you play from punters or other DJs? Have you done it, or been on the receiving end of it? Please share your thoughts in the comments.
Phil Morse
