Tag: DJ PERFORM

| Overview In this post, we’ll lay out everything you need to know about the 10 best record pools for DJs in 2023. By the end of it, you’ll know for sure which one(s) you want to try. To get you the best deals, we reached out to the various DJ pools for discount codes. If we have one, we’ll include it as we go through the list! Important Note: This list was put together in collaboration with ACTUAL working DJs that ACTIVELY use these services. We update it regularly, so you can rest assured it’s bang up-to-date! What are DJ record pools? Designed specifically for working DJs, DJ record pools are subscription services (or websites) that offer unlimited MP3 downloads for a set monthly, quarterly or annual amount. As well as carrying huge back-catalogues of music, DJ pools regularly receive new tracks from music producers and record labels (big & small), giving DJs exclusive access to promotional tracks that no one else carries. In return, the copyright owner essentially gets their music promoted for free. Note: Whilst they are all the same thing, these services are also referred to as ‘DJ music pools’, ‘digital DJ pools’ and ‘MP3 record pools’. Who are DJ Pools for? Whilst DJ pools cater for ALL types of working DJs, they’re especially popular with open-format/mobile DJs. This is because many of them carry the latest chart music, whilst also storing back-catalogues of previous decades, etc. Just bear in mind, though, these services are not just open to anyone, and you’ll often need to prove your status as a DJ before you can join. Why use a DJ record pool? As well as ‘DJ friendly’ edits, DJ pools are packed with alternative remixes that you won’t find on other download sites. Whether it’s extended intro versions, outro versions, bootlegs, mashups, clean & explicit versions – this is where you’ll find them. Depending on the service, you can also expect tons of useful DJ tools such as acapellas, samples and DJ drops, all as part of your subscription. Whilst many DJs would still buy their tracks individually from sites like Beatport, record pools provide the perfect foundation for building and maintaining a professional music collection, ultimately saving a lot of time and money. So then, these are without doubt 10 of the best record pools for DJs in 2023! 1. BPM Supreme Overview: One of the best DJ pools out there, and probably the most well-known, is US-based BPM Supreme. Under the umbrella brand of BPM Music, BPM Supreme is what you might describe as an ‘all-in-one’ DJ pool. In other words, they carry a broad selection of music, which is perfect for open-format and special event DJs! As well as being an excellent source for new releases and exclusive edits, they also have tons of classics in genres such as Hip Hop, R&B, Dance/Electronic, Pop, and more. Standard plan: $19.99 US per month (only $9.99 for the first month). Premium plan: $29.99 US per month (only $9.99 for the first month). Use promo code ‘DJREV’ to get an additional 25% off your first month on any plan. BPM Supreme subscription inclusions: Features:Standard $19.99 p/mPremium $29.99 p/mUnlimited DownloadsYESYESTrack PreviewYESYESWaveform PlayerYESYESDay/Night Mode (on Classic Mode)YESYESMobile AppYESYESVersion SelectionYESYESCrate DownloadsYESYESPlaylistsNOYESCloud RescueNOYESHQ Audio StreamingNOYES More details: BPM Supreme has a huge database and back catalogue of tracks that are updated daily, together with professionally curated setlists and also playlists for special events. Their website has a lovely clean user interface, simple navigation and robust search functionality; either searching by genre, version (clean/dirty, extended intro/outro etc.), key or BPM. BPM Supreme’s high-quality MP3s (320kbs) can also be easily exported to the leading DJ software applications such as Serato, rekordbox, Traktor and Virtual DJ. As one of the market-leading DJ pools, they also have an excellent mobile app. This allows you to easily create playlists on the go and put tracks into crates for a later download. The app was recently updated in October 2022, bringing additional functionality such as recommendations and new music notifications. Once you fill out a simple form and your account is approved, your “BPM ID” will give you access to the interface to take a good look and preview tracks before subscribing. Once you subscribe and enter your payment information, you’ll then have access to download freely from the platform. Visit their website here and use promo code ‘DJREV’ to get 25% off your first month. For a deeper dive, also check out this full review we did. Note: Your BPM ID also gives you access to preview tracks from their ‘BPM Latino‘ library (separate subscription required to download), and you can also view their sample pack website, ‘BPM Create‘, which you’d need to buy separate credits for. 2. ZIPDJ Overview: Like BPM Supreme, ZIPDJ also has a huge database that’s updated daily. Whilst it’s definitely not the cheapest, it’s one of the best DJ pools for electronic music, and many would say the best DJ pool for house music. They partner with 2000+ record labels, including Ultra Music and Ministry of Sound; meaning there’s no shortage of exclusive promo tracks. Intro plans: $25-30 per month (download limits apply) Pro unlimited plans: $50 per month ($35 for the first month) Promo code: Non available ZIPDJ subscription inclusions: Features:Intro PlansPro Unlimited PlansUnlimited DownloadsNOYESCurated Essentials Packs / PlaylistsNOYES60+ sub-genresYESYESOver 2000 top labelsYESYESProperly ID3 tagged filesYESYESAccess to full music libraryYESYESEasy one-click downloading, previews, & searchYESYES More details: ZIPDJ boasts the biggest electronic catalogue of any DJ Pool, carrying 60+ genres and over 300,000 tracks across Dance, House, Hip-Hop, R&B, Pop (including the Top 40) and Latin. The website is again nice & clean, with easy-to-navigate pages, choosing from new releases, top downloads, trending charts, top charts, and ZIPDJ Packs. ‘ZIPDJ Packs’ being pre-curated playlists. They had a core software update in late 2021, packing in more features and improving the overall experience. Among the changes saw the addition of ‘favourites’, ‘follows’ and ‘crates’, allowing you to flag and save tracks – further customizing the user experience. The interface now has a more robust search function, with the option to filter either by track, artist, genre, label, key or BPM. Subscribers have the ability to create playlists and export tracks to the leading DJ software applications such as rekordbox, Serato, Virtual DJ, and Traktor, etc. What are the major pitfalls apart from the price? Well, if you’re looking for mashups & bootlegs, it’s not the best, and their back catalogue of ‘decades’ etc definitely leaves something to be desired. So we wouldn’t recommend it for mobile/special event DJs, necessarily. Whilst ZIPDJ don’t have a dedicated app, the new faster website more than does the trick. Visit their website here. 3. DJCity Overview: Having been around since 2000, and with a strong trusted brand presence, DJCity’s record pool is one of the most well-known in the industry. With well over 100 different sub-genres, some of their key umbrella genres include Hip Hop, House, Pop, Trap/Twerk, Latin, R&B, Reggae and Afrobeats/Dancehall. Cost: £20 per month or £100 for 6 months (GBP) Promo code: Non available More details: Whilst DJCity doesn’t have the largest catalogue compared to other DJ pools out there, there’s no shortage of exclusive releases coming from their in-house team of remixers and producers. This is probably one of their biggest selling points – boasting tracks that ‘‘you won’t find anywhere else on the internet.’’ As you’d expect from one of the biggest DJ pools, they also have professionally curated playlists. The desktop version is simple and easy to navigate and offers a day/night mode. You can search by artist, track name or genre, and easily filter by version type (intro’s, clean & dirty versions, acapellas, remixes, etc.), BPM, key, and again by genre. The mobile app is also very impressive, with one of the best user experiences of any DJ pool, offering seamless integration with Serato, Rekordbox, Traktor and Virtual DJ. You can also easily put tracks into crates on the go for a later download. As it’s not obvious on the surface, DJCity probably wouldn’t be among the strongest contenders for underground electronic music or for mainstream back-catalogues, and there are some cheaper options out there. However, it does stand out as one of the best DJ pools for Hip Hop. Visit their website here to sign up. 4. Crate Connect Overview: A lesser-known DJ pool, and another great all-in-one option, is Canadian-based company Crate Connect. With more than 100 different sub-genres, Crate Connect has a decent back catalogue when compared to most DJ pools. With a leaning towards dance and urban music (see genre list below), they are also very reasonably priced! Cost: $22 US per month Price comes down to $17 when you use promo code ‘DJREV’ (or $5 off whichever tier you choose) Key genres, edit types & DJ tools: AcapellasElectroJ Pop / K PopRetrowaveAfrobeatsElectro HouseLatinRockAfro SocaElectronicaMainstage TechnoSamples / DJ ToolsBass HouseFreestyleMelbourne BounceSlap HouseBig RoomFrench HouseMelodic DubstepSocaBrazilian BassFuture BassMelodic HouseSpeedhouseBreaksFuture BounceMelodic TechnoSynthwaveCarnivalFuture HouseMidtechnoTech HouseChill-OutFuture RaveNew WaveTechnoCountryFuture TechnoNYE EditsTop 40DanceGaragePiano HouseTranceDancehallHalloween EditsPost-DiscoTrapDeep HouseHappy HardcoreProgressive HouseTropical HouseDisco / Funk & SoulHard HousePSY HouseUK BasslineDisco HouseHouseR&BUK GarageDowntempoHardstyleRapUK HouseDrum & BassHip-HopReggae+ MoreDub MixesHoliday MusicReggaetonDubstepIndie DanceRemixes / EditsDutch HouseIntros / TransitionsRetrofuture More details: Whilst the website might look fairly basic on the front end, once you’ve signed up, the user interface is nice & simple – offering a robust search/filtering function; sorting either by genre, BPM, key, artist & title, or year. As far as track versions and DJ tools are concerned, Crate Connect provides various exclusive intro edits (radio & club versions), remixes and also transitions. What’s more, in addition to 320kbs MP3 files, they also offer uncompressed WAV file format – which is another good selling point. Whilst they don’t have a dedicated mobile app, they do have a well-optimized mobile version called ‘Crate Connect GO’. Here you can easily allocate tracks to a crate for a later download. Unlike some other DJ pools, they don’t remove tracks from their database, either, so you just might score a hard-to-find classic or two. ‘Decades’ wise, their catalogue goes back to the 70s, and they’re generally very good for mainstream edits as well. Visit their website here and use the promo code ‘DJREV’ to get $5 off your subscription. Also check out the handy walkthrough videos or our individual review. 5. MyMP3Pool Overview: Popular amongst radio DJs in the US, and for Hip Hop, another good all-in-one record pool for DJs is MyMP3Pool. These guys have a huge database with a massive selection of genres. Pricing wise, it’s at least 30% cheaper than the leading competitors’ pro plans, so definitely worth trying if you’re an open-format DJ of any sort! Cost: $19.99 US per month Use promo code ‘DJREV5‘ to get $5 off your first month More details: MyMP3Pool has a nice clean website and navigational experience, with nearly 200k tracks in the database across 300 different sub-genres. As with other DJ pools, they get promotional releases from major and independent record labels, providing their users with exclusives and pre-releases. They also have a variety of curated playlists put together by professional DJs, plus you can create your own, of course. The search function has the ability to filter either by ‘version’, BPM or key, and they also have their own charts that you can sift through. With regards to track versions, you have clean, dirty (explicit), instrumentals, remixes, radio edits, acapellas, and more. Similar to BPM Supreme, you can sign up for free and get full site access to take a look (30 track previews only, no downloads). This should give you a pretty good idea if you want to try it. Other cool features include harmonic mixing suggestions and proper artwork on the music files. Visit their website here and use promo code ‘DJREV5‘ to get $5 off your first month. 6. Digital Music Pool (DMP) Overview: Yet another all-in-one option is Digital Music Pool, or ‘DMP’ (not to get confused with Digital DJ Pool, which is next on this list). DMP positions itself as ‘’a favourite of radio mix-show, festival, and mobile DJs.’’ With pricing similar to DJCity and BPM Supreme (at least without a promo code), the American-based company carry the mainstream top 40 (American and UK), various house sub-genres, EDM, Hip Hop, Dubstep/Trap, and more. Cost: $27.99 per month (US) Use promo code ‘DJREV‘ to pay $9.99 for the first month and $24.99 thereafter. Cancel anytime. More details: The team at Digital Music Pool upload new tracks daily, offering subscribers unlimited downloads/high-quality 320kbps MP3 files. Users have access to exclusive acapellas, remixes and edits, not to mention early releases from their label partners & artists, with over 75 exclusives added each month. Their user interface is simple & intuitive, and you can easily navigate through genres, remixes, acapellas and instrumentals, choosing between day/night mode. The search function also does the job… giving the option to sort by genre, exclusives or top downloads. Alternatively, you can skim through DMP’s new releases, ‘exclusive site picks’, ‘DJ top 10 picks’, or the ‘USA & worldwide top 40 charts’. Whilst DMP doesn’t have a dedicated app, their website is modern-looking and well optimized for mobile, and you can easily save tracks for downloading on your laptop later. Versions wise, they carry edits such as clean, dirty, acapella, ‘quick hitters’, intros and various remixes. They also offer DJ tools and music production tools as well. Visit their website here and use promo code ‘DJREV‘ to pay $9.99 for the first month and $24.99 thereafter! 7. Digital DJ Pool Overview: Digital DJ Pool carries over 150,000 tracks across more than 40 genres. Not only are they one of the cheapest, but they also have one of the best mobile apps, plus access to a DJ network/community within the platform. Some of their key umbrella genres include Electronic, Hip Hop and R&B, House, Trap & Dubstep, Pop and Caribbean. Cost: $20 per month (Price in US dollars, no promo code available) More details: Digital DJ Pool is one of the few DJ pools that have a built-in DJ network (or social aspect). This allows you to follow other DJs, labels & artists, and also create a personalized feed of music; receiving notifications from within your network. The site has a clean and easy-to-navigate user interface, with an excellent search function you can filter by genre, BPM and key. In addition, every file (high-quality MP3s as standard) is clearly tagged by artist, title, version and genre. Note, the only issue with the search is that the different versions don’t always come up together. The dedicated mobile app is also impressive, which again has a robust search function. With this you can easily build playlists on the go for a later download. Digital DJ Pool also has daily updated charts along with pre-curated crates/playlists, although just be mindful that radio edits are a bit lacking – as is their back catalogue. Whilst it’s only for 5 days (and with limited downloads), they also boast as the only DJ pool offering a trial period, which is only $1! Visit their website here. 8. Direct Music Service (DMS) Overview: One of the longest-standing DJ pools, around since 1999, is Direct Music Service (DMS). It’s good for back-catalogues of music, decades, alternative edits, and unique DJ tools. With a wide range of genres, we’d probably say it’s best suited to open-format and commercial club DJs, perhaps those with a leaning towards Hip Hop and R&B as opposed to electronic genres. It’s also one of the most expensive. Starter plan: $29.95 per month (US) (40 download limit) Semi-Pro: $44.94 per month (80 download limit) Pro: $64.95per month (unlimited downloads) More details: As with other DJ pools on our list, Direct Music Service features exclusive edits & remixes that you won’t find anywhere else. In their own words, their genre overview is described as ‘Everything from new & classic rock to the latest pop to 90s hip hop to electro house to classics from all genres & decades, not to mention all the latest radio and club hits.’ In addition to DJ friendly intros, they boast having everything from natural-sounding re-drums, short edits, acapella outs, alternative DJ tools, samples, loops, hype edits, transitions & more. The website and user experience is a bit dated, to say the least, and you’d probably expect more at this price point. And whilst the mobile app is of a similar standard to the website, you can still preview tracks and put them into your favourites for a later download. You can also integrate the mobile app with your Dropbox account. You may be interested to know that DMS is supported and regularly used by industry leaders such as Lil Jon, Z-Trip, Jazzy Jeff and Mixmaster Mike. Visit their website here. Also check out this video review. 9. Promo Only Overview: Established in 1992 in Florida, Promo Only is another well-established record pool for DJs. As one of the few DJ pools that offers video file downloads—in addition to radio stations and professional DJs—they also service many hospitality venues. Cost: Packages start at $12 per month, although you won’t get much for that. They also have subscription bundles (Silver, Gold, Platinum etc.), which go up to $100 per month. Some packages incorporate video, some don’t. More details: Together with the top 40 charts, Promo Only’s key umbrella genres include Urban, Rock, Latin, Electronic, Country, Dance, Christian and Alternative. Their music files are all high-quality MP3s (as standard), whilst also carrying broadcast-quality video files. All files are tagged to include artist, title, BPM, genre and more. They use a custom desktop app (or download management platform) called ‘POOL’, which consists of three main tabs at the top along with a search function. A search can either be set to basic or you can add filters for a more refined search. Regardless of your subscription, the ‘charts’ tab at the top brings up a handful of pre-curated playlists, along with weekly updated top 20 charts across multiple genres. Here you’ll also get access to the top 20 videos for that month. I think it’s safe to say that Promo Only is definitely worth looking into if you’re a mobile or wedding DJ that uses video. If not, there are probably better options. Visit their website here. Need more help? Watch this video review. 10. iDJ Pool Overview: Established in 1985, iDJ Pool is the longest-running music pool for DJs, and one of the best record pools for wedding DJs. They also have some excellent genre-specific pools. Cost: It follows a similar pricing model to Promo Only, whereby you can subscribe to a specific pool of music individually. These start at $15 per month, with the top bundle (for full access) priced at $50 per month. More details: Broad genres within iDJ Pool are defined as Dance, Urban, Rock, Pop, Country, AC, Christian, Gospel and Jazz/Holiday. They surely have one of the best back-catalogues of classics (or ‘decades’), with some of their catalogue sorted by occasions such as weddings, birthdays and anniversaries – which would be a great head start for a mobile or wedding DJ. Versions include DJ intro & DJ outro edits, remixes, clean & explicit edits, and more. Visit their website here. Other DJ record pools to consider Whilst we’re confident our top 10 will cater for just about every conceivable DJ, there still might be another DJ pool that offers something unique for your situation. With that said, here are 5 more DJ record pools that we’re aware of — so feel free to do your own research: Late Night Record Pool Club Killers Heavy Hits Doing The Damage Barbangerz Summary: 10 Best Record Pools for DJs Just to recap, here’s the full list: the 10 best record pools for DJs in 2023: BPM Supreme ZIPDJ DJCity Crate Connect MyMP3Pool Digital Music Pool (DMP) Digital DJ Pool Direct Music Service (DMS) Promo Only iDJ Pool Conclusion A subscription to the right record pool service (or two) still provides the best solution for building and maintaining a digital music collection. Simply put: it will save you a ridiculous amount of time and many thousands of dollars during your time as a DJ! In the same breath, it’s still (in some cases) only one part of the solution for many DJs. That is, you’ll still need to support it with individual track purchases from sites like Beatport and eMusic, etc.

Tag: DJ PERFORM

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