The last time you were requested to play alternate media

Let me say this. My buddy doesn't use his phone because he is concerned about getting a phone call. I told him to avoid that from happening you need to go Into settings and turn off the phone so it doesn't ring. Later on when finished you can check your phone to see who called if anyone did.

sawdust123 said:

What is really crazy is that vinyl today is more popular than it has been in decades. And, it is all about collecting, not playing.

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That's just hype.
Most people who start collecting these concert novelty or special edition vinyl prints - stop at their first milk crate. They quickly realize just how useless it is, and no one really has the wall space to keep hanging this retro art-decor.

That chart is outrageously deceptive because it's starting point is immediately after vinyl production dropped to near ZERO. The last reliable vinyl buyers were classic jukebox vendors. For a more accurate depiction of reality that chart should start in 1978. From that perspective what we see here would be nothing more than a minor speed bump. By 1990 - we had already entered the realm of the MP3 music file. It was still better known to the IT crowd than music fans, but Napster would change that forever.

I'm so glad I got rid of all my vinyl, and later CDs - while it was still possible to sell most of it.

tunes4046 said:

This is the truth owning physical media for a business purpose is a waste of space and resources, if you wanna have a collection of vinyl, CDs or whatever for personal reasons, that’s a personal choice. I can download any song in mere seconds in nearly any location,

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I still prefer to use CD's when I DJ...

I know it is more work than is 'needed'...

I have most of my CD's in the computer, but I really didn't enjoy the computer DJing experience.

I recently dug out some of my old cassette singles and have enjoyed listening to them again.

musicdoctordj said:

I still prefer to use CD's when I DJ...

I know it is more work than is 'needed'...

I have most of my CD's in the computer, but I really didn't enjoy the computer DJ experience.

I recently dug out some of my old cassette singles and have enjoyed listening to them again.

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The computer changes the experience quite a bit, because it largely removes the VISUAL experience of selecting music. While it's true we can display cover art in our DJ software - it's an intrusion on valuable screen real-estate for all the modern mixing tools and multiple decks we want to use.

That transition for me started with CDs because I removed ALL jewel boxes and cover art from the library even several years prior to the vinyl sleeves being created. Mine were like paper sleeves that 45 rpm's came in. Just a computer label indicating the album/artist. A track list was only on those sleeves for which the CD itself had no printed track list. That is how I got used to working with an index rather than the visual jackets prior to the digital change from CD to MP3.

The result is that DJ work requires far more per-preparation than it used to. We can't just read a crowd and then scan the visual record library for inspiration to match the moment. We have to have a plan, and a super tight relationship to our inventory, current trends/hype, and WHO is in our audience.

We can't rely on Music Charts or Top 40 like surveys because in the digital age there is no mainstream. People are all over the map and radio is largely DEAD as a unifying force in the population.

I always (and still) kept (keep) my CD's in the original jewel cases...

I am also thinking that I may use my weekends during the summer heat (here in Yuma, AZ temps are typically in the 120+ degrees hot) to maybe record all of my cassette singles into MP3 files so I can use them without my cassette decks...

musicdoctordj said:

I always (and still) kept (keep) my CD's in the original jewel cases...

I am also thinking that I may use my weekends during the summer heat (here in Yuma, AZ temps are typically in the 120+ degrees hot) to maybe record all of my cassette singles into MP3 files so I can use them without my cassette decks...

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By the by...I recently purchased a brand new Gemini dual CD deck as one of my American DJ units took a dump on me (25-30 years old+, so I guess it was time), so I figured it was probably a good thing as they are hard to find nowadayz...

I think I probably got the last brand new in the box unit available today...

musicdoctordj said:

I always (and still) kept (keep) my CD's in the original jewel cases...

I am also thinking that I may use my weekends during the summer heat (here in Yuma, AZ temps are typically in the 120+ degrees hot) to maybe record all of my cassette singles into MP3 files so I can use them without my cassette decks...

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Absolutely don't do this. Everything you are looking for is already available and the work has been don FOR YOU. YouTube, Spotify, etc. Just listen to them for free. If there's a few you want to hear offline then subscribe to a plan that will let you download what you really use most often. Make better use of your time than doing work that has already been done.

Digital files are the ultimate prize for modern DJs and music enthusiasts. Pay only for what you use - not stuff collecting dust on a shelf. Good for business - and good for personal finance and time management as well.

CDs were cool, but I'm so glad their gone.
When you take a away the jewel case and printed booklets, you can store up to 500 CDs in the space of a single drawer equivalent to a standard 18" deep 2U rack case, and at a fraction of the original weight.

I went from using two 8U cases holding 200 CDs at 80Lbs each down to a single 2U case holding 450 CDs at 30Lbs. That's less than half the weight, 1/4 of the space, and 250% more capacity.

I made that change around 1990 immediately after my first gig with jewel cases in the two big racks. It was 90 degrees. and the wedding was on the 3rd floor of a venue with no elevator. At the time I also still had turntables and two crates of records also weighing 80 Lbs each.

Just imagine how much space that saved in a vehicle, on a dolly, and at the table/booth. Consider how much easier, faster, and safer the load in was. I went from that nightmare to a load in and setup time as short as 15 minutes for a straight DJ gig with speakers on sticks.

I stored the graphic inserts and simply reassembled CDs as I later sold them. By that time - free Jewel boxes were easy to find - as well as the newer vinyl view packs. Some CDs sold for more than I paid. My average original cost for CDs was $8 each. The day Michael Jackson died all my remaining remaining MJ CDs sold out in an hour for over twice their original retail price.

I'd be more inclined to support DJs wanting to do vinyl based shows - either real or with time code. Turntables are more authentic to the origin of the art, but frankly I doubt there's any meaningful segment of the market that cares to see that anymore. I doubt anyone of any age is going to take their eye's off their phone long enough to even see what the DJ is doing. CD and tapes? I doubt this generation even knows what those things look like.

I've had some that either had a CD back in the day for me to play a particular song or songs and now it's a flash drive. I don't have a problem with using a flash drive. The laptops I use have 4 USB ports. I also have a USB hub. The thing that bothers me is when I'm not told someone is to do a special performance and they come up to me right when they plan to do their thing.

Nowadays you can either use a phone or Hotspot with a laptop to get a song to play that you don't have.

When I first became a DJ we used records. There was no getting songs offline. If you didn't have a song in your library there was nothing you could do about it.