JamieG Analysis

Over the week end I finished a new promo for my DJ side. Find it here.

As such I thought I would write something in regeards to the most important issues currently effecting the world of the DJ.

Vinyl or CD.

There was an old saying “Real DJ’s use vinyl”. And to a degree, this was true for a long time.

But really, we always knew that vinyl’s days are numbered. Many expected vinyl to die of faster then it is. Following I will give you my perspective on what is happening in the world of the DJ.

Why Vinyl is still hanging in there

The main reason vinyl is still around is, from my perspective, because of the following;

1. Being Elite; Vinyl is EXPENSIVE, so if your spending $20 per track, you better be making money out of it. Otherwise you will go broke quickly. As such, it helps keep the bedroom DJs out of the way.
2. The Social Aspect; A major quality of any successful DJ is his ability to network. They are a close set group, and if you want to score a lot of gigs, you need to be connected. The weekly shop at the local vinyl store is a MAJOR networking event. As such, if your going to go there, you r going to keep purchasing vinyl.
3. Many tracks are still being released on vinyl long before Digital (or before it can be pirated and released on P2P. ) This is a form of DRM or controlled release. However, I do not think it will last for much longer as online stores start to become more and more entrenched in a DJs habits.

Why Vinyl is likely to disappear in the near future;

1. COST: I personally have left vinyl as I can get a track for $3 compared to $20. This is pretty much the main reason any REAL DJ is not using vinyl. As, if you are a DJ, you probably do this as a living, and if you can get your tracks much cheaper, and play them to the crowd without them knowing the difference. WHY ARE YOU USING VINYL!!!
2. CDs are much easier to carry and organise.
3. Online music stores are far more efficient in listening and selecting tracks. In my opinion, a good DJ will listen to a LOT of tracks when shopping. And with an online store, you have much more chose, can listen and flick through more tracks faster. I personally feel my DJing has improved greatly since this has happened as I am no longer fed tracks from the local vinyl stores. This also meaqns I no longer sound like the next DJ, who shops at the same store as I do.
4. You Get the tracks MUCH faster; Having a track first, and making it yours is a big thing for many DJ’s. With digital releases, the tracks can make it into your box 2-3 weeks faster then the vinyl record can possibly reach the shops.
5. With digital releases, the tracks are released to the world on release; Traditionally with vinyl, there was a lot of tracks that distributors would not bother releasing to other parts of the world unless it was proving to be a hit. Now, it no longer matter if a track works in the UK or not. You get it the same time the UK get it.
6. CD player technology is now quite mature; What you can do with the latest CDJ players is quite amazing. It gives the DJ far more scope to be different or introduce a performance factor to his set.
7. Vinyl is mastered from a digital source; When producing a track, most producers I have met do so to 44.1 HZ. This file is then recorded to a vinyl press master, which presses the tracks out. Many DJs proclaim that vinyl is a superior format. This is a very ill-informed comment to make. CD to Vinyl to Amp, cannot be superior to a straight digital download. Even at 320kbit MP3 is likely to equate to better quality.
8. Vinyl sounds better; Again, this is an ill-informed point of view. How can it sound better considering item 7 above. I feel, many ignorant DJs simply do not understand that vinyl does have a analogue compression effect on the result. Add base line feed back to the needle etc. They think this sounds “better”. It amazes me how little many DJs know about what they do.

That about sums it up.