Regarded as a treasure trove for underground electronic tunes, Beatport is the quintessential platform for streaming and purchasing diverse electronic music. It’s a familiar haunt for dance music aficionados in search of the obscure gems and up-to-the-minute hits.
Over time, Beatport has built a formidable reputation and has recently ventured into uncharted domains. Against all odds, Beatport astonished us by launching its very own online DJ application. They say surprises often yield the most delightful experiences.
Instead of competing with top-tier DJ software, the Beatport DJ app serves more as a supplementary tool. Despite this, the app’s caliber shouldn’t be underestimated. Given today’s array of advanced software available to disc jockeys, one might question the potential of a web-based DJ app. Yet, prepare to be pleasantly startled by the robust functionalities Beatport’s inventive app brings to the table. Allow me to walk you through the essentials of the Beatport DJ app and share why it might just be worth your while to give it a spin.
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Intro to Beatport DJ: A Brief Overview
The Beatport DJ app is compatible with Windows and Mac, and also accessible via iPad. To make the most of it, you’ll need an active Beatport LINK subscription. Dabble with the features risk-free, courtesy of Beatport’s 30-day complimentary trial offer.
Right from the get-go, you’ll find the Beatport DJ brimming with essential mixing tools – from cues, loops, automix capabilities, expandable waveforms, beat grids, effects, and key transport to soundcard integration, comprehensive midi support, and, a highlight for many, streaming tracks directly into your sets. Practically anywhere with a computer and stable internet becomes your stage.
While Beatport hasn’t positioned the app as a heavyweight contender to current DJ software leaders, it shines in its own right as a platform for discovering new track pairings, curating playlists, marking cue points, and simply having a blast. Despite the modest self-assessment, the app can hold its own among standalone DJ software offerings.
Particularly striking is the fact that all this functionality is just a browser tab away. If building playlists is for you, manage them effortlessly from any mobile device through the Beatport mobile app, no need for desktop mode. You can add the majority of Beatport tracks to playlists, barring a few exceptions due to licensing restrictions.
After crafting your perfect playlists, they can be exported directly into your DJ software of choice, making the mobile app a highly productive tool for on-the-fly music discovery.
Beatport DJ operates exclusively with the Beatport LINK streaming service, aligning with Beatport’s DJ-centric ethos and support for leading DJ software like Serato, rekordbox, Djay, Denon DJ, Hercules, Virtual DJ, and WeDJ. While Beatport LINK’s previous offerings may not have outshone rivals like Apple Music or Spotify on the innovation front, the narrative changes with Beatport DJ. Now, the ability to spontaneously create sets and employ the automix feature distinguishes Beatport in a transformative way for DJs.
Exploring the Interface
Launching the Beatport DJ app reveals a dual-section interface. The upper half is the player, and the lower is your music library. A simple two-deck setup provides all the necessary functions to begin mixing within moments.
Central to the screen are your visual mixing aids – upper for the left deck, lower for the right. Tweak your beat grids with the handy small pencil icons near the waveform displays.
There’s also a crossfader for seamless track transitions, and adjacent spinning discs display the artwork of your loaded songs. Below them lie the customary play/pause and cue controls, a volume level meter, a fader, as well as a tri-band EQ for fine-tuning your sound.
Hidden treasures await in the FX section, accessible with a click. Discover ten Beatport DJ effects, ranging from Slicers to Reverbs, all manipulable with a mouse. You’ll also note an added gain control, a feature not always present on entry-level controllers.
Moving upwards, the beat jump function is ideal for quick track navigation, and right below it, a looper feature for on-the-fly loop size adjustments.
Playlisting and Browsing
Hover over to the top right of the Beatport DJ app, and you’ll encounter various icons for adapting your view. The full playlist icon reveals a side panel showcasing all your playlists, complete with a search feature for quick filtering by name, genre, and keywords. It’s a breeze to create and modify playlists from here.
The next icon over triggers a compressed player view, paring down the interface for more browsing space. Further on, a full-screen mode is just a click away but can be exited with the familiar Esc key stroke. Alerts about recent updates and any technical fixes appear within the notification panel, opened by yet another convenient icon. A little gear icon leads you to the world of app settings.
Digging into Preferences
The Beatport DJ app offers a range of adjustable settings to tailor your experience. From account particulars to general app behaviors, audio configurations, headphone cues, shortcut keys, and Midi connectivity, you’ve got plenty of flexibility at your fingertips. You can set up autoplay for loaded tracks, manipulate beat match settings, tweak EQ behaviors, route audio, adjust latency for optimum performance, and customize your Midi setup.
Music Exploration
Within the music browsing area, anticipate an adventure akin to discovering hidden treasures, one leading to the next – a digital crate-digging dream. Look into the Discover, Genres, and Collection sections to begin your quest.
The Discovery tab is your portal to Beatport charts, handpicked playlists, trending acts, and an eclectic mix of labels and genres. It’s a great jumping-off point to delve into favorite sounds and refine from there. The Genres tab unlocks a myriad of music styles, each with its own depth and the added convenience of favoriting your most-visited genres for a tailored experience. Within each genre page, the top 100, featured tracks, and thematic playlists await discovery.
Your private selections live in the Collection tab, easily sorted by various criteria. You can even transport playlists from different streaming services through a nifty tool called Tune My Music, though this feature isn’t native to the app.
The Beatport DJ App in the Spotlight
Familiar and user-friendly, the Beatport DJ app mirrors a traditional deck setup. Simplified to its core, loading tracks into either deck is a snap with the arrows next to each song. Track visuals populate the decks, alongside individual track sync and tempo control for precise beat matching.
The FX section is intuitive, with an optional lock feature for sustained effects. Setting cues is straightforward, with easy beat navigation and quick resets. Master perfect blends with either the crossfader or channel faders. To default any setting, simply double-click back to the center.
Wrapping Up
Ultimately, Beatport’s DJ app significantly ramps up the fun quotient of what was once just a transactional site. Mixing tracks or enjoying an AI-driven automix session offers a fresh, entertaining experience.
Think house parties, gatherings – with no hardware in sight. With just a computer and an internet link, you’re all set to DJ. More than a mere novelty, this app stands as a practical and thrilling addition to the Beatport ecosystem.
The on-browser approach lends an air of casual charm to the Beatport DJ app, inviting a laid-back curiosity. Eager to jump in? Remember, there’s a one-month trial waiting – a chance for sheer enjoyment and possibly a new facet to your Beatport escapades.
