The earliest part of the DJ process is music discovery. Before any curation happens, before set building and performances, DJs need to find the music that will eventually end up in their libraries.

But what does that process look like? My process involves a mix of intentional mining and unintentional encountering of music across a handful of different channels.

Streaming Services

Streaming services are your first and most important tool. For me, this is Spotify.

After listening to tons of Zouk and Zoukable music, the “Discover Weekly” and other recommended music playlists are finely tuned to deliver me new music every week (courtesy of the algorithm). This is also why I guard my Spotify with my life (if you want to play music in my presence, you’re going to have to use your own account!) You could have a similar process with Soundcloud, Pandora, or any other streaming service but these are a great way to discover new music every day.

A suggestion here is to dig both wide and deep: listen to lots of different suggested playlists and mixes (even if just in the background) to hit a wide range of sounds, then dig into the artists and sub-genres that speak to you. On top of that, follow the artists you discover. Scan their stuff for both tried-and-true anthems and hidden gems.

Other DJs and Curators

The next big place I look for music is from other DJs, artists, and curators. I listen to sets and sift through playlists from other people I know who find good music (both inside and outside my general sound). Dance demos are also a great place to tap in directly to the music that is inspiring artists in the scene.

I also leverage my “network“: friends, acquaintances, and peer DJs who all actively seek out and share music. When I find a song that excites me, I love to share it with other DJs. And they do the same back (particularly when we know it will fit someone else’s sound even better than our own).

A trick here is that I don’t borrow music wholesale but pick my favorites from across many different sources. I’ll talk about all of this more in a future post when I talk about filtering and curating music but I want to stress that other artists should serve as inspiration. Art is rarely ever created completely in a vacuum!

In the “Wild”

Finally, a lot of what I find is by circumstance, not intentional searching. “Sad Girlz”, “Unholy”, and “Such a Whore” I found in Instagram reels. I encountered both “Joro” and “Bloody Mary” through Netflix shows. You’d also be surprised how much of the music I use comes from online workout videos or overheard in cafés and shops!

This is where social media and pop culture come in handy. As I’m encountering music in my day-to-day, the back of my mind is always asking, “can I use this for Zouk (or whatever style I’m thinking of using it for)?” and is ready to whip out music recognition apps to capture the song. A note that different apps are better in different circumstances: I find Shazam is great for songs outside of DJ sets but the Google Assistant does a much better job for songs that may be pitch or tempo shifted.

Conclusion

Wherever you are in your DJ journey, to keep it fresh you must always be finding new music. This process will likely involve a mix of intentional searching, encountering songs in your day-to-day, and leveraging your network of peers and fellow creators to find the best of the best.

Whatever you do, set aside time every week to go exploring. And happy DJing 🙂