This edition of The Knowledge Review, "The Most Trending DJ Academy in India, 2021" that are covered the Trending DJ Academy in India.

1. December
ISSUE-05
www.theknowledgereview.com | INDIA
The
Most
Trending
Academy
inIndia
2021
Composing Symphonies and Ambitions
.edu.in

4. MUSIC,' whether you read or hear
this word, will always change
your mood. From the melody to
help kids fall asleep to playing Lo-Fi music
to relieve stress as an adult, music has
become an eternal part of everyone's lives.
Because sound and music are integral to
human growth, we all are attached to some
music track that will always remain in the
heart. So, what makes this specially tuned
sound so memorable that we never get bored
of it, even when it keeps playing on loop.
But why does everyone have a different taste
in music? To explain this, imagine a car with
four friends, but the twist is they all are
neighbours, are born and raised quite
similarly, but in different cultures, and varied
upbringing. So, you got an idea of how
similar they are and yet so different. And
similar is the case with their taste in the
music genres. Surprising, isn't it?
Pioneer DJ released the CDJ-1000 CD player
in 2001, enabling the first-time utilization of
digital music recordings with traditional DJ
methods. Like laptop computers, Tablet
computers and smartphones grew more
powerful and affordable in the 2010s.
Although laptops are still the most prevalent
type of computer for DJing, DJ software was
designed to work on these more portable
devices instead of laptops.
Tapping on
the Beats of the
‘DJing' Dream!
T R
Rahul Thakar
rahul.thakar@insightssuccess.com
Rahul Thakar
Editor’s Note
Having the perfect gear and knowledge of
technology does not make a great DJ. The
keys to becoming a successful DJ are a love
for music, a sense of the audience, tech
knowledge, and trend adaption. Not everyone
is perfect, but to excel in the skill of DJ, you
can learn from the best.
With 'The Most Trending DJ Academy in
India, 2021' edition, we bring you the
solution to the one hurdle between you and
your dream of becoming a successful DJ. The
Knowledge Review magazine crossed our path
with 'I Love Music Academy', which has
become the go-to academy for DJ aspirants.
Explore the exceptional pedagogies of this DJ
academy and while you flip through the pages
of this magazine, do read the insightful
articles to have an in-depth understanding
about the DJing industry.
Happy reading!
'

5. is recognized as
I love music
by The Knowledge Review Magazine
which is serving as a torchbearer and
guide for the new age music artists
Pooja M. Bansal
Editor-in-Chief

6. Composing Symphonies and Ambitions
.edu.in
Article
24 DJ Industry: Technology
Enhancing the Form of Art
Sound-check
C
ON
T
E
N T
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7. Editor-in-Chief Pooja Bansal
Managing Editor
Art & Design Head
Co-designers
Rahul Shinde
Paul Belin
Business Development Executives
Business Development Manager
Marketing Manager
Ishita, Naitiki
Megha Mishra
Ashwini Pahukar
Digital Marketing Manager
Technical Consultants
Technical Head
Assistant Technical Head
Alina Sege
Amar, David, Robert
Jacob Smile
Rajeshwari Avhad
SME-SMO Executives
Marketing Manager
Digital
Circulation Manager
Research Analyst
Tanaji Fartade
Yash Bhatt
Atul, Gemson
Renuka Kulkarni
Assisting Editor
Contributing Writer Ananda Kamal Das
Ashlesh Khadse
Rahul Thakar
DECEMBER, 2021

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11. TheMost
Trending
Academy
inIndia 2021
DJ

12. Composing Symphonies and Ambitions
.edu.in

13. With a focus on music production
and DJing, the academy built a
foundation in the latest trends
across the global music industry
and believes in in
nurturing talent
the most progressive and modern
genres of music.
I Love Music Academy offered
professional DJ training, music
production, audio engineering, as
well as taught how to play musical
instruments like guitar and
keyboard. The word spread and
within no time the academy started
getting students from all over the
country. In 2012, Nakul and his team
took a major step to launch their
flagship in Delhi NCR – I Love Music
Academy, Gurgaon, closing the
Bengaluru branch soon after.
I Love Music Academy offers high-
powered, high-impact, and hands-on
learning, complemented by
practical, in-studio training by
performing musicians as faculty and
industry-standard audio equipment.
With a focus on music production
and DJing, the academy built a
foundation in the latest trends
across the global music industry. It
believes in nurturing talent in the
most progressive and modern
genres of music.
The Essence of Djing
“Anyone can learn to DJ, all you need
to be able to do is count to four,” said
Mr. Nakul Vagale. “But to be a ‘great
DJ’, you need to have a strong
foundation, a love for music, and you
need to put in a lot of work. Our DJ
Course is a holistic course
concentrating on the technical ability
that progresses with technology. We
embrace technology, but it’s not the
technology that makes the DJ, it is the
skill. Make the technology work for
you, but take away the tech, can you
still DJ?” he added.
Keeping this in mind, I Love Music
Academy always starts at the very
beginning, on Vinyl. Its students
learn the basics of DJing on
Turntables, which are still very
relevant and are one of the revered
DJ equipment. With a strong
foundation of the basics, they
progress to CD players, and finally,
digital DJing. Along the way, I Love
Music imparts knowledge about
music, the functioning of the
industry, and how to self-start.
I
n 2007, like most of the other
cities of the country, Bengaluru
had been hit by a sudden surge in
nightlife. India’s youth wanted to
party, and new nightclubs, pubs, and
bars were popping up everywhere.
At that time, a team of out-of-the-
box creative individuals led by
Nakul Vagale were fulfilling an
urgent need for trained
professionals: they taught
enthusiasts how to be a DJ (disk
jockey) professionally.
Simultaneously, they provided a
platform to the ones who showed
potential.
By the end of 2008, when they saw a
major slowdown in most industries,
the DJ academy was still going
strong. The team decided to expand
the operation from just DJ classes to
a full-fledged electronic music
school. In 2009, they re-founded the
academy as - I Love Music Academy,
where ILM stood for “I Love Music”.

14. At I Love Music Academy,
we always ensure that our students have
access to equipment and
state-of-the-art
the most efficient infrastructure, enabling
them to practice their coursework in a
high-end studio environment!
thankful for the amazing minds that
we have worked with. My team, the
amazing faculty, the extraordinary
musicians, and the Co-owner of the
academy, my brother Arjun Vagale,
have all been great support and pillars
of our ongoing growth.”
“Aptly named ‘India’s Techno King’,
Arjun is a self-taught DJ himself. He is
India’s biggest name in Techno and
arguably the face of India’s electronic
music scene. Our courses are
envisioned around how Arjun learnt to
DJ, packing in his foundation years of
learning into a short, high-impact
course that will give people the edge to
start their journey,” he added.
Through his love and dedication for
creating music, Arjun has been
inspiring the youth of electronic
music in India for over two decades.
Even though Arjun does not take
regular classes at the academy due
to his action-packed career, his
contributions range from bringing in
industry professionals and
colleagues to impart and share
Objective: Learn to DJ -techniques,
skills, and technology.
Learning outcome: Professional DJs
are ready to start their careers or
practice a new skill for life!
The Explosive Duo
The vision and leadership that
moulded I Love Music Academy
from a back-office project to a
pioneer in electronic music
education in India was its steadfast
founder Nakul. His insights towards
implementing music training as a
professional endeavour, personally
counselling students and parents to
ensure the right fit to the academy
and finally, constantly challenging
the status-quo by implementing
constant learning and upgradation
of courses as per current industry
needs, kept I Love Music academy as
a front runner in electronic music
education.
Recollecting his journey, Nakul
commented, “I strongly believe that
success is a team effort and am
through knowledge exchange
sessions and workshops. He hosts
impromptu ‘Skill Workshops’
spreading his love for Synthesizers
and promoting Vinyl for Dj’ing.
The success and name of the
academy spread as Arjun’s career
soared in India and internationally.
From his days with Jalebee Cartel, an
electronic band that put Indian
electronic music on the map
internationally, till his present-day
moniker: ‘Asymetrik’, he has broken
the mould of Techno he is known for,
to something more experimental
and free form.
Mixing it up with the pros
Associated with some of the best
musical assets of electronic music in
India, I Love Music Academy’s
faculty members are practising
performing artists. They always
keep themselves updated with what
is happening in the industry. Their
dedication to sharing knowledge
only surpasses their passion for
music.

16. The students must learn from
successful musicians who have
either found success already or are
on their respective journeys. To this
endeavour, I Love Music Academy
hosts a plethora of workshops with
some of the best the industry offers.
I Love Music Academy has
witnessed visits from international
legends such as DrumCell, Ramiro
Lopez, and Christian Smith, who
have graced I Love Music Academy
with student interactions and
workshops every time they visit
Delhi NCR, to Indian superstars like
Murthovic, Anish Sood, and Gaurav
Raina (Midival Punditz), who are
close friends and benefactors, and
conduct workshops whenever
possible.
They also host Q&A sessions and
interviews beyond the technicals
with some amazing artists. There is
a lot to learn from their journey in
music and students also get a
platform to interact, and at times
get critiqued by some of these well-
known artists.
Beyond the artists named above,
and some more named below, here
we have not merely a
comprehensive list but a sample of
the artists who have conducted
workshops and Q&A sessions at the
academy: Josh Wink, Markus Schulz,
Nene Hatun, Dualist Inquiry,
Nucleya, DJ Sa, BLOT, Ashwin Mani
Sharma, Kohra, and the list goes on.
“We also are supported by the industry
and are thankful to CDBaby,
theinventory.in, On-stage, Wild-city
and Scoop brand holdings for their
contributions over the years in various
capacities with workshops,
demonstrations and content,”
remarked the dynamic
co-owner, Mr. Nakul Vagale.
Where the Art is Inspired
I Love Music Academy’s new facility
in Gurgaon was relaunched recently
nd
in July 2021, post the 2 COVID
surge. It is a dedicated music studio
in Sec-55 on Golf course road with
easy access to the Gurgaon Rapid
Metro.
A cosy, two-studio space, a well-
equipped dedicated DJing studio
coupled with a robust sound-
treated production studio merges
into one large space for workshops
and larger gatherings in the future.
With a wealth of knowledge for the
curious at I Love Music Academy,
the library has books on music, a
collection of the audio industry and
DJ magazines. Additionally, the
institute also provides a dedicated
collection of Vinyl Records for the
students to listen to.
With strict covid protocols in place,
access to the space is currently
restricted to individuals by
appointment only.
“Check out the gear...”
For DJing, the equipment used to
teach is also used for practice by
students. You will find these brands
and models being used on stages, in
DJ booths across the industry, as
well as the ‘go-to’ choices of leading
professionals.
The I Love Music Academy team
avoids teaching on equipment
unless they determine it to be
‘industry standard’. For turntables,
they only use Technics 1200 series,
and the CD players are exclusively
Pioneer – being the current industry
standard across India – Pioneer
350s and 2000nxs2. For digital, they
have midi triggers by Arturia (APC
40mk2) and Native Instruments (X1
and Z1). They decided to stick with
Pioneers Rekordbox for file
management and NI - Traktor for
Digital DJing (as it is the most
widely used).
“We see a lot of our students buying
Midi Decks for practice at home, an
affordable great choice for amateur
DJs to play with are the Numark
controllers, so we have that at the
academy generously provided by
Onstage to demonstrate on,” said Mr.
Nakul Vagale. “However, we don’t
really encourage our pro-DJ course
students onto Midi-controllers as we
rather have them integrate
professional Pioneer hardware DJ
console with the digital DJing
software,” adds Mr. Nakul Vagale.

17. The academy has gone from
group classes one-on-one
to private
classes covid
and following all the
protocol along with regular
sanitation of equipment after
each use.

19. It is important that the students
learn from who have
successful musicians
either found success already or are
on their respective journeys.

20. Meet the Magnificent Team
The esteemed faculty of I Love
Music Academy is a famous cluster
of practising/performing musicians.
The DJ faculty comprises Manish
Bhatt a.k.a. X-Fader and Bachitter
Singh a.k.a Turban Raga.
X-fader, ILM’s senior DJ faculty is a
highly skilled Turntablist, a seasoned
hip hop DJ, and well-known
commercial DJ in Delhi NCR. With
23 years of experience in events,
music, and entertainment, he has
held residencies and several
exclusive clubs in the UK (mainly
London) and India (New Delhi). As a
radio presenter, voiceover artist and
producer at Hit95FM, as well as
being a TV presenter in the UK for
B4U Music-UK, and guest
appearances on BBC 1Xtra radio –
he brings with him a wealth of
knowledge of music.
He released his first single that
premiered on BBC Radio 1 and BBC
Asia Network as well as 94.3 Radio
One India which boosted his
popularity. Recognition over the last
decade by the industry and peers
nominated him for VH1 Awards, My
Fav Awards and Nightlife Awards.
His cheerful disposition and helpful
nature ensure that his students get
the very best in DJ training as well
as insights into the inner workings
of the industry.
Turban Raga – an alumnus of the
academy, has, over the past 10
years, emerged as a music curator
and well-known stage manager at
festivals such as Magnetic Fields,
NH7 Weekender, Boiler Room
BudX, Supersonic 2018 Delhi, and
many more; giving him insights as a
technical expert. His notable
residencies at Summer House Café
and Auro progressing to managing
entertainment and called upon to
open for artists as diverse as
Nucleya, BLOT, Dave Seaman,
Radioslave, Flug, and many others
give him a wealth of knowledge to
impart to newcomers to the scene.
Enduring Hardships and Rising
Above
DJing is very much a part of the
social culture among the urban
youth, and it deserves its place and
recognition. The Indian Government
does not recognize DJing, as it
neither falls under Indian music
culture nor any formal education in
engineering nor vocation.
Recognition by the industry and the
music community as a professional
school for DJing with integrity and
high standards has never been an
issue for I Love Music Academy, and
its team is thankful for that.
Unfortunately, that is where the
recognition ends, so say the
founders.
“We don’t need to be part of the formal
education system or vocational, as the
current vocational system is geared for
the masses and very centric to feed the
Bollywood industry,” remarked
We embrace technology,
but it’s not the technology that
makes the DJ, it’s the skill. Make the
technology work for you, but take
away the tech, can you still DJ?

21. Mr Arjun Vagale. “An acceptance as
cultural education would be a great
starting point, DJs should be given the
same respect as other art forms get,”
he added
Another factor of dismay for this
academy: DJing was really not taken
as a serious profession in the past,
but the sudden surge in interest
over the last decade has attracted
some unwanted attention, mainly
with misinformation or half-
knowledge.
“As a school, we constantly fight this,
guiding students to understand the
industry, visit a night club or two, and
then venture into learning. To learn the
right way, with the right equipment
and in the right spirit – as an art form,
and not a quick money-making tool
that it is not,” says Mr Nakul.
I Love Music Academy’s physical
studio shut in March 2020 with the
onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. It
has been a tough year for the music
industry as well as the academy and
the team. They had to make the
tough calls but were able to reopen.
The ILM team estimates that they
are not out of the woods yet. There
is a lot of uncertainty among
potential students. Though the
academy is now open for business
and is thankful for the abundant
interest received, it has been noted
that people are still sceptical about
joining due to the nature of the
pandemic. The institute wants to

22. reassure its students that it is a safe
space following all the Covid
protocols.
Traversing the Music Industry
Student showcases were once part
of ILM’s offering. However, the
average age of students dropped to
under 21 and that posed a
challenge. Therefore, to stay on the
right side of the law, the academy
opted out of directly hosting
student showcases. The academy
encourages its students to organise
student-based events and support
them with promotions and guidance.
“We also encourage our age-
appropriate students to attend gigs of
associated performers and also
facilitate the same at times. Faculty
performances provide another
possibility for exposure, and our
students are called upon either to
volunteer, assist or spectate,”
elaborated the founder duo.
The academy always ensures that its
students have access to state-of-
the-art equipment and the most
efficient infrastructure, enabling
them to practice their coursework in
a high-end studio environment.
Over the years I Love Music
Academy has partnered with the
most acclaimed brands in audio
technology: Akai, Alesis, Lennar
digital, mastering the mix, Native
Instruments, NumarkNovation, xfer
records, to name a few.
These are all non-monetary
academic associations. All the audio
companies listed above have
voluntarily associated with the
illustrious academy. This reciprocal
relationship gives the students
invaluable exposure to the world’s
freshest trends and equipment
through training videos, student
discounts, and occasional technical
workshops.
Bolstering Futures with Utmost
Sincerity
A DJ wears many hats and one of
the most important being that of an
entrepreneur, a self-starter. Just
doing a course does not make you a
DJ. You need to live that life, the
struggle and then reap the success.
One needs to work at it like one
would learn to play an instrument. If
you get good at it, you can make it a
career or else, it is a skill you picked
up that enriches your life.
At the Academy, they do not spoon-
feed their students, and neither are
the students provided with gigs or
placements. There are far too many
DJs out there than there are venues
for jobs. So, the academy does not
make empty promises nor gives false
hope.

23. “We do nurture, guide, and prepare
them for the journey ahead.
Reiterating the saying – We rather
teach our students to fish than give
them the fish,” explains Nakul.
It provides the students with
workshops by industry experts and
well-known DJs, opportunities of
internships through their alumni in
the industry (occasionally), and a
class on the ‘Business of music’ and
‘Marketing Yourself as a DJ’, which
Nakul conducts personally. Coupled
with unlimited practice on the decks
during their course, I Love Music
Academy students are well
prepared to start their journey as
professional disk jockeys.
“Our students are capable of getting
themselves gigs, residencies, as well as
self-hosting events, and many have
found success doing this. We are
always there to help them promote
their gigs, guide them through
difficulties as well as help understand
legalities and even help strategize their
moves, guiding them in their journey
and pointing them in the right
direction,” adds Arjun.
Being associated with some of the
biggest names in the electronic
music space and being a sister
concern to ODDX – a leading artists
management agency, ILM has its
eyes and ears open for the
achievers.
When possible, the team even opens
doors from the background for
some self-achievers but do not give
assurances nor involve themselves
directly.
Becoming a Household Name
Having been featured in various
publications, the most notable one is
the recognition by the prestigious
Rolling Stones Magazine India in
2012 as one among the top four
schools.
In the recent past, ILM has
established note-worthy academic
affiliations with ‘Pyramind’, San
Francisco, from 2015-18 and was
among the chosen few to be Ableton
India Education Partners in 2019-
20.
But, as the founders proudly
remark, true recognition comes
from the success of their students.
Though ILM does not directly take
credit for their achievements, as
their achievements are the fruit of
their perseverance and hard work,
the ILM team is glad to be a part of
their journey.
Meet the Stars of a New
Generation
Some of the notable DJ students
from I Love Music Academy include:
Ÿ Raedl – Rathin Adhlaka
Ÿ Profanaty – Nayanika
Ÿ Hemant Wadhwani
Ÿ Prateek Vats
Ÿ Audiomenace- Essjay
Ÿ Sakrel – Sagar Thakral
Ÿ Mr. Red- Rohit Lall
Ÿ Secular Chai – Aprajata Singh
Ÿ Last Local - Abhishek Jaisinghani
Ÿ Gam3- Shubham Tyagi
Ÿ the Sub-z Crew (Stain, Npstr,
Miredo, Tanzen and Sodhi)
Ÿ Switchers Duo (Tarun Mishra &
Pryas Makkar)
Ÿ And, of course, Turban Raga
Nakul further adds: “There are many
more I would like to mention as this is
an endless list. But I would like to give
special mention to a truly brave and
spirited soul - Varun Khullar, who
overcame life-shattering obstacles and
successfully established himself as a
gifted DJ with the moniker ‘Aamish’.
We are honoured to be part of his
journey. Varun is a resident DJ at Kitty-
Su, Delhi and is India’s first differently-
abled DJ.”
Having been featured
in the most
various publications,
notable that comes to mind is the
recognition by the prestigious Rolling
Stones Magazine India in 2012 as one
among the top four schools.

24. The pandemic rollout
Online classes had existed way
before the pandemic did and will
continue way after its ends as well.
But not everything is meant to be
taught online.
Education is not just about
imparting or gathering knowledge; it
is also the experience. That is why
we go to school and college, where
the interaction between teachers
and students is part of the learning
experience. The pandemic has
disrupted this and many have turned
to online classes, and so did ILM, to
begin with for music production, but
not for Djing.
You cannot teach someone to DJ
online not unless they have the
equipment at home, and that would
still present a lot of challenges. The
DJ equipment is a big part of what
learning to DJ is all about.
You can teach them how to use
software and possibly understand
some concepts of DJing, but you
could do that pre-pandemic. DJing
based on only software and a
controller would be a fun
experience for home-use
enthusiasts but far from a
professional DJ course.
One must learn to develop hand,
eye, and ear coordination along with
musical sensibilities as well as
setting a mood and creating a vibe.
The experience of learning to DJ
online is not practical.
So, ILM’s solution to the current
situation was to reopen its studios.
The academy has gone from group
classes to private one-on-one
classes, following all the COVID
protocol and regular equipment
sanitation after each use.
The team has tried to be as
conservative with their pricing,
keeping the price of private one-on-
one classes, similar to what they
charged for the pre-pandemic group
classes.
Tuning to the Future
Music is an innate part of all our
lives, and we have to preserve the
art for future generations.
Mr. Nakul and Mr. Arjun restarted
the academy, fully aware that the
next few months, if not the year, will
be an uphill climb for them and the
music industry as a whole. So, a
conservative approach, reorganizing
and deploying their resources into
what matters, minus the frills of a
large space, means that I Love Music
Academy went compact.
“It is a question of survival at the
moment, and we want to come out of
this with our heads held high, knowing
that we did whatever best we could for
our students without compromising on
our standard and quality of education
nor the health and safety of all
concerned. It is a rough patch, but even
this shall pass,” concluded the astute
founders –Nakul and Arjun.
Note from the founders
"Talking about this unique industry the
founders say," “The music industry has
taken a major hit during the pandemic,
putting budding artists out of work and
left the established no better. Being
part of the unorganised service sector,
the degree of damage the pandemic
has inflicted is unquantifiable,. It is
easier to just say it is a complete
wipeout. And yet, throughout the
pandemic, we have all been witness to
numerous online events and
promotions done in aid of
organisations, communities, and NGOs
by artists and musicians from across
the globe, including India, to help raise
awareness or donations for a cause.
With no one to take care of them,
musicians still find a way to contribute
in whatever capacity they can,
normally through free performances
and even giving up sale proceeds of
their music. These amazing selfless
souls need our support to get back on
their feet! Please support your local
artists, buy music, and attend gigs
whenever possible, but be safe when
doing so!”

25. The Glowing Testimonials
of the Alumni
Murklin a.k.a. Dushyant Goel
Thought I'd say that I think
a DJ course in I Love Music
works. It did for me. Thanks!
DJ Mukul Makwana
The best academy all over Delhi and NCR. If you are really
serious about music and want to become an artist, I Love
Music Academy is the best place for you – cool staff,
teachers are very professional about music. I definitely
recommend I Love Music to all of you...
A-Sid a.k.a. Siddhartha
I Love Music gave me a path to
learn, perform and produce. One
of the best academies. Boom!
Sakrel a.k.a. Sagar Thakral
It is one of the best places to get your production on track.
And if you want to be a DJ and learn from scratch, I would
say I Love Music IS THE PLACE TO BE!
Stain a.k.a. Sourodeep Guha
I Love Music has been a turning point in my life. I had been producing or was
trying to produce music much before joining I Love Music. But it was only at I
Love Music when all the concepts got cleared and I could focus on my vibes
and style rather than worrying about technical issues. Taught by one of the
best faculties, it has been an honour to be here.

26. Industry
Sound-check
24 | December 2021

27. Technology
Enhancing the
of
Form
The DJ industry can experience drastic changes through innovative
technology over the past few years. The DJ artists can efficiently
access the new tools, gadgets, and sound integration systems,
with new sound effects and enhanced sound output. These tools and
systems can assist them in improvising their music and live shows.
With the advancements in technologies and innovations in electronics, DJ
artists can access hi-tech pieces of equipment and sound accessories with
these developments. As these technologies are pushing the music industry
and changing the dynamics of live DJ performances, it is exciting for DJ
artists to experience new ways that drive the change in this space.
Art
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28. DJ artists create music events with
fresh playlists on music streaming
platforms, and users could join these
live events with their friends.
Eventually, this enhanced music
culture and artists gained listeners to
their music.
Video platforms like YouTube allowed
these artists to organize live DJ
performance and stream it on their
content channels. Famous DJ artists
organized music festivals on YouTube,
and users were able to experience and
enjoy the live stream of these music
festivals. Artists created suitable
entertainment surroundings, especially
for the music lovers in the lockdown.
Additionally, they promoted their
content on trending social media
platforms, allowing the users to access
their music for their personal posts and
videos. It created a trend of new songs,
and artists gained the spotlight and
listeners through their soundtracks and
music. Social media represents
numerous ways that music fans interact
not only with the artists who they love
but with each particular track that
resonates with them.
Digital music and mixing tools
The most innovative development and
advancement in this industry during
the past few years were in digital
music. The DJ artists used to carry
records for their live shows. When
digital music was easily accessible,
they were able to explore and
download new sound effects and
thousands of songs as per their
personalized theme of the live show.
This reduced the efforts and cost
behind buying and waiting for their
records.
Also, with the ease of availability of
music as per genres and advanced
sound mixing tools, constructing a
rhythm by the theme of an EDM
became an effortless task to execute.
The audience found these rhythms
fascinating, and eventually, EDM
became a new trend in live
performance DJ events.
Stems and enhanced equipment
'Stems', the next big iteration of music
format innovation as a multichannel
audio file that splits the music into four
elements: bass, drum, vocal, and
melody. As Stems allow them to
independently break, split, and mix
each element of music, DJs have more
mixing opportunities than ever before.
The use of synthesizers and drum
machines allows the artists to
manipulate the tracks, and the stems
format acknowledges the intersection
of these elements and folds them into
an entirely new way to play the music.
Equipment like tracktor control S8,
Model 1, DJ 808, Rekord box, and
MPC live assist the artists in editing,
mixing, and blending studio
technology with a live DJ setting and
inviting a live instrumentation element
into DJing. This enables them to
monitor the sound, edit, and enhance
its output in the event.
All the bells and whistles…
Technology is allowing the artists to
effortlessly explore and create their
music with enhanced tools and
equipment, which are diversifying the
DJ industry at an outstanding and rapid
pace. Currently, DJing is dramatically
changing, and artists believe that these
changes are not going to stop anytime
soon.
There is an excitement to observe the
professional artists and the innovative
usage of technology in the music
industry for the audience. Over the past
few years, new styles of DJing have
emerged, and some have had an
enormous impact on music and dance
culture. This has led to forming new
genres and music production
techniques.
Trends keep on changing
Vaporwave, low-fi, hypnagogic pop
music, and EDM have been the centre
of attraction in live DJ performance
shows in the past few years. A fresh
style of DJing emerged by applying a
collagist sensibility to an irrelevant and
diverse selection of material.
Frequently described as
'Deconstructed', this style of music was
possible by the treasonous artistic sight
of DJ artists and the accurate tools at
their disposal.
The developments in technology
opened doors to the digital world with
the high-speed internet, which resulted
in the delivery of music feedback loops
from cities like Kampala, Durban,
Shanghai, and Cairo. It was an
influential factor as DJ artists
approached their toolkit with a fresh
mindset to construct new rhythms and
add creativity to their soundtracks.
Creating and promoting content on
music streaming platforms
The outbreak of COVID-19 introduced
engaging ways for the artists to
promote their created content on music
streaming platforms. It allowed their
audience to browse and explore their
content in personalized music genres;
as a result, DJ artists increased the
engagement of their content and gained
followers from all around the globe.
26 | December 2021