Well, PLASA has always proved to be a useful place to make lots of new business/industry contacts and this year was no exception...

If you've ever applied to be on a promotion companies mailing list for all those great (free) tunes, weeks, or even months before they are released in the shops, you'll know just how hopeless some of the applications can be...it just seems that they only want you if you're playing to 10,000 people every week, or play on national radio...

This is for a simple reason. It costs money to stuff and send a restricted amount of 12'' singles, through the post to a limited amount of DJ's, so the promotions companies are obviously looking at the DJ's who are likely to give the sent vinyls as much widespread public exposure as possible. And a wedding reception, and a fun pub once a week, with 100~200 per gig, probably isnt going to cut it for them.

THEN, even if you are one of the lucky ones to receive a brown cardboard sleeve with a couple of 12''singles in, the package wont fit through your letterbox and so ends up either rained upon and soggy, sun-dried and warped, folded into 2x6inch pieces which then DID fit through the letterbox, or simply held hostage at the post office until the Monday after the gig which you could have really used it at. (sound familiar?)

And after all that, an ever increasing number of us are using non-vinyl formats, so you've got a converting job on your hands, before you can either "Audition" the tracks in you cars CD changer, (or MP3 unit) or play them to your audiences Time...time...time....tick, tick, tick...

On top of ALL that, you may also have found that if you dont have the facility of playing those large, black, bendy things...what are they called again? oh yeah, Records...then sometimes you simply cant get really upto date tunes at all. (This is always part of the argument of the Vinyl Junkie, about why he/she will hang onto his vinyl turntables until retirement)

So...prepare to be REFRESHED.

If you've got a regular venue that you play at...it could be a club, a pub, a hotel etc, whos manager will vouch for you, that you REALLY ARE a working DJ then why not pay a visit to www.djinthemix.com

DJ in the mix (who were on the Denon stand at this years PLASA) dont send out any vinyl, or CD's for that matter...in fact they've got no physical stock to pay for, or order, or store, or "guess" how many they'll need pressed etc...What DJinthemix do, is send all the "vouched for" working DJ's who register with them, an email which advises of the latest promo's (by genre). You simply log in with your password, (once your application is checked and authorised) and preview, and download (at CD quality) all the promo's which you like. They'll even send you SMS's when ever a new promo tune (in your chossen genres) is available on the site.

You are them authorised to burn those tunes to CD, and then play them and plug them, and then play them and plug them, and then play them and plug them, until you're blue in the face...

You are given the OPTION (yes, its optional) to return audience reaction sheets, your current chart of tunes etc..etc..all on the website under your ID. No paperwork, no stamps...

Also, they know that commercial/mobile DJ's STILL USE MICROPHONES... therefore we are much more likely to actually announce "Heres the new one from Mary J Blige...in the shops in two weeks time..." rather than a club jock, who is more likely to blend a promo, mutely, into his/her set, without actually telling anyone who the artist is, or what the title was.



Cost of joining?...nothing until January 2004, at which point subscriptions will apply, but at least you'll have a few months to assess the service, and see whether it fits your way of working, your audiences etc.

Reasons for not joining?...None, as long as you can prove that you're a regularly working DJ, eg: a regular venue can vouch for you.

Drawbacks?...Just one! (but its a small one). IF you are discovered sharing your downloaded DJinthemix files/tunes, either by electronic, or physical means then they WILL throw the book at you...MCPS, removal of your name from other record company/promo listings...the works.

However, play by the rules and it could be very worthwhile.

Happy registering...

Good idea Gary!


Don't know about anybody else - but I can't seem to be able to find the site via the link - too many pop-ups!!!!!!!!!

This is a great idea, and one that is long overdue in the Mastermix / DMC / Whitedisc area of the industry, and the best thing about it is that it's FREE to bona-fide D.J's just like in the "good old days" .

I once emailed a similar suggestion to one of the above companies stating that since many D.J's have access to a fast internet connection, that maybe they could offer a subscribed FTP service at a lower cost than its conventional disc service. Interestingly I got no reply, but I am very pleased to see that somebody has taken the initiative!. Long may it continue. If you fit their criteria then please sign up and support their service.

Only free until January 2004

The first site was Gary's first site of Porn and XXXX Adult Material

Well done Gary - a brilliant suggestion!

Thats great ive just signed up!

I pay 91p each for my tracks, all pre-realease too.
Will not say anymore unless Chris gives the go-ahead

I've been a member of the djinthemix site since it started and really like it. Used to be on the Neo/Black and Blue record label/s a while ago and i think it was them that decided to create the site to allow downloading of their tunes insted of sending out vinyl. The only problem is that some of the venues that i play at are more vinyl orientated which makes it difficult to play these new tracks (old cd players). Apart from that i think it is a really good idea.

cough cough cough cough PM cough cough cough cough

Thats a nasty cough you've got there...have you thought of going on "Who wants to be a millionaire"...as a decoy...

I've been told that when the subscription charges take effect on djinthemix.com in January 2004, they are likely to be in the region of £30 (ISH!) per annum - although no definate figure has been "set in stone". £30 is, lets face it less than the cost of 8 CD-singles, over here in UK-land, or about 5/6 12'inch singles.

The subscription may well include "other goodies" (No Tim Brooke Taylor, Graham Garden, or Bill Oddie jokes please...)

Where do I sign?

..............................................................


(oh, I already have... )

Gary will there be a limit on the number of songs you can download.

I dont know (yet)... The ol' Denon stand was so busy at Plasa over all four days, that I even had to lubricate my throat with cans of coke mid-demo... (as Mikeee will verify! ) So, I didnt get a chance to chat-up , sorry... TALK to Jacqui, about the details.

You see, once you tell a group of on-lookers, that you dont need 2 x Denon's to mix track-to-track or even Disc-to-disc...you can do all that by just buying one, they always wanna know more.....(its a hard life... )

The next time I speak/email djinthemix, I'll ask about any restrictions that might be there once the subscription is in place. and post my findings here.

Gary
You are a top man finding that service
Just hope it works as promised I do not use kazza or illegal downloads so this will be GR8
Will buy you a pint for that (are you anywhere near Alton?

Already get all mine free

???????????????????????????/

Basingstoke is closer to Alton if you look in a dictornary rather than a road map !

I'm very near Alton Towers if anybody ever gets to gig there and wants to meet up for a pint . I know that they employ D.J's from all over the U.K for their functions, and if you ever get the chance to work one of their corporate events then it'll probably be one of the best gigs you ever do. A great bunch of people!.

Am I the only person who couldn't be bothered to do this I would rather buy the CD's as it goes against tax anyway and it quicker than downloading the songs just to buy them.

Maybe I was expecting too much...and after all it is free, but i've finally got inside and..........

Only 2 tracks??

Ive got 12 tracks, but then, I did tick every box in the profile...eg: Pop, Rock, House, R'n'B, progressive, Trance, Techno, etc...etc..etc...

It will only tell you/show you tracks of a genre which you ticked.



Theres two reasons that I ticked every box...

1) I could get asked for anything

2) Few songs ever seem to fall into one catergory/genre nowadays. Pick up a CD of "Greatest R'n'B tunes" and a CD of "Greatest Garage" and one of "greatest hip-hop", and read in wonderment how many of the tracks appear (with the same mix/version) on more than one album. One mans techno is another mans trance. (or womans, of course)


I've been really pleased with djinthemix.com I've had about 12 tracks, some with as many as 5 mixes/versions to try out in Preview mode, and download any which you like - I downloaded 10 tracks, and each of them downloaded at an amazing rate - really fast. I got a 8 meg tune in about 4 minutes, at CD quality.