
Many are completely legitimate and pay all the necessary licensing fees more still fall in a large “grey area” somewhere in the middle (where they do some of what they’re meant to, but cheat a bit too)… and some are flat-out illegal!
Video tools record pool full#
Actually, they run the full spectrum as far as the legality of their operation goes. Obviously there are lots of pools out there, and they’re not all the same. This is because they were originally promotional vehicles for record labels to service DJs and tastemakers with new music to help build a buzz around it pre-release and retain that as an important function. What is almost always true, though, is that pools offer new music, not old music. Just about everything! As mentioned, top 40, urban, also Latin, hip-hop, Christian, rock, EDM… some pools even offer adult contemporary music such as jazz.
Video tools record pool download#
OK, so speaking of styles, what kind of music can DJs expect to finds in download pools? There are also record pools that cater to a narrower music market if you’re looking for more specialist music styles and releases. Record pools are a cost-effective solution if you DJ a variety of genres and need the latest tunes. In these cases, CDs tend to be sent out once a month.Ĭhoosing the right pool for you is important, because they don’t all have the same music, and some pools offer genre-specific options, where you can spend less but at the same time get more focused on what you actually play (for instance, urban or top 40). By the way, although I’m talking about downloads here, actually there still are many DJs who prefer to get their music on CD from their pool. As tracks arrive at the pool, the staff make them available inside the portal daily, and you can grab them daily or weekly, or whatever works for you. So once accepted, you pay your monthly fee, and you get access to the pool’s music. Don’t think you have to be Tïesto to join a pool (you really don’t), but remember that you can be kicked out if you’ve lied and in fact are not a bona fide DJ. This “working DJ” stuff is important, as pools are as much promotion for the labels as they are a service for the DJ. Well, as soon as you’re a working DJ (that means actually playing out regularly – whether that’s to 50 people in a bar, or to thousands at Privilege in Ibiza!), and can demonstrate that fact through your own website, flyers etc, you can apply to join a pool. Good pools have DJ charts and other tools to help you ensure you don’t miss anything big.įinally of course, for any working DJ who buys a reasonable amount of music, a record or download pool will almost definitely end up costing you a lot less than purchasing those tunes individually. This means you get the hot tunes and big hits relevant to you all in one place, so you save time you’d otherwise spend scouring the internet for them. Secondly, pick the right pool and you’re effectively employing a team of experts, whose job it is day in, day out to expertly programme and curate the music on offer. And many of them will be “DJ friendly”, which could mean anything from having easy-to-mix intros and outros, to “quick edit” versions (which are shorter, “intro-verse-chorus-outro” cuts of tired songs), to things like exclusive remixes and even BPM transition tools – all of which help you play more exciting DJ sets.

Those releases will always be near-CD quality (for instance 256 M4As, 320 MP3s, Apple Lossless files etc), so they’ll sound great to DJ with. Nick, what is the advantage of joining a record or download pool for today’s DJ?įirstly, you’re guaranteed early releases, which is obviously of importance to DJs wanting the latest hits first. To find out a bit more about download pools, and to help you decide if joining a download pool would be right for you, I spent some time chatting to Nick Hahn, who is director of marketing at Promo Only, one of the USA’s leading and most respected pools.

Originally called “record pools” (referring to their origins as distribution / feedback services for pre-release records to top DJs), these modern online equivalents can be a great way for DJs to pack their sets with upfront, DJ-ready songs and mixes, quickly and cost effectively. For a set monthly fee, you get access to unlimited music downloads for use in your DJing – no restrictions, no strings.

How do record download pools work, and what are the advantages of joining one? We find out in this interview with Promo Only’s Nick Hahn.ĭownload pools are special music subscription services aimed at working DJs.
