April 28, 2026
Latin Energy, Locked In for Cinco de Mayo
Whether you’re opening, headlining, or bouncing between genres, these Latin playlists give you room to move. DJcity has you ready for Cinco de Mayo with pl...
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Hardwell: ‘Producing Is Way More Important than DJing’
The man who won this year’s DJ Mag Top 100 poll and holds ten Beatport number ones has some advice for up-and-comers. Speaking with Pioneer’s DJsounds in Ibiza, Dutch superstar DJ/producer Hardwell reflected on his residency at Ushuaia and stressed the importance of being a producer in today’s scene:
“[Producing is] way more important than DJing nowadays. People book me because they know my songs — DJs are becoming more like pop artists now … every DJ that’s getting famous right now is because they made one big hit record. And that’s because they’re producing the songs. I think being a producer nowadays is way more important than just playing somebody else’s records.”
While some will criticize Hardwell for these comments and label him a “button pusher,” his point about the importance of producing is true regardless of his DJ abilities. In a time when new DJs seem to be sprouting up every minute, setting oneself apart by producing originals, remixes or even edits is a valuable asset.
Interestingly, Hardwell’s comments come nearly a week after legendary turntablist Craze shook up the DJ and EDM communities with his provocative “New Slaves” routine video, which was intended to call out DJs who don’t “put in work.”
Related: MAKJ Urges DJs to Produce Their Own Music
