Music Industry

Sunday, April 19, 2020

DJ Envy Raises Over $106,000 for DJs Impacted by COVID-19


DJ Envy. (Source: Facebook)

The Breakfast Club radio show’s DJ Envy successfully raised over $106,000 for working DJs impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The radio host was able to provide 213 DJs with $500 each as the result of an Easter Sunday fundraiser on Instagram Live to support Envy’s “I Love My DJs” GoFundMe campaign.

Over 12 hours, those who tuned in heard sets from DJ Clue, DJ D-Nice, Kid Capri, DJ Will, Tony Neal, DJ Prostyle, DJ Scratch, and Quicksilva. Furthermore, DJ Khaled gave over $45,000 to the GoFundMe saying via Twitter, “Bless up to the DJs! I saw @djenvy’s go fund me post and heard the goal was to raise 50K for the DJs so I put the remaining $45,255 up. We are here to support each other! We are in this together!”

“During this pandemic, you’ve seen DJs step up to the plate and throw virtual parties to keep the spirits up during this quarantine,” Envy told People Magazine. “It’s tough right now for so many DJs to provide for their families with no bars, clubs, lounges, or events to work. Most don’t have healthcare, savings, retirement plans, or have their businesses set up where they can get a stimulus check. So how can they keep food on their table? I knew I had to help.”

H/T: REVOLT

Related Post: Philadelphia’s DJ Ryno Raises $10,000 for Meals for Health Care Workers

| Music Industry
Coronavirus, DJ Envy, The Breakfast Club,
Sunday, April 12, 2020

Watch YouTube Originals’ ‘Coachella: 20 Years in the Desert’ Documentary

In the wake of the global COVID-19 quarantine postponing this year’s Coachella festival, YouTube Originals has released their Coachella: 20 Years in the Desert documentary. Throughout the documentary, connections are made about the importance of DJ culture to Coachella’s rise. Rave culture helped to establish the festival’s concept, while hip-hop and turntablism played a crucial role in its evolution.

In the documentary, Steve Aoki credits Daft Punk‘s 2006 Coachella performance as being the “birthplace” of modern EDM. A-Trak‘s lengthy history with the festival is discussed, including his 1999 Coachella debut with the Invisbl Skratch Piklz, DJing for Kanye West in 2006, and playing alongside Armand van Helden as Duck Sauce in 2011 and 2014. The documentary also features feedback from the likes of Diplo, Moby, and more.

Watch the Coachella: 20 Years in the Desert documentary above.

Related Post: XXL Magazine Lists Greatest Hip-Hop DJs Of All Time

| DJ Culture, Music Industry
Coachella,
Monday, April 6, 2020

Beatport and SiriusXM Join Forces For “Pitch Control: Powered by Beatport”


DJ Drew. (Source: DJ Drew)

Beatport and SiriusXM have partnered on “Pitch Control: Powered by Beatport,” a new weekly radio show airing on Sundays at 11 PM EST on their electronic music channel, BPM. The show debuted this Sunday, April 5, hosted by Beatsource Dance Curator Andrew “DJ Drew” Ortiz. DJ Drew has 20 years of experience programming dance radio at KIIS FM in Los Angeles, making him an ideal host.

DJ Drew’s collaborators for this program include Beatport’s Berlin-based curation team, led by Raphael Pujol, Edwin “DJ Phenom” Paredes, who serves as a Program Director at SiriusXM for Pitbull’s Globalization and BPM channels, SiriusXM’s Vice President of EDM programming, Geronimo, and Program Director, Rida Naser. Tracks will also be selected by taking into account real-time activity on Beatport LINK, the streaming service that’s fully integrated with DJ software and hardware. It allows for songs being played by DJs around the world to be immediately known to the Beatport curation team.

“We are thrilled to enter into this music and broadcasting partnership with SiriusXM, one of the leading music destinations here in the US,” Beatport CEO Robb McDaniels said. “So many U.S.-based electronic music fans are thirsty for the best underground electronic music tracks that will likely be the next big dance floor hits. Our world-class curation team and Beatsource’s expert staff are the perfect combination to deliver the goods on a weekly basis.”

Tune into the show Sundays at 11 PM EST on SiriusXM’s BPM channel.

Related Post: Listen: Beatport CEO Robb McDaniels Interview on ‘The 20 Podcast’

| DJcity News, Music Industry
Beatport, DJ Drew, SiriusXM,
Thursday, March 26, 2020

Beatport Presents ReConnect 24-Hour Live Stream To Benefit COVID-19 Charities

On Friday, March 27, Beatport will present ReConnect, a live 24-hour global DJ marathon in partnership with Twitch. The goal of this streaming event is to provide a platform to unite our global community during these unprecedented times, while also supporting charities to help those most in need.

From Friday, March 27th at 8 pm GMT to Saturday, March 28 at 6 am GMT via live Twitch stream, Beatport will broadcast 24 artists including Carl Cox, Bonobo, Nina Kraviz, GRiZ, RÜFÜS DU SOL, A-Trak, Nicole Moudaber, Chris Liebing and Nora En Pure. They will be performing from their homes or studios around the globe. Beatport will be providing track IDs as songs are played on Twitch so fans can purchase any of the music they hear and support the independent artist and label community directly. Beatport will also be working with key industry partners to give away gear and merchandise to randomly selected donors during the live event.

During the live stream on Twitch, viewers can make donations, with the money going directly to benefit those most impacted by the crisis. The funds will be administered by the AFEM (Association For Electronic Music), the global non-profit trade association for the electronic music industry, and will be distributed to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organization looking after the frontline health concerns, and the AFEM Members COVID-19 Hardship Fund.

Are you a DJ or music fan looking for a unique way to assist others during this global pandemic? Tune in here on Friday to watch the all-star lineup of selectors. Thanks in advance to the DJcity community of readers for your support.

Related Post: Notable DJs Share Plans for Dealing With Coronavirus

| DJ Culture, DJcity News, Mixes, Music Industry
Beatport, ReConnect,
Wednesday, March 25, 2020

DJ Amen Talks Coronavirus Lockdown, DJing for 49ers, Breaking Artists via Young California: The 20 Podcast

DJ Amen

DJ Amen
DJ Amen (Source: Instagram)

Influential West Coast DJ Amen speaks with DJ Spider remotely on this week’s episode of The 20 Podcast. Born and raised in the Bay Area, Amen is the music director at Los Angeles hip-hop radio station, Real 92.3. When he’s not holding it down on the airwaves and in clubs, Amen also serves as an official DJ for the San Francisco 49ers. In the interview, Amen discusses the Coronavirus lockdown, breaking artists on his Young California platform, among other topics.

Watch the interview below. An audio version of the podcast is also available on all major platforms.

Follow DJ Amen on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Hosted by DJ Spider, The 20 Podcast features conversations with influential DJs and music industry professionals. Spider and his guests begin each episode by going through Beatsource‘s weekly list of must-have tracks, The 20.

Related Post: Jayceeoh Talks Coronavirus Lockdown, ‘Super 7’ Series, Becoming a Producer on ‘The 20 Podcast’

| DJ Culture, Music Industry, Videos
Beatsource, DJ Amen, DJ Spider, Interview, Radio, The 20 Podcast,
Sunday, March 22, 2020

D-Nice’s Instagram Live Set Goes Viral


D-Nice. (Source: Instagram)

With the nightlife scene essentially shut down during the coronavirus quarantine, many DJs have turned to broadcasting live sets on Instagram. One DJ – rapper-turned-mixer D-Nice – managed to rake in hundreds of thousands of viewers over the course of the week. During Saturday’s #ClubQuarantine set, D-Nice played for over 100,000 viewers simultaneously, including some high-profile celebrities. Among the viewers were Drake, DJ Khaled, Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Obama, and many others.

D-Nice’s #HOMEschool series of streaming performances (which included Saturday night’s #ClubQuarantine set) highlights the power of the growing trend of live streaming. These sentiments were echoed in DJcity’s interview with notable DJs on how to prepare for the onset of the outbreak. Mojaxx’s series of live streaming tips and tricks may also come in handy for any DJ looking for a way to connect to fans during this era of social distancing.

It is unclear how long the coronavirus quarantine will affect the nightlife and live music industries. But as evident from D-Nice, Major Lazer, and DJ Premier to DJcity’s own streaming performance from Chris Villa, the quarantine offers a unique opportunity to engage with fans. Check out a snippet of one of D-Nice’s sets below and stay tuned for more on this growing trend.

Related Post: Mojaxx Offers ‘Tips and Tricks’ for Streaming DJ Sets

| DJ Culture, Music Industry, Music Tech
Coronavirus, D-Nice,

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