Can I DJ with music from streaming services?

It’s no secret that fewer of us are buying our music outright these days – CD and download sales continue to fall as many of us switch to streaming services – so the demand to be able to mix cloudbased tunes is on the rise. And yes, it is possible, though only in certain bits of software, and not with every streaming platform.

If you’re a Spotify Premium subscriber, your best bet would be Algoriddim’s djay, which is available for Windows, Mac, iOS and Android. Spotify integration works on all of these platforms, and the good news in that regard is that the iOS version is now free (though you’ll have to subscribe if you want all the advanced features).

If you’re happy with the idea of leaving something running in the background at a party, you could also check out Serato’s Pyro, a free iOS app that will automatically (and pretty impressively) mix whole playlists’ worth of Spotify material.

Speaking of Serato, the company is among those who’ve partnered with SoundCloud to offer mixing of tracks from the SoundCloud Go+ subscription service in their DJing software. Others include Native Instruments, Virtual DJ, DEX3, Mixvibes and DJuced/Hercules, with support set to be implemented over the course of the next few months. Serato offers streaming of tracks from TIDAL, too, providing you’re a subscriber to that service, of course. You have a few options, then, though the obvious downside is that, if you want to stream and mix music, you’ll need a reliable internet connection. This probably won’t be a problem if you’re at a house party, but could be an issue at certain venues. And, don’t forget, if everyone knows that you have access to every track under the sun, you’ll have no excuse not to play that request that you’ve been given from the dancefloor…