DJ

A DJ, short for disc jockey, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. DJs select, sequence, and manipulate tracks to create a continuous, mixed listening experience. Historically, the term arose from radio and club culture; disc jockeys on radio introduced recorded music to listeners, while club DJs mixed records to maintain energy on the dance floor.

The practice began with vinyl turntables and analog mixers in the mid-20th century. Early pioneers developed techniques such as beatmatching and cueing. In the 1980s, turntablism and hip-hop culture heightened the art of scratching and battle DJing. The rise of electronic dance music in the 1990s and 2000s expanded digital DJing with CDJs and software.

Today, DJs work in clubs, at festivals, on radio, or for online audiences. They use turntables or compatible equipment (CDJs, media players, or controllers), a mixer, headphones, and speakers. Many use DJ software and laptops to prepare sets, remix tracks, and manage effects, loops, and samples.

Techniques include beatmatching, mixing by phrasing, crossfading, cueing, scratching, looping, and effects. Styles vary by genre, including hip-hop, house, techno, trance, and EDM. A DJ’s role ranges from curating a vibe to producing original material or collaborating with artists.