Dig out any music playing devices you can find and use them to make sure there’s not a room in your house where you can’t get music on – fast.
Last week in One Simple Habit That Will Massively Improve Your DJ Sets we explained how if you take a few steps to tune into the music you hear around you day-to-day (and not when you’re consciously sat in front of your screen in “music buying” mode), you’ll end up with a better, more crowd-friendly DJ collection.
This week I’d like to take a look at a long list of really simple things you can do to put some of this into practice. Do just a handful of these things and I guarantee you’ll become a better DJ.
Our 12 easy ways to get more music into your life
1. Turn the TV off and the stereo on
In some households, the TV is on almost by default, playing a load of rubbish mostly. Just switch it off and turn some music – any music – on. Get into the habit of switching on music, not the TV, in the morning. When people who were watching TV leave the room, don’t leave it on but turn on some tunes instead.
2. Put music on your smartphone
Your smartphone – or even your “normal” mobile phone – probably has the ability to carry a load of tunes.
You may not always have your MP3 player nearby, but you probably always have your phone.
In photography circles they say “the best camera for the job is the one you’ve got on you” – and it’s the same with music.
You may not always have your MP3 player or other music source nearby, but you probably always have your phone. Keep some music on it and some headphones with you too, and there’s another way you can sneak some music into your life in all kinds of situations.
3. Set the presets on your car radio (and revise them regularly)
Your car radio probably has half a dozen presets on it. Have you ever bothered to set them to any stations?
Work out how to set those presets and take some time to find some stations to fill them up with.
Because if you haven’t, you probably spend more time randomly channel surfing when you’re driving than actually listening to anything.
Instead, set it to half a dozen likely channels, so at least you can channels surf between those, knowing you’re likely to hear something you like. And if a channel truly sucks, find a replacement. You’ll probably end up with the “best of a bad bunch”, but it’s still a lot better than “radio silence”
4. Watch the music channels on TV
Getting resistance for implementing #1 in your home? Try this tack instead. Memorise the channel numbers of every music station that exists on your cable, satellite or free-to-air network, and as soon as you get the chance, switch to a music channel instead.
There are some real gems to be found here in Europe on channels that recycle back catalogue material, and I’m willing to bet there will be at least something of use where you are too.
5. Put some kind of music system in every room of your house
Got a radio-cassette doing nothing in a cupboard or in the garage? How about an iPod speaker dock? Old radios knocking around in drawers? Just set them up and tune them in to something. However you do it and whatever you use, the goal here is to get music – any music – playing within a few seconds of walking into a room.
6. Install wireless speakers
If you’ve got the money, why not consider installing AirPlay, Bluetooth or Sonos wireless speakers in any or all of your rooms?
It just lets you get music on quickly whenever you arrive in a room…
These let you stream music wirelessly either from a console unit or (to me, more usefully) from your laptop, tablet or smartphone.
Again, it just lets you get music on quickly whenever you arrive in a room to do something, and this was you can often have the same music playing in any or all your rooms at the same time.
That humble radio alarm clock in your bedroom can add hours a week of valuable music listening time to your schedule.
7. Wake up to the radio instead of a buzzer
If you’ve got a radio-alarm on your bedside table but you use the buzzer instead of the radio to wake yourself up, then do something about it!
Tune in to any station at all and wake up to that instead. Sometimes just putting one tune into your head first thing in the morning can not only change your mood (hopefully for the better) but it can get you thinking about music for half the day – this is a very good thing.
8. Fall asleep to music radio etc
If you can (some people can’t), try drifting off to music radio (or another music source) using the sleep function on any audio device that supports it. I think there’s something about music when you’re drifting off to sleep that gets into your brain in a way it doesn’t at other times. Either way, here’s half an hour of the day when you’d probably otherwise be in silence. Claim it back!
9. Prefer music venues when you’re on a night out
There’s a pub chain in the UK called Wetherspoons which famously, at least for a time, boasted about “never having music playing”. This would be bottom of your list when applying this rule.
Try and frequent pubs, bars, lounges etc that have music playing.
Instead, when you’re on a night out, consciously try and frequent pubs, bars, lounges etc that have music playing, rather than sports bars, traditional boozers etc that may not.
Of course, if you’re going clubbing then this isn’t an issue, but there’s no reason why music can’t play a part in your nights out the other days of the week too when you’re out and about.
10. Have a limited music device such as an iPod Shuffle
An iPod shuffle will play music… and not much else. To get you into ‘listening’ mode, this is a good thing.
One of the problems us DJs have with music is we’re always trying to categorise, organise, jump off at tangents – we find it very hard to “just listen”.
I love my iPod Shuffle because it stops any of that. I stuff it full of tunes I want to know better, then use it. Mine is a model before you could get it to speak track names through the headphones, so I just gave up worrying and listened!
I soon figured they’d be time to review what I’d heard back at a computer, later. Plus it’s easier to carry than a smartphone when you go for a run or hit the gym
11. Buy a lead for the MP3 Aux socket in your car
Chances are if your car is newish that it has an Aux or MP3 socket on the dashboard somewhere that lets you plug in an MP3 player or other music source. Go on, order a lead for it.
It’ll cost you next to nothing, and means you can throw your favourite tunes on in the car rather than rely on the radio or some tired old CDs in the autochanger that you never, you know, change. And when you’re looking for your next car? Make this a must-have requirement. Bluetooth? Even better.
12. Watch more films… with good soundtracks
If you don’t watch films, please do. They are a secret weapon for the DJ – packed with tunes you can pinch. you can capitalise this rich seam of ideas by checking out who’s behind the soundtracks of film, or searching “OST” to find original soundtracks on web stores, then watching the film of those you like the look of. Next time your partner wants to pull you away from the decks to watch a film? You now now how you can make that situation work for you.
This is background, not foreground
As we said last week, one of the ideas around getting more music in your life is to get it there when you’re busy doing something else. This isn’t about sitting down to listen to music – it’s about having it going 24/7 or as close as you can get.
This isn’t about sitting down to listen to music – it’s about having it going 24/7…
The only concession to being a DJ you should make (apart from ensuring there’s always something playing, of course) is to have a way of recording for later use tracks that catch your ears. Shazam, a note on your phone, a real notebook and paper – whatever. Note, and forget. You can worry about whether they’re good for your DJing later on – for now, get on with your day. This is gathering, not analysis.
Remember, implement only one or two of the above and you’ll be improving your “musical life” to the benefit of your DJing. Implement half a dozen and you’ll have it at least 80% covered. Good luck!
Do you have a method for listening to music when you’re busy doing other things? How do you fit music discovery in with a busy life? Please share your thoughts and experiences in the comments.
Now go to:
One Simple Habit That Will Massively Improve Your DJ Sets
Your Questions: How Do I Build A Unique Music Collection?
5 Smarter Ways To Buy Music Online
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Tags: music discovery
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I stream music all day at work from a variety if sites including digitally imported, last fm, pandora, and mix.dj just to try to stay semi up to date with new tracks and remixes. Also I use a dj pool service (digitaldjpool.com) to get the majority of my tracks and they have a feature where you can as as many tracks to a player to preview them prior to adding them to your cart to download. But the big thing for me is my iPhone never leaves my side…
[ link ]Been implementing a similar system for a few weeks now and it seems to be working…
I have a day job that lets me listen to music, if I choose, all day long. I have some podcasts I listen to (Adam Corola, This American Life, remix report) that I listen to spoken words, but the rest of my week is spent listening to various genres of music.
When I hear a song I think I can implement into my set, I write the track info down in the notes of my phone, tag it on shazam, or if I’m streaming it from my phone snap a screen cap of the info, and once a week I go through these sources and find tracks from my record pool (unlimited downloads) – but often those are limited… The rest I will purchase and delete, or if I’m not sold that I can use it in a set, let it sit till next week.
[ link ]I love and use the iPod Shuffle idea… I also stream music all day long while at work from Soundcloud. If I like a song, I simply favorite it to download later.
[ link ]Gaming particularly Grand Theft Auto Series.
[ link ]Hell yes! Games are underrated.
GTA helped me discover tons of music, especially the early hip hop in San Andreas, Fallout helped me discover plenty of swing, and the early Need For Speed games had a huge impact on me when I started creating electronic music.
I also enjoy listening to the orchestral scores, and how they build amazing atmosphere. Sometimes the music interacts with the game too, which is mind-boggling. I have huge respect for the work that must go into that!
[ link ]Cool ideas!
[ link ]One big budget saver is a FM transmitter. Plug it into any of your music players, and your music will be broadcasted to every radio in the house.
A usb fm transmitter will cost you 30 bucks. I’m actually thinking of tinkering with it so I can send the left signal over one transmitter and the right signal over another so I can create stereo sound from ancient mono radio’s.
Great tip!
[ link ]I must be a sinner doomed to DJ hell right now.
For some reason or another, there are just times during the day that could be utilized with music of any kind in the background that are squandered in silence.
I try very hard to make myself put on music while doing some things, but I find that the need to concentrate without distraction outweighs the desire to discover during downtime.
And, truthfully, sometimes I just like to have a tranquil moments of absolute quiet and down time, as my world is constantly bombarded with sounds and sensory overload.
Also, most of what I would find on standard FM radio and television is complete and utter shit that doesn’t fit my tastes in the slightest.
Throwaway garbage designed to make you buy beer and cars.
All in all, though, I agree with you, Phil.
[ link ]Also i’d suggest to make time in your day for “active” listening. That is listening with full attention to whats going in the music and making notes e.g. how many bars before the snare comes, where the bass drops out etc. That way you to get to know tracks inside out. While it’s obviously important to listen to a lot of music. If your listening to tunes at work or doing chores your attention is going to be divided and your only half experiencing it. Consider investing in noise cancelling ear phones if your using public transportation, unless you like other peoples else conversations doing accapellas over what your listening to!
[ link ]All good tips here! trouble is how many times do i listen to a song that i like, only to realize that i dont remember the name later when i want to get it. should shazam it or simply write it down, scripta manent
Another tip i would add: record your practise mixes. on cds or usb. i do and listen to them in the car. and i notice all my mistakes and things i could have done better in retrospect without jumping about. i prefer cds although my car has a usb port. reason: cds are dirt cheap these days and i always found myself deleting things from the usb eventually for different reasons, a lot of the times regretting it later.
[ link ]Recently got a Sonos for exactly this purpose. I have a NAS drive with all my stuff, now I can put stuff on and listen throughout the house. My biggest problem is exploring all the stuff I’ve already got.
[ link ]1 . i use my collection of music in my pc
most time m not haha
[ link ]2. i listen radio on itunes or my phone
3. im a video gamer , i play GTA san andreas online and i have the ability to scroll through like 100 radio station choosen by admins , i play my fav radios , and the best thing is when a song pass the name gets written in top of my screen , so my Phone Memo always ready to save some song titles , helpd alot
4. i use my friend’s music systems like ( phone , mp3 player , ipod….) to discover what others are listening too and checking if i missed somthing was obvious to everybody
Dudes, I drive to work rockin’ my V-Moda M100′s with my iPhone playing non-stop Digitally Imported, podcasts galore, and playlists of the music I’ve purchased recently. Stereos in the basement, on the main floor, in my office, bedroom, and most importantly, in the bathroom.
[ link ]