Virtual DJ 8 Coming: Extra Help Drafted In

Virtual DJ 8 is just around the corner, and promises to be the biggest leap forward for the popular DJ software platform so far, according to its makers Atomix.

Atomix has just announced that it has bought another DJ software company, Adionsoft – providers of DJ software distributed under the brands DJDecks, PCDJ Dex, and PCDJ Red Mobile – and now has both sets of engineers working on “rebuilding Virtual DJ from the ground up.”

“Although the upcoming version will contain all of the features and functionality that current users are accustomed to, this new version is a complete re-write of the source code, and will contain many new features and functionalities,” they announced.

Although Traktor and Serato often grab the critical limelight, Virtual DJ is probably the most used DJ software in the world, with somewhere between a quarter of a million and a million new downloads a month depending on who you speak to. It also has a lot of goodwill among DJs, many of whom discovered digital DJing through the platform.

While Virtual DJ currently lags behind the best of class in some areas (notably effects and sample features), it was the first to incorporate samples, extra decks and video into its software – and it looks like the new version may be about to address some of the areas where it isn’t strong. We await it with interest.

Are you a Virtual DJ user who is patiently waiting for Virtual DJ 8 to hit the streets? Did you, like so many others, get your first taste of digital DJing with this program? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.