The Global DJ Census 2026: Click here to access your free report!
Has Serato reclaimed the top spot in DJ software? Are more DJs livestreaming? And just how many are using AI in their DJing? The answers (and much more) are in the results of our 2026 Global DJ Census, the biggest and longest-running DJ survey in the world.
With over 22,000 entries from DJs worldwide, the Census covers hardware, software, music styles, AI use, stems, livestreaming, and more.
Here’s what 22,000 DJs told us…
Below are five trends from this year’s results that caught our attention, covering software dominance, AI adoption, stems usage, streaming development, and brand dominance. Taken together, they say a lot about the state of DJing in 2026:
- DJ software – Rekordbox remains the most-used DJ software at 34%, with Serato at 27% and VirtualDJ a solid third at nearly 17% – so no, Serato hasn’t reclaimed the top spot. Rekordbox continues to pull ahead (it’s not even close)
- AI use – Around three-quarters of DJs who use AI are doing so for music discovery and playlist creation – a big leap from twelve months ago. That said, nearly 80% of respondents still don’t use AI tools at all, so there’s a real divide emerging
- Stems DJing – For the first time, more DJs use stems than don’t, with the vast majority (73%) using them in real-time within their software
- Tech innovation – 41% of DJs said major streaming services arriving in DJ software was the tech development that most excited them in the past year – no surprises there with Spotify and Apple Music now in the mix
- Brand loyalty – Nearly 60% own Pioneer DJ / AlphaTheta as their main hardware brand, and almost 64% say it’s the brand they most want to upgrade to. Whatever the competition is doing, it doesn’t seem to be making a dent
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Get The Full Report
These five trends are just the start – the full 59-page report goes much deeper, covering everything from music styles and livestreaming to how the DJ world is actually changing.
Whether you want the full data behind these trends or just want to see where you sit compared to 22,000 fellow DJs worldwide, it’s well worth a read (and completely free to download). Click here to grab your copy, and let us know in the comments which stats surprised you most.
Phil Morse
