If you missed the news, Pulselocker is officially dead.
What came as a shock to the DJ industry and Pulselocker’s partners, including all of us here at PCDJ, without warning the DJ-centric music subscription service pulled the plug last Friday afternoon.
It’s still not entirely clear why, as Pulselocker rapidly became the go-to solution for DJ software integration and many DJs counted on the service for an extensive music library. It was the only legal and commercially-viable music subscription service that was available for use in DJ software. DJs had access to music going back to the very start of recorded music. The first of it’s kind.
We’ve heard there are a handful of well-established music providers that are already knee deep in creating services to fill the hole Pulselocker’s closing has created. And unlike the Spotify’s and Deezer’s of the world, they will follow Pulselocker model, creating a music subscription service in-DJ software use that’s also legal for public performance. This is great news as we feel Pulselocker was on the right track, albeit with a few notable technical limitations that weren’t overcome before they ceased operations. The service was really good…but it could have been truly disruptive in the way DJs acquire and perform with music.
Whether some DJs believe it or choose not to there’s no question that streaming (with caching for offline playback) is the future for every kind of music delivery system. That includes DJs. So while we look forward to a new music subscription partner for integration into our DEX 3 DJ mixing software solutions, DJs will need to learn on more standard methods for building their DJ music library…
Record Pools
DJ Record Pool services have been around for 30+ years and provide DJs with a legal and inexpensive method for acquiring large collections of new music. The music is provided to record pools from labels to then get it into the hands of DJs for “promotional” reasons. DJs play the new music and help sell records. It’s a symbiotic relationship and the DJ becomes a marketing arm for the labels/publishers. A win win.
Record Pools do (usually) come with one major limitation; DJs can’t typically download songs released more than 2 years old (with some exceptions). What DJs do get are quality tracks that you keep forever after downloading, even if you no longer plan to subscribe. You also get DJ-friendly custom edits and remixes that aren’t found on streaming services. The custom edits and remixes can enhance your DJ sets and help you create a more unique listening experience for the party-goer.
Here are just a few Record Pool services that are popular among DJs right now (in no particular order):
- POOL by Promo Only: www.promoonly.com
- DJCity: www.djcity.com
- Direct Music Service: www.directmusicservice.com
- Live DJ Service: www.livedjservice.com
- Digital DJ Pool: www.digitaldjpool.com
- BPM Supreme: www.bpmsupreme.com
- ZipDJ: www.zipdj.com
For Video Mixing DJs check out our partners at www.thevideopool.com,who serve up HD quality music videos that work great in DEX 3 (pro edition).
If we have our way with things using a Record Pool is a temp solution for DEX 3 DJs. Keep checking this blog as we’ll announce our new in-app music subscription when we’ve found a dancing partner!
