The net offers the beginner DJ many opportunities to learn essential DJ techniques such as beatmatching, setting up their equipment, choosing music and much more. With a little bit of research and the use of Google, you can find dozens of tutorial websites and videos to learn how to DJ online.

The Pros and Cons of Learning To DJ Online

Before we begin, I wanted to voice my opinion about the pros and cons of learning to DJ online. Although the information you can find is very relevant and free, there are a few drawbacks to using the net as a beginner DJ.

Pros

1. DJ tutorials and videos are free for anyone to watch or read. This saves you a ton of money compared to going out and paying for lessons from other DJs or buying them in stores.

2. Online tutorials give you a wide range of approaches to begin DJing. Not everyone learns how to DJ the same, the net allows us to learn from different perspectives and various tips and tricks learned from each DJ.

3. Blog posts and videos gives us the ability for instant feedback. Unlike a book or video series, the people that produce these online tutorials will give you additional advice through comments and video responses.

Cons

1. You don’t get the full hands on. Online DJ tutorials are still either written or in video, there aren’t many interactive examples of these tutorials which plays a large part about learning how to DJ.

2. They sometimes withold information. There are a bunch of websites that give you a few lessons but then are only there to eventually sell you a series – that sucks because they’re teasing you.

3. It doesn’t beat learning to DJ with a friend or mentor. If you can find someone that will teach you locally, you’ll be able to catch on quicker because of the feedback and being able to go to someone to ask questions constantly.

The Best Places To Learn How To DJ Online

With the pros and cons out of the way, let’s jump right into learning how to DJ with online tutorials.

With so many sites out there, I feel there are only a couple which really pull their weight with the length and scope of the tutorials. These websites and videos are the best of the best, they’re being taught by DJs that genuinly want to teach you as a beginner DJ.

Each beginner DJ learns differently. Some of us do better with articles because we can imagine and absorb the information better through text. Others learn better through video tutorials, they need to see what’s going on in order to truly learn how to DJ.

Here are some of the best places to find DJ tutorials online.

DJ Tutor Series

I’ve mentioned this before but I think the DJ Tutor series still stands as the best example of DJ tutorials with video. Ellaskins’ puts together short and sweet videos covering many basic DJ techniques and now uses YouTube as a platform for feedback to find subjects for his new videos.

The best part about the DJ Tutor series is that Ellaskins is very active, you won’t see a huge gap between the video series because he’s always at it. If you ask him a question, he generally will take the time to make a video explaining how to do a certain DJ technique or skill.

The DJ Tutor series is, perhaps, the best place to find tutorial videos for the beginner and intermediate DJ.

DJ Tech Tools

For those DJ’s that have a real hardware fetish, DJ Tech Tools is the place for you.

Week after week there are tutorials and reviews posted with up to date information about new DJ gear and tutorials on how to use them. Ean and crew are always hard at work covering tons of subjects on the blog, giving you awesome insight and heads up on what new equipment DJs are using.

Combine the blog with an awesome collection of DJ tutorial videos and you have a great resource for any DJ. Plus, there is a very helpful forum and download section so you can ask questions and network with other DJs – you can’t beat that.

DJ Forums

The DJ Forums has been kicking for quite some time, there are thosuands of topics on the forum covering every question you’ve ever had about DJing – just don’t ask them over again (read the rules/search!).

DJ Forums highlight some of the newest gear coming out in the scene, diving deep into each to give you a very accurate review of the equipment. If you have other questions, just jump over on the forums and you’ll find active discussions about the gear and tons of other questions related to learn how to DJ and equipment in general.

The community on DJ Forums is very helpful as well. Even though you may bring up a question that has been answered a million times, they still take the time to point you in the right direction. With years of knowledge shared on the board, taking a few weeks to dig through each of the sticky posts and the older posts will get you up to speed in no time.

DJ Video Tutorials: The Best Videos To Learn How To DJ

Okay, I’ve shared with you with what I think are the top 3 sources to learn how to DJ online (well, besides BDJ but I’m working on it!), now let’s take a look at some of the video tutorials that I think every beginner DJ should watch at least one time throughout their quest to learn how to DJ.

These should get you started but remember that there are dozens of other DJ tutorial videos on YouTube and all the other video websites, just do a few searches and dig down further.

DJ Tutorial Posts: The Best Posts Around The Net

For those who enjoy reading over watching video tutiorals, here are some of the tutorials scattered across the net which I think you should definitely take a look at:

1. DJ Forums Tutorials – Dozens of great tutorials from beginner to advanced DJing.

2. All You Ever Need To Know About DJing (on DJForums)

3. How To DJ Your First Party (on Mahalo)

4. DJ Tips and Tricks – Provides a ton of articles on learning how to DJ

5. How To DJ – Plenty of short but sweet tutorials over here

6. DJ Basic Tips (and a ton more) @DJTechTools

Finding Tracks For DJing

So you’ve watched some tutorial videos and read a few posts but now you’re itching to get started. If you already have your gear, you’re pretty much set but if you’re still trying to choose the right DJ gear, I recommend checking out my post: The Beginner DJ Equipment Guide.

What you’ll need now is music. Here are a few sites where you can find tracks for your DJing:

1. Beatport
2. Juno Records
3. YouTube + Download Plugin/Program
4. Your Local Record Shop or DJs
5. Discogs – More vinyl that you can imagine

Inspiration

You’re up to speed with your equipment, music and you’ve watched/read a few tutorials on how to DJ but what post would be complete without a few inspiring examples of DJing?

Here are some mixes that I think will really get you into the idea of DJing:

1. Armin Van Buuren – A State Of Trance Mixes
2. Umek – 150+ Sets (I love this guy)
3. DJ Mixes – Tons of DJ Mixes for download

Final Thoughts

With so many places to learn how to DJ online you can easily get carried away just reading or watching instead of actually doing.

That’s what it comes down to, actually getting off your ass, away from the computer and putting these skills to the test. Get on those decks and practice, don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Learning how to DJ is like any other skill, you learn over time, you don’t just fall right into it, it takes some work.

Even if you don’t plan to become some superstar DJ, the local scene is an awesome thing. Just being able to play for your friends and local parties will help build a better community in your area. If you can bring the party to the people instead of having them drive a couple hours off, you’ve won the game.

We need more music, more parties, more good vibes and good times.

If you want to learn how to DJ, checking out the following websites is a great start. You’ll be able to see what’s happening in the music scene, the new gear being release and find some great tutorials from mixing to scratching.

Many of these websites are well established amongst the DJ community and have become the center of community for many. Other websites are still up and coming but they each have something great to offer.

Additionally, be sure to check out these 5 blogs with DJ tutorials.

Sonic Academy

Sonic Acedemy is becoming one of the premier locations to learn about DJing and music production.

Their tutorials are some of the best but they do come at a small price. Cost aside, these tutorials are taught very well by a team of instructors that know what they’re talking about.

Their DJ tutorials cost a bit of money but you can get a few courses for free then decide if you’d like to check out the others.

DJForums

DJForums, although it is a website, hosts the best DJing forum on the net, hands down.

The forum is divided into multiple sections based on criteria such as the different levels of DJing, gear, mixes and many other DJ aspects.

Before you make any posts on the DJ Forums, at least read the stickies because people will be quick to point out your ignorance. It’s tiresome to get the same “what kind of turntables should I buy?” question every day.

Do yourself a favor and lurk for a little while before making a post, there are literally hundreds of “what type of DJ gear should I buy” threads. Check out the various sections of the board to see what you can learn before you ask a question. If you’re finally stumped, and there isn’t a post covering it, then post the question.

Everyone that is serious about learning how to DJing should bookmark DJForums.

DJTutor

DJTutor is, perhaps, the best DJ tutorial website on the net.

Ellaskins, the DJ Tutor, has hundreds of videos on YouTube that cover every aspect of DJing, especially how to beatmatch. Many DJ subjects are revisited with questions from the community so there is always a better explination as time goes on.

DJTutor.com is also great for the articles and community. You’ll meet some really great people that are at the same level of DJing as you that are more happy to help you out as you learn as well.

DJVibe

DJVibe is a great place to catch up on anything new coming to the DJ world. Gear reviews, DJing 101, podcasts, forums and you name it, you can pretty much find on DJVibe.

DJing 101 consists of some of the latest news of gear, tips, tricks and other resources for beginner and advanced DJs. The influence of DJVibe allows them to test out new gear, do some great coverage of events and produce some very excellent DJ tutorials.

Protip: Turn down your music when you visit the site – a video starts playing automatically – scared the shit outta me.

DJ Tips and Tricks

DJ Tips and Tricks has been around since I could remember, there’s not a tutorial that you won’t find on this website.

DJ Tips and Tricks touches on every part of DJing from the beginner level to going pro. There are also places to get advice and feedback from fellow DJs, as long as you don’t mind the criticism.

Although it’s becoming a little dated, all of the information on the website is fundamental and can be used to learn for many years to come.

Learn To DJ

Learn2DJ hasn’t been updated in a while but just like DJ Tips and Tricks, the info is still very relevant and fundamental.

You could go through all of the tutorials on this site in about an hour. There are better places available on the net but a quick stop by will give you some additional tips and tricks from a different perspective.

How To DJ Fast

How To DJ Fast is a website/blog set up to promote a video series by DJ Sean Gallagher.

I recently took a look at the videos and must admit that they are fun to watch and very informative. The production value is top notch and each video is divided into nice little chunks to digest.

On the free portion of the blog there are regular updates of insightful posts about DJing: mix of tutorials along with promotion. Even if you don’t check out the video series the posts still give you a lot of good info.

DJ Advantage

In terms of DJ tutorial websites, DJAdvantage.com is one of the oldest however much of the website is all but dead but that doesn’t mean you can’t learn a ton of good info.

There are literally hundreds of pages to read about DJing on the main site along with all of the posts on the forums. Unfortunately the forums are pretty dead as well but they’re still great to scan through since a lot of the info is still very relevant today.

EHow

EHow is an e-learning video website where users upload videos with the intent do teach you a particular skill or hobby.

EHow has many videos on how to DJ including a few series that take you from the very basics up to your first party.

Many people learn best by watching example, then trying to replicate. If you have your turntables close to your computer, you could practice along with these videos as they play – this will help you learn at a much faster rate than you’d expect.

The DJ Equipment Guide

Another great website to learn how to DJ is The DJ Equipment Guide. Like DJ Advantage, The DJ Equipment Guide has been around for ages, since 2003.

Some of the website is starting to break with old age but burning a few hours on this site will give you a wealth of knowledge about DJing. This website recommends quite a bit of gear throughout the posts to take note.

YouTube

YouTube, unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last half decade, is a website where users can upload videos and share them with others.

YouTube is the perfect platform to watch DJ tutorial videos. There are literally hundreds of videos that teach you how to DJ ranging from professional productions to the guy in his bedroom.

Some videos are hit and miss mainly due to the quality and sound but others invested a bit more time to help show you exactly what they’re doing.

You should check out YouTube and do a few searches on how to mix, beatmatch, clubbing and other interests you may have in DJing.

The DJ Groove

Last, but not least, is The DJ Groove. The DJ Groove covers a lot of the later part of DJing: promotion and setting up a business.

There are dozens of tutorials on what you need to know about starting your own DJ business and promoting yourself. Unfortunately (it almost seems common in this list) much of the site is starting to die off (especially the forums).

At least take a few hours to mull over the info here, it’s still great stuff.

My 2 cents

I know it seems a bit silly to post a ton of links to other DJ tutorial websites but I want to make sure that you get as much information as you crave. Many of these sites have years of content, truly priceless.

One in particular is the course provided by Digital DJ Tips, check it out here.

Spend a few hours to go through each of these websites and find out more about DJing that you ever wanted to know. Learn from the tutorials but also remember that you need to be implementing the techniques as well.

I hope, regardless of where you get your information and tutorials, that you’ll be able to learn and become a DJ, we really need more people like you out there in the world to bring us all together through music.

Here’s to you, cheers.