Simple, Easy DJ Software for Small Party?

Hey all,

my friends having a birthday party in a bar and he asked me to DJ.

Can someone recommend a simple, easy to use DJ software to use?
I would like it to be FREE.

all im looking to do is take my music from itunes, make playlists and have songs transition into each other seamlessly without any breaks in between, but id like to be able to fix the order of the songs and have songs on queue.

please let me know, thank you!

"take my music from itunes"
So you hve itunes

"make playlists"
Can do this on itunes

"transition into each other seamlessly without any breaks in between"
Can do this on itunes with the crossfade songs option. Play around with it to see how much crossfade you want.

"but id like to be able to fix the order of the songs"
Can do this in an itunes list
Also the smart palylist feature in itunes can really make some interesting lists on music if you play with it a little.

"songs on queue"
Can do this with an itunes list. Say you have 10 songs in an itunes list. If you play them from 1-10 then all the ones yet to be played are the upcoming songs on queue. And if you want to play random songs from set playlist you can do that to with the itunes DJ option. And you can set the upcomming songs from 0-100. As well as the recently played songs from 0-100. You can even allow guests to request songs with the iphone or touch.

"I would like it to be FREE"
itunes is free for windows and OS X.

And another thing you'll need to know. ituns also has the ability to adjuct the levels of base/treble etc of the music output so you can get the sound right on whatever speakers are being used. And I'm sure you can set the leves for each song individually. Nice to know if you are doing a soundcheck before hand.

Sure itunes is not a DJ software application by any stretch. But just by answering your question I surprised myself at how well itunes can DJ at a party.

And I know you wanted a free option. But there is a piece of hardware that is nice for DJers. And it's the airport express. With it's airtunes option you can have the computer anywhere you want in the venue. It does not need to be tethered to the sound system with wired. All you need is the tiny airport express tethered to a powerpoint and the speakers. I know this is not at all what you're asking, but it's nice info anyways.

I would have a rethink about itunes before you try to search around for some DJing software.

Here is a few links for some DJing software. Some of these can edit the songs a little while they are playing. A little like a vinyl turntable. And they can add in vinyl sounds if you want too. So make the music sound like it was from a real vinyl turntable.

DJ software for Windows and Mac OS X
Mixxx | Features
djay » The DJ Software for Mac & iTunes
DJ-1800 - Professional DJ software for the Mac
Macintosh Music Software: DJ - Mixing (Shareware Music Machine)

If it was me I think you have 2 options.

1. Just use itunes. But cause you can't emulate turntable features on it, I'd be looking for the club/dance/extended edits of tracks you are after. if that's your thing. That's what I do at parties. I'm no professional DJer so I let the professionals mix the tracks and I just use thier mixes. And crossfade them when I need to for the longer "periods" of music. But even without the DJ/mixer edits itunes does rather well. I've used just itunes before and it worked well.

2. Try to find some DJ software that has the features on it. An app that works with itunes here is nice but not necessary.

I’m a DJ.

The gent above is correct. Use Itunes. DJ software gets expensive. You need a mixer, two decks then a programme like tracktor. There’s $2-3000 gone already.

Or is there some way you can hook up you Ipod into the bar sound system that way?

Bahja said:

Or is there some way you can hook up you Ipod into the bar sound system that way?

Click to expand...

Well as you know the headphone port in the ipod is just a audio out port. Well as far as I know that's what it is. And I'm sure you could hook that into the audio in port of your speakers. But the only catch of that is, modifying the music equalizer or crossfading the music on the go during the party would be rather annoying on an ipod.

Sure for just standard playback that should work I would assume. That is a good idea. I'm jsut not 100% sure it will fill the original posters needs.

And the above poster is correct about costs. DJing software is designed for use with turntables, decks, light shows etc. So the hardware you'll need + a good DJing App will set you back big $. I'm not sure how good the ope source DJing software I linked is but without the DJing hardware is pointless.

avidest it

i was looking into just using itunes, the problems is that if i want to just switch to the next song on the list while the current one is playing, there is no smooth cross fading into the next song, there is an abrupt stop. i fixed with the fading settings on itunes and that only works when the song has fully played and its moving onto the next song.

i feel as if itunes and itunes dj would be good if you just have a playlist and let it play one song right after the other....

what if i want to just cut a song early and switch over to a new song thru fading??

what if i want to switch genres?? i dont want a silence gap in the middle.

and considering this is a bar, its a little more important to not just abruptly cut off music as can be done in the house.

I'm not sure how to get an applescript to appear in the itunes menu. Someome will help me there. But I found an Apple script that does just what you want in itunes.

Crossfade on itunes w/o waiting for end of song?? [Archive] - AppleInsider

tell application "iTunes"
set i to the sound volume
set currentVolume to the sound volume
repeat until i = 0
set i to i - 1
set the sound volume to i
end repeat
next track
repeat until i = currentVolume
set i to i + 1
set the sound volume to i
end repeat
end tell

Click to expand...

I ran that in the applescript app while itunes was running and it faded the current track to nothing and started the next track. Use this instead of a plain skip to the next track and I'm sure your party patrons will just feel a continous wall of music in their ears. Just make sure the track you want to play next, is next in the same itunes playlist. As this script just fades and plays the next track. Play around with the script before you go to the party though to see if that is what you want.

For me that script would be very useful in a party setting. But it's there, if you want it.

[edit] I found out how to install applescripts into itunes.
http://www.faqintosh.com/risorse/en/guides/apps/itunes/scptinst/

Create the folder which is named and in the same place as the link says. Then shove the scripts in the folder you just made. Then restart itunes and an apple script menu appears there in itunes. And from there you can use (and abuse) the applescripts you make for itunes to your hears content.

And how to make the apple script.
Open the applescript application
Copy pase the script text into the big blank window there.
Save it as a script with a suitable name. And then put that script file in the scripts folder made above.
And you can run the script with itunes running right from the applescript application just to test it works as you want to. Before you copy it to the scripts folder.

And:
http://dougscripts.com/itunes/
There is a whole heap of itunes scripts. They can ad a whole lot of functionality to itunes. A lot of little gems there.

just get a trial of virtual dj and youll be fine

@zuogywe

Welcome to Mac-Forums and thank you for your post.

Sadly, I'm pretty sure the guy's party is over by now as he posted in May 2010, getting on for 7 years ago

But please stay around. There's lots of great stuff goes on here.

Ian

Nice to see I'm not the only one who occasionally makes that mistake?


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Another member in the "Oops, I just resurrected a zombie thread" club! Our numbers are growing!

The number grows daily. Welcome to the club.

zuogywe said:

Thank, I didn't notice the time

Click to expand...

I think you did notice. No advertising or spam posts are allowed. I will give you the benefit of doubt for the time being.