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Credit: Alexis Monet Since 2007, Igloofest has treated music-hungry fans in beautiful Montréal to eclectic lineups. Spread out across four weekends so fans can treat themselves to a “Choose your own adventure” in the best way possible with each weekend having its own flavor but their own heavy hitters. The Old Port may be cold in January but huge names like DJ Snake, Disco Lines, Madeon, and Sofi Tukker are just a few of the headliners that will be heating up Montréal. But as we know that is just a fraction of the music. Since its inception, Igloofest has made a point to highlight homegrown Montréal artists and collectives. A true heartbeat of the music scene and the curators that keep the vibes going every weekend – not just during...

GRAMMY-nominated producer Wuki is back better than ever, finally unleashing Beats I Can’t Release Vol. 1 – the first official installment of his beloved underground series that flips the script on what a mixtape can be. Packed with everything from nostalgic flips to bass-fueled edits that could never live on Spotify, the cult-favorite series captures the energy that made fans fall in love with Wuki in the first place. “Beats I Cant Release started because I had all these ideas that couldn’t make it to Spotify or Apple Music – but they were too fun not to share,” he says. “It’s become an outlet where I can reconnect with my roots and make the kind of wild edits I grew up loving.” Known for his genre-blending touch, from trap and house...

The holidays are fast approaching – and finding the perfect present for the DJ in your life can feel overwhelming. Don’t worry, we’ve compiled a list of the best gifts for DJs in 2025, so you can choose a memorable gift that they’ll actually use. Whether the creator on your list is an aspiring DJ just learning the ropes or a seasoned professional playing gigs and live streaming, this list of Native Instruments gifts for DJs has you covered. Explore the best gifts for DJs: DJ controllers DJ software DJ headphones Turntable and DVS accessories Speakers Flight cases and backpacks Microphones Affordable DJ gifts under $50 DJ controllers A DJ controller is the ideal all-in-one setup for any aspiring or professional DJ who needs a...

DJcity’s 2025 Black Friday Sale is Here DJcity just dropped its biggest deal of the year! For a limited time, you’ll get two extra months free when you sign up for a 6-month plan – no hidden catches, just serious savings on the world’s leading DJ record pool. Grab the deal: DJcity Black Friday 2026 Use promo code DJCITY2026 at checkout. DJcity is the Best Record Pool for Beginner and Expert DJs Since 2000, DJcity has been the go-to record pool for beginning and professional DJs around the world. Here’s what makes it essential: Fresh new tracks daily – from Hip-Hop and House to Latin and Afrobeats Exclusive edits, intros, and remixes you won’t find anywhere else Curated playlists for every set type: clubs, radio, weddings...

Dove City’s new album Sin & Redemption, on IAMHER, captures the duo’s trademark balance of shadow and light. Built around moody, melodic textures and emotional songwriting, the record explores themes of tension and release while maintaining a cohesive identity across all eight tracks. Central to the sound was Native Instruments’ Lores, which Josh and Danielle Dupont describe as a guiding presence throughout the writing process. Its cinematic tones and organic atmospheres helped unify the project, shaping tracks like “Coal in My Chest” into moments that feel both intimate and expansive. Jump to these sections: Finding a sonic thread with Lores Balancing emotion and technical decisions Embracing happy accidents in production How “Coal...

The Beatsource DJ Exclusives program has been 20 years in the making. It’s built around an entirely new, never been done licensing model, and means that DJs can access the types of remixes and edits which have previously only been found on record pools, but in a way which ensures both the original rights holders and the DJs themselves get fairly compensated for their work. In this first episode of our new series, Inside The Edit, Mojaxx talks to Trayze, the Washington DC based DJ and producer, about his history of making edits, and why he’s excited to be part of the program. Discover Beatsource DJ Exclusives here: https://www.beatsource.com/genre/dj-exclusives/11 Check out the first episode of Inside The Edit with Trayze on DJcity...

Finding the right gift for someone creative can be surprisingly tough. You want to give something that feels meaningful and inspiring, but with so many options out there, it’s easy to get stuck. And if you’re shopping for a music producer or beatmaker, it can be even harder to know what they’ll actually love or use in their setup. That’s why we’ve put together this gift guide for music producers – a collection of presents that would balance creativity, practicality, and a bit of fun. These are the best gifts for music producers in 2025, from affordable music gifts under $50 to studio gear that can make them feel like maestros. And yes, they will actually use these. Browse the best gifts for music producers in the following categories...

Felix Raphael’s new album DO YOU is a reflection of emotional range – pulling between doubt, healing, and fulfillment in a way that feels personal without losing momentum. Across the tracklist, there’s a deliberate push to keep every sound intentional. Whether it’s a short vocal phrase or a long pad section, everything sits inside a carefully built environment that can shift between grounded clarity and full-blown spatial lift. That sense of balance carries over into his live set, where Raum plays a direct role in shaping the dynamic of the performance. Instead of static reverb settings baked into the session, Felix approaches Raum like a live instrument, mapped to return channels and modulated in real time. It gives him the freedom...

Legendary electronic music innovator Richie Hawtin sat down with Native Instruments’ Michael Koczynksi (Lead Product Manager for Traktor) and Sylwia Kopys (Senior Marketing Manager for Traktor and hardware) at ADE 2025 to discuss a long history of collaboration, the evolution of his live setup, and his vision for the future of performance technology. Watch the conversation in full below or read about some of the highlights in the blog. Where it all started The conversation began with the early days of digital DJing, a story that traces back to the late ’90s. Hawtin recalled stumbling upon Final Scratch, one of the original Digital Vinyl Systems (DVS), developed by Dutch programmers. “It blew our minds when we saw the technology of...

After years spent composing for fashion campaigns and ambient records, LA-based artist Hayes Bradley is circling back to the club. His new single “Total Call,” out now via StrataSonic, marks a sharp creative shift toward heavier, more physical rhythms. The track’s unruly breakbeats and distorted basslines hit with raw intensity, setting the tone for his fourth LP, Audience, which just dropped. This album leans into emotional contrasts while still aiming squarely at dancefloors. A longtime advocate of Native Instruments’ tools, Hayes built much of this new material using Kontakt Player, starting with free libraries and warping them beyond recognition. In this interview, he breaks down the workflow behind “Total Call,” the mindset that...

Canadian producer Cloverdale has been building his Channel 303 project as both a concept album and live performance series, leaning into hardware-driven production, DIY visuals, and a darker club aesthetic. The single “Nobody,” created with fellow Ottawa-native Return of the Jaded, brings UK garage swing into dialogue with bass-heavy house energy. Ozone was central in making “Nobody” release-ready. From giving the percussion room to punch through the bass to balancing the sub frequencies with precision, Cloverdale used its modules to finalize a track that feels equally suited for underground dance floors and larger systems. We spoke with Cloverdale about the tools inside iZotope Ozone that shaped “Nobody,” the process of tying...

Notable tracks that were added to DJcity this week. View them all here. Download the tracks below. (* indicates DJcity Exclusive) Tsunami – DJ Snake (ft. Future & Travis Scott) Daddy Yankee: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 0/66 – Bizarrap & Daddy Yankee Life Of The Party – DJames (ft. Berri-Tiga) I’m Gonna Get You – Angie Brown & Austin Millz Memories – Freejak Remix * – David Guetta (ft. Kid Cudi) Up! – Lincoln Baio Remix * – LoveRance (ft. IamSu & Skipper) Block Rockin’ Beats – Don Diablo Remix – The Chemical Brothers Crank That (Soulja Boy) – EVERLAKE & Ruse Remix – Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em The Fate Of Ophelia – MEDUN Remix – Taylor Swift When I Grow Up – Deux Twins Remix – The Pussycat Dolls DJcity’s weekly picks are selected by Sir...

There’s trouble in the standalone world, as over recent weeks, DJs have found themselves unable to access their music libraries on CDJ-3000X and CDJ-3000 players. Things got so bad, over the Halloween weekend, that AlphaTheta had to withdraw the latest firmware release for the 3000s. On the new episode of Beatsource Tech, Mojaxx explains what has been happening, how exporting from Rekordbox works, and how to ensure you have a fully working drive with both the older Device Library, and the Device Library Plus/One Library databases. Check out Mojaxx’s explanation on DJcity TV. The post What’s Going Wrong With CDJs? appeared first on DJcity News - Music and news for DJs and producers.

In one of the world’s most dynamic music cities, three producers and artists – Saszy Afroshii, TinyBraz (aka Purple Halo), and Gbots – invite us into their creative worlds. Ask any of them to describe Lagos, and you’ll hear the same word: “chaotic.”. But within that chaos lies the magic – where sound and city collide to create something electric. Together, they reflect on what it means to be African women in music, and how the energy of Lagos continues to influence them. Their stories also intertwine with the mission of the Leading Vibe Initiative, founded by GRAMMY Award-winning artist and Native Instruments Artist Board member Tems, which champions a new generation of women redefining what leadership in music looks like. Jump to...

This week on @RoadPodcast, the crew sits down with @BoogieBlind to talk about his Bronx roots, coming up with Lyrics to Go, and learning from Roc Raida (2:10). Blind shares how he chose DJing over basketball after seeing Roc Raida’s success and reflects on the original “X-Men Rules” (9:10). He pays respect to Clark Kent, opens up about his battle DJ mentality, and talks about “protecting his energy” in an era where copying is normalized (12:10). Crooked and Blind discuss the “me against the world” mindset of battle DJs, how relationships change as you grow (15:16), and the difference between people’s online personas and real-life character. Boogie calls today’s scene “the most cut-and-paste generation of DJs” and addresses imitation...

Audiojack’s “Rumours” lands as part of Dirtybird’s 20th anniversary and draws directly from the duo’s archive of community-made Reaktor tools. With limited studio time, they rely on pre-built folders of noise generators and rhythmic effects to move quickly without losing their edge. Many of these were sourced years ago from the Native Instruments forum. For this track, they created a glitch kit using presets like Drox and FM Acid, recording live knob tweaks, and slicing the audio into a playable drum rack. The result is a textured groove that feels intentional but unpredictable, glued together with warped samples and swing-matched cuts. “You don’t waste time figuring out what to use,” they say. “You make music.” That mindset – paired...

Out since October 10, 2025, ‘Ready‘ sees Sarah O’Moore and Beatkilla team up again for an independent Drum & Bass drop that leans hard into emotional grit. O’Moore, the Berlin-based Irish talent from Cork with a discography touching soul, trip-hop, and folk-infused indie, has been building buzz through 2024’s Social Paralysis EP and standout singles like ‘Troubled Mind,’ earning props for her voice that cuts deep without overplaying. Teaming with Beatkilla—a SAE Milan-certified producer since the early 2000s, versed in electronic builds as a drummer and sound engineer—the duo follows up their breakthrough collab ‘Silence’, which hooked listeners with its blend of vulnerability and drive in the vocal D&B space. The track kicks off with...

Have you ever wanted to try DJing but felt intimidated by the gear your favorite artists use in clubs or livestreams? Seeing expensive controllers, massive music libraries, and complex setups can make it feel like there’s too much to learn (and buy) before you even start. Thankfully, today’s technology has made getting started as a DJ easier than ever. Traktor Play is a great example. It’s a new, easy-to-use two-deck DJ software platform that lets you start mixing directly on your laptop without needing extra hardware. While it isn’t just beginner DJ software, it is a great place to start. By the end of this article, you’ll understand how to blend your first two tracks, build your first mix, and organize a growing library of music...

Music production is still an overwhelmingly male-dominated field, but change is happening – and often it starts with representation. For British-Ghanaian author, rapper, and producer Nana Ayebi-Kwakye, that change comes in the form of a children’s book. Her debut, Delasi On A Mission, tells the story of a young girl who discovers music production, faces challenges, and learns to overcome them with resilience and teamwork. Aimed at readers aged six and up, the book is designed to plant the seed that girls can see themselves behind the desk, not just in front of the mic. In this interview, Nana shares the inspirations behind Delasi On A Mission, the barriers she hopes to break, and why representation and storytelling are crucial in...

Notable tracks that were added to DJcity this week. View them all here. Download the tracks below. (* indicates DJcity Exclusive) Armani White – SAY IT TO ME. AFROJACK (ft. Eva Simons) – Take Over Control – HILLS Remix David Guetta, Teddy Swims & Tones And I – Gone Gone Gone – MK Remix Reneé Rapp – Lucky Kid Cudi – Maui Wowie – KidCutUp Acap Intro Akon (ft. Eminem) – Smack That – Rogerson Remix Justin Bieber (ft. Nicki Minaj) – Beauty And A Beat – FedeRiggio Remix Sister Nancy – Bam Bam – Federico Bolletta & 5HOURS Remix Waka Flocka Flame – O Let’s Do It – MNYKR Remix Breach – Jack – Plan8 & Andrew Son Remix DJcity’s weekly picks are selected by Sir Marcus. To receive them via email, click here Sign up to preview the tracks...