Has Serato ruined the DJ industry or made it better?

Advancements in technology dictate the trends of generations. Instant gratification has become an innate human trait thanks to the immediacy and easy access the internet provides. We are to the point where we can essentially achieve anything – from feeding ourselves to staying connected to friends and family to reaching out to the opposite sex – without having to leave the confines of our home. Whether this scares, relieves or intrigues you, it is the reality we live in. The art of DJing has not been immune to this paradigm shift. Easily accessible technology such as Serato coupled with the downloading epidemic has changed the entire game.

There is an abundance of naysayers, speaking out against these DJ platforms. Gone are the days when an aspiring DJ required the dedication, passion and resources to spend hours upon days digging through shelves at record stores to build the best collections. Now, a few hours of high-speed downloading requires minimal effort and can result in a music library that can stand up against that of a seasoned vet who has spent a lifetime collecting records. Many may say this has diluted the industry with individuals who lack a true passion for music and have capitalized on the easy access technology provides. This has paved the way for not only the near-extinction of vinyl-based parties but also for lackluster Serato downloaders to call themselves DJs, thinning out dancefloors everywhere and cheapening the art itself.

These concerns, although valid, can be easily overshadowed by the value Serato brings to legitimately talented DJs. Growing up, I moved around a lot – and each new placeprovided me the opportunity to become immersed in a different genre of music. In Montreal, I gained immense knowledge in House, Dance and Pop music. While living in Toronto, I developed a passion for Hip Hop, R & B, Dancehall, Soca and Electro. And my stints in both Western Canada and Southern U.S. spiked my interest in Rock. This life experience translates into a DJ with an innate music repertoire spanning multiple genres: the true foundation of versatility.

Serato provides me the opportunity not only to build an extensive library to draw from, but also access tracks for a set that were never pressed to vinyl. The combination of a versatile and talented DJ and platforms like Serato will inevitably result in the ultimate dancefloor experience for partygoers. And although there has been an abundance of under talented “DJs” who have entered the market since Serato’s inception, their time in the booth will be fleeting at most and easily outlasted by legitimately talented entertainers who rely on Serato not to mix for them, but to act as the vehicle of their versatility by means of a limitless track selection.

My 2 cents…

Enjoy this post? Share it with others.