The Best DJ Automix Software - Why It's DJ.Studio

Automix software helps DJs to create mixes quicker than ever before - but which ones will get your crowd moving, and which will leave you DJing in your bedroom alone forever?

If you want to mix music with precision and speed, then automix software is a powerful tool indeed. Using key and automatic beat detection this type of DJ software is the ultimate tool to effortlessly mix digital music.

I've used a bunch of automix software in my time, and honestly, most of it doesn't perform as well as I would like. Although, there is an exciting new solution on the scene...

TL;DR - Automix for DJs#

• Automix software helps DJs do their job more efficiently.

• Some Automix is better designed than others.

• DJ.Studio provides the most sophisticated automix system to date.

What is Automix Software for DJs?#

Auto mix software is a type of computer program that's used by DJs to save time and assist them with their mixing.

Essentially automix works in the following way:

1. The first step is to give the software a bunch of tracks to fill out the music library

2. After it has these tracks it then works out the keys and tempos and it can automatically mix a DJ set for you

Now, there are several different ways that automix software works, and in fact, it's different for each software. Each company that builds the software designs it in a way to suit the purpose that they need.

However, the overall principles are the same - it's used to automatically mix music together to create DJ sets without needing to spend too much time focusing on putting the mix together.

Some live performance DJ software features auto mix, which lets DJs escape from the decks when they need to talk to people or use a toilet. It will automatically queue up the next song. While the transition won't be as smooth as if a DJ did it manually, it's better than the music completely stopping.

A further use of Automix software is to assist DJs in arranging sets quickly, and more accurately in terms of BPM and harmonic matching.

How Does Automixing Work?#

Automix software works by detecting the BPM and key of each song.

This catalog can then be used to assemble a mix based on matching up the tempos or keys of music.

Automix can work either by BPM or key.

When working by BPM it essentially organizes tracks that have close BPMs.

For instance, it will choose to mix a 120 BPM house track with a 125 BPM techno track rather than mixing it with a 160 drum and bass track.

Alternatively, automix software can match up songs by key - which is also called harmonic mixing. This works by determining the key of the first song and then choosing a second song based on the associated keys.

Why is Automix Software so Useful?#

Using automix software has a range of advantages - primarily saving time.

If you had to manually work out the key and tempo of each of your tracks, this process alone would take hours. On top of that, you have to work out which tracks go together - so you'd even have to understand the circle of fifths or the Camelot wheel. Then you would have to manually arrange tracks based on working out which keys go together. This in itself would take even more time.

The second advantage of automixing is accuracy and efficiency. Using these algorithms is much more accurate than using your ears. Typically this will prevent errors that you can create if you try to mix keys manually without any key detection assistance.

The Problems With Most Automix Software#

Most automix software is prone to common problems, although DJ.Studio has been designed to overcome these issues (more on that later).

The first problem with most automix software is that it only matches tracks based on tempo.

Now, this causes issues. Sure, it's fine to mix tracks based on tempo but this completely ignores the key of the music. This can result in unwanted clashes if you mix two tracks that aren't in key together - creating a dissonant and uncomfortable sound for the audience which will take them out of the groove.

The second problem with a lot of automix software is that it's very limited in the way it transitions between songs. For example, automix features in Virtual DJ can suggest a song that's at the same tempo and queue it to play next. However, it won't transition smoothly unless you jump back on the controls and do the transition manually - which kind of defeats the point of automix software...

This lack of harmonic detection features, paired with smooth transitions, makes most automixing software essentially redundant, as it doesn't make good mixes or save time.

Why is DJ.Studio the best Automix software for DJs? How Does it Differ From Other Options?#

DJ.Studio overcomes the issues that other automix software fails on.

This DJ app has been specifically designed to overcome several of the issues that are commonly found in most automix software. While also providing DJs with a comprehensive set of tools to create powerful, seamless mixes, and fully expressive transitions unlike anything before.

Primarily DJ studio is designed to make harmonic mixing easier than ever. While a lot of software gives you the keys of songs, they don't actually suggest good connections which leaves you to do the guesswork... Unless you want to learn music theory.

Unlike these forms of software, DJ.Studio shows you how well each track in your library connects based on its harmonic content and key. This makes it super easy to create perfectly harmonic mixes.

Beyond creating perfect harmonic mixes, DJ.Studio also shows you how the different key changes affect the energy of the transition. For example, some transitions have an energy boost from weak to medium to strong.

At the same time, it can be an energy drop, from weak to medium to strong. A transition can even completely change the mood, switching from a major to a minor key or vice versa.

This helps you to sculpt the emotional flow and energy of a DJ set easier than any other tool. It makes it clear by displaying all the information you need to see in one place

DJ.Studio Transitions#

A further advantage of DJ studio is that it helps you to make seamless transitions with more detail and creativity and expressivity than any other professional DJ software before.

For example, as a DJ you can only do so much by using your two hands to mix live; You can only really twist a filter and turn up a volume knob, or play with EQ and do an effect. You only have two hands!

However, DJ.Studio lets you mix like an octopus, by giving you control over every transition tool and multiple effects simultaneously. This includes volume, EQ, filters, reverbs, echoes, and other effects.

It it also makes it quick to configure these transitions by giving you different strengths and speeds of transitions that are easily selected at the click of a button. You can instantly switch between a slow gradual crossfade to an instant hard cut or anywhere in between these two ends of the spectrum.

It also features integrated importing from a range of sources including Youtube, Soundcloud, and other Dj software like rekordbox and Traktor.

Best DJ Automix Software#

Here are some of the best pieces of automix software for DJs on the market today.

1) DJ.Studio#

This mixing software has the best features for any DJ who needs to build a DJ set. It has a huge range of features that do the hard work for you, leaving you with more free time. It gives you full control over the way you mix and transition tracks. The automix features are more advanced than any other software and give you the ability to mix songs automatically, by matching connected keys and aligning tracks to the exact tempo to create a seamless transition.

It also includes a bunch of useful DJ effects and is designed to be the quickest software to create a playlist and DJ set with minimal time and effort. You can even share your sets with your friends, and use its comprehensive hardware control connections to use your DJ controller.

2) Mixxx#

Mixx is designed for live DJ performance, and it does have an automatic feature called "Auto DJ".

However, all this does is choose a random track from your library, and crossfade into it when one song ends, or at cue points. It doesn't consider the volume, tempo, or key of the two songs it mixes - so the transitions will sound clunky.

3) Virtual DJ#

Another live performance solution with Apple Music integration, Virtual DJs' automix feature is also limited. It simply hot cues up the next track from a given playlist, and mixes it in near the end of the first track to prevent dead air. You can select a transition fade type, but little else. It doesn't use any beat matching or key detection

4) Serato DJ#

Serato doesn't have any kind of automix feature - the closest thing is automatic beat detection. This lets you easily make beat-mixed song transitions, although you will need to do all the fading and cueing manually.

5) Algoriddim's Djay#

Djay does offer some relatively powerful automix features which use artificial intelligence, although they are still limited in their quality and performance. It helps to detect keys, and automatically detect and change BPMs, however, it takes no account for keys or harmony, which can result in key clashes.

6) Blaze Free DJ#

Blaze Free DJ has automatic beat matching and tempo detection, but that's all it offers in terms of automatic mixing. You still have to choose other tracks, from iTunes for example, load them up, and blend them in. Also, it uses comic sans as the main font... now that's ugly.

7) Cross DJ#

The Cross DJ mobile app has some pretty decent automix features for live use. You can import digital music files from Google Drive or other sources, it detects and matches beats to the master sync, and then intelligently fades between two tracks. The deal-breaker: it only works on android devices.

8) UltraMixer#

UltraMixer is designed to work as a jukebox in restaurants, a fitness class, or any other place where you need a continuous playlist. Its Auto-DJ button gives you instant access to automatic mixing, which mixes from song to song in a chosen playlist. You choose how quickly you want transitions to be, and it fades them for you. While it creates an endless mix of audio files, it doesn't look at keys or tempos, so the transitions will be very basic and not flow.

Why DJ.Studio Was Invented#

The inspiration behind this DJ app was due to the limitations of other softare.

1. There were Live DJ Performance tools, like Traktor, Serato, Zulu DJ software, and rekordbox. However, recording and producing a mix takes the same length of time (realistically more) than the length of the set. 1 hour of mix costs 1 hour (or more) time.
   
   This doesn't account for the time it takes to fix errors if you make mistakes after you hit play. It also can't create a full-length mix, nor does it offer smart playlist creation or mix suggestions.
   
   Some Live DJing mixing software has a temporary auto-mix function that can take over the task of the DJ. This helps DJs when performing live, but doesn't help to save time.
   
   Moreover, most of this automix software doesn't create good-sounding transitions. It doesn't look at key or BPM.

2. DAWs like Ableton, Logic, and Pro Tools were quicker alternatives and could save time as they let you edit sets in a timeline. However, you needed to know how to use one, which was often unfamiliar to a new DJ. It's fine if you have experience with music production, although even so, it isn't specifically designed for DJs.

3. Finally, you had antiquated software like Mixmeister which was in between the two above systems, although lacked a lot of features needed to make good DJ Mixes.

This triangle of errors inspired the creator of DJ.Studio to design the software. It picks up where all these above solutions failed to create some of the best DJ software for DJ's and music lovers alike.

Summary - Magic Automixing With DJ.Studio!#

As you can see, most automix technology is fairly limited, and basically just switches from song to song. DJ.Studio uses a range of algorithms and concepts to smart mix music by assessing their tempo and key and making the most suitable arrangement.

Now you understand how automixing works, you're probably interested in trying it out for yourself - maybe for your next live DJ performance, or to craft a powerful mix of your own music collection at home.

As far as automixing goes, using DJ.Studio is the best option as this offers the most power and the highest amount of flexibility. Try it for yourself!