DJ glossary A to Z

Heard a word in a tutorial or a DJ booth that you did not understand? Find it here. For genre names, see genres A to Z.

67 terms

A

Acapella

A vocal-only version of a track, used to layer vocals over another beat.

B

Back to back

Two or more DJs taking turns, often one track each; also written B2B.

Bar

A group of beats, usually four in dance music. See beats, bars and phrases.

Bass swap

Switching the low EQ from one track to the other at a phrase boundary.

Beat grid

Markers placed by DJ software on each beat of a track.

Beatmatching

Matching the tempo and timing of two tracks so their beats line up. See beatmatching by ear.

Booth monitor

A speaker in the DJ booth so the DJ can hear the mix.

BPM

Beats per minute, the tempo of a track. See BPM and tempo.

Breakdown

A section where the drums drop out, often before a drop.

C

Camelot wheel

A system that labels keys with numbers and letters to make harmonic mixing easy. See musical keys.

Cartridge

The part of a turntable tonearm that holds the stylus and turns groove movement into a signal.

CDJ

A DJ media player originally made for CDs, now usually playing USB drives.

Channel fader

The vertical fader controlling one channel's volume.

Clipping

Distortion from levels that are too high.

Controller

A hardware unit that controls DJ software on a computer.

Crate

A collection of records, or a playlist folder in DJ software.

Crossfader

The horizontal fader that blends between two channels.

Cue

To prepare a track in headphones, or a marked point in a track.

Cue point

A saved position in a track you can jump to instantly.

Cut

An instant switch from one track to another.

D

Digging

Searching for music, originally in record crates.

Downbeat

The first beat of a bar.

Drop

The moment a track's full energy kicks in after a buildup.

Dubplate

A one-off acetate disc of an unreleased track, cut for a DJ.

DVS

Digital vinyl system; timecode records or CDs that control digital files.

E

Echo out

Ending a track with an echo effect while removing it from the mix.

EQ

Equalizer knobs for low, mid and high frequencies. See EQ mixing.

Extended mix

A version of a track with long intro and outro for DJs.

F

Filter

An effect that removes high or low frequencies, often on a single knob.

G

Gain

The input level control on a mixer channel.

H

Hamster style

A scratch DJ setup with the crossfader direction reversed.

Harmonic mixing

Mixing tracks in compatible keys. See harmonic mixing.

Headroom

Space between the current level and the point of clipping.

Hot cue

A cue point assigned to a button for instant triggering.

J

Jog wheel

The large platter on a controller or player used to nudge or scratch.

K

Key

The set of notes a track is built on.

Key lock

A feature that keeps the pitch steady when tempo changes; also called master tempo. See pitch and key.

Kill switch

A control that cuts a frequency band completely.

L

Library

Your full collection of tracks in DJ software.

Loop

A section of a track repeated continuously. See looping.

M

Mashup

Two or more tracks combined into one.

Master output

The main output that feeds the venue's sound system.

N

Needle drop

Placing the stylus directly onto a record at a chosen point.

Nudging

Briefly speeding up or slowing down a track to correct timing.

O

Open format

A DJ style mixing many genres.

Outro

The end section of a track, designed for mixing out.

P

Phrase

A group of bars, usually 8, 16 or 32, after which a track changes.

Pitch fader

The fader that changes playback speed by percentage.

Platter

The rotating plate of a turntable.

Promo

A track sent to DJs before release.

R

Record pool

A subscription service supplying DJ edits and promos.

Residency

A regular, recurring slot at a venue.

Rider

A list of equipment or hospitality a DJ needs for a gig.

S

Sample

A piece of recorded audio reused in a new track.

Scratching

Moving a record or jog wheel back and forth to create rhythmic sounds. See scratching basics.

Slipmat

A felt mat that lets a record slide on a turntable platter.

Slip mode

A mode where the track keeps playing silently during effects or scratches, then resumes in time.

Stems

Separate parts of a track, such as drums, bass and vocals.

Stylus

The needle that reads a record's groove.

Sync

A button that matches tempos automatically.

T

Tempo

The speed of music.

Tracklist

The list of tracks played in a mix.

Trainwreck

A mix where beats clash badly.

Transform scratch

A scratch where the crossfader cuts the sound rapidly on and off.

Transition

Any method of moving from one track to the next. See transitions.

W

Warm-up set

An opening set that builds the room's energy gradually.

Waveform

The visual display of a track's audio in software.