One of the most important things to become a better DJ is learn to know the professional gear and try to become as quick as you can in reading the crowd and then finding the tracks you want to play!

In this post I want to talk about another overlooked function of the Pioneer CDJs (available on all models since the CDJ-2000), THE TAG LIST, also known as the “next to play list”.

The tag list, what it does?

The tag list helps when you are playing in a club and you find some cool songs that you think they will be awesome to play later in the set! How can you remember those tracks? You just put them in the TAG LIST and know that you will find as click as a lightning, just pressing a single button!

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The Tag List, how can you use it?

Find the track you want to insert with the jog wheel or looking for it with the search option, than just press and keep the “TAG TRACK” button in the CDJ pressed for 1 second and the track will be placed inside this super-easy to find list in your CDJ, get back to this track it’s just one button click away!

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Will it really help to become a better DJ?

Of course you can definitely avoid to use the tag list, especially if you usually play in festivals were you just play the music that defines you as an artist. But if you are an open format deejay and you have a lot of tracks in your hard drive or USB key, and you need to keep the crowd jumping… The TAG LIST is a super cool feature that can make you wonders if you master it and start to use it frequently.

One of the things that defines good deejays from great deejays is the ability to know what tracks to play 4 or 5 tracks before dropping it, and with that in mind the TAG LIST is extremely helpful!

What do you think about it? Let me know in the comments of my instagram post about it and, while you are here, check my latest track LIGHT, out on Revealed Recordings