During National DJ Month, music lovers, radio stations, show hosts and business retailers alike celebrate the art of DJing. Some believe that playing recorded music is an easy task but it actually takes a lot of knowledge, technical skill and mastery to DJ.

Creating seamless extended mixes that fit the occasion and evolve the atmosphere of any event are most definitely not child’s play. Successful disc jockeys can read the room and foresee what music will keep nightclubs pumping and radio listeners engaged.

DJing is an essential element of our culture and it deserves to be observed and appreciated. MVS (Musician Veteran Senior), a non-profit organization, started the initiative to honor disc jockeys back in 2018. Since then National DJ Month became a nationwide celebration that takes place annually every June.

LALAL.AI invites you to join the celebration, learn more about DJing and maybe even dabble in it yourself!

Key Events in the History of DJing

1909 – The appearance of the very first DJ, Ray Newby, who was only 16 years old at the time. He played records over the airwaves, and not long after many other radio broadcasters across America followed suit.

1935 – The term ‘disc jockey’ was first coined by Walter Winchell, an American radio commentator.

1943 – The world’s first DJ dance party. It was organized by DJ Jimmy Savile who played jazz records in the function room of the Loyal Order of Ancient Shepherds in Otley, England.

1950s – DJs began playing live at sock hops and platter parties, turning themselves into human jukeboxes.

1955 – DJ Bob Casey brought the two-turntable system to the United States.

1970s – Turntablism gained more popularity and was widely used to manipulate sounds and create new music.

1975 – The invention of scratching. Hip-hop DJ Grand Wizard Theodore invented it by accident.

1980s – DJing started to be more accessible. The first bedroom producers appeared due to a variety of cheaper equipment available on the market, such as sequencers, samplers, synthesizers and drums.

1988 – The first ‘DJ Times’ magazine was published. This US-based magazine was geared towards professional disc jokes.

2001 – The use of digital music recordings with traditional DJ techniques became practical for the first time thanks to the release of the CDJ-1000 CD player by Pioneer DJ.

2010s – Laptops, tablets and smartphones became more affordable and powerful, allowing DJs to use the portable devices for their sets.

How to Celebrate DJ Month

Raising awareness and spreading the love for DJing on social media, listening to your favorite DJs, attending events featuring disc jockeys, and DJing yourself are all great ways to celebrate DJ Month.

With the help of LALAL.AI, you can split songs into various parts like vocals, background music, drums, piano, guitar and synth, and use them for your DJ set. Read our step-by-step instructions on how to make beats and create mashups.

Happy DJ Month!🎶

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