1st Verse, Chorus, Mix, Rinse, Repeat

Sounds like the early day radio days with two and a half minute 45 rpms.

I’ve been listening to “urban” radio stations all my life and most mixes do fall into that pattern. I usually call it the 5 o’clock traffic jam sessions where radio DJ’s tend to get in a lot of songs before the traffic is reported…LOL. Sometimes the DJ’s in the clubs will do the same thing, but it really depends on the crowd.

Yes, it sounds good to do a traffic jam mix because it keeps people guessing and dancing in their cars, but if a crowd in a club is loving a jam I just threw on I wouldn’t suddenly change it after the chorus to another tune. Depending on the length of the track, I may start introducing the next song when there’s a minute or so left to go from the first track.

Mixing dubstep, dnb, and other EDM genres, I fall into this trap as well. I’m pretty much in this formula of playing a song, starting the other song and overlapping it so that the ‘drop’ is at the break (I use my waveforms and kinda measure out the timing in my head), and fade or filter/other effect as necessary once the break of the first song and drop of the new song comes in. Sometimes I have cue points for my songs to make them shorter so that I can skip the break completely. The reason I do this is because it seems like people get really bored of songs really quick in these genres. I have to keep popping on new tracks or I feel like I’m not doing anything, just playing music, and I will surely lose my crowd if I play a song to the end.

When I first started (not but just a few months ago), I would make House and Electro mixes to post online. I didn’t follow this formula at all, I would transition near the end of the song. I think it has a lot to do with your crowd and playing live.

BigSyd,
I agree with you 100% and this is why i use a variety of places in a song to mix. Some songs ,it’s the verse that is catchy and on others , it might be the guest rapper that comes in after the chorus that makes the tune jam.
I tell every Dj, there is no substitute to knowing your music. You have to know the verses, the breaks , the drums e.t.c That way, you will know when to drop in your next tune. I am still learning like everyone else, but this is just the concept i have developed and use myself

I will PM you with a couple of examples to illustrate

A good way to avoid this i find is to use cue points…I have probably spent over a weeks worth of time on setting cue points on my tracks.
This is how i set mine up using Traktor: Intro, First Break down, First Drop, 2nd Break down, 2nd Drop, Beginning of Outtro
and that leaves me with 2 cue points that i can add randomly if there are certian parts of the song that i really like.
Now having those cue points really lets me bring a song in and out when ever i want, always creating something different.

Mixing different non-standard formats of music will get you out of the intro chorus drop mix routine.
Stuff like Tech, Deep, Minimal and Progressive I usually mix the entire track but bring other tracks in and eq out parts of the old track.

Will, post: 30993, member: 46 wrote:
I know some DJ’s look down on it, but I play a majority of my breaks, and I just don’t give a ^%U* what most people think. I don’t think it’s boring to have a 5-6 minute song play out, or parts where there are just synths or just a solo piano and no beat. I think the BEST parts of some songs are the breakdowns, when the producers hit those right chords that bring you to tears, or just make you feel elated or excited. This was why I got into DJing, so I could share this feeling. Am I going to cut out some of the most beautiful parts of a song, because it’s not standard practice?

Nope.

The problem you have with this is that most Punters dont know what to do during a breakdown…and you usually end up clearing the dance floor. Now if this is intentional like every 20 mins or 1/2 hour to get everyone to the bar to get a drink…then imo its totally acceptable…but dont forget the REAL reason why you are here to DJ. If 5 people in the whole venue think the breakdown is freakin unreal…but the rest of the people are there going…uhhh wheres the bass wheres the beat…then you are failing at your job. This also really has everything to do with the type of venue you are playing in. At Clubs and regular nights i make it a rule to never let breakdowns happen unless its an iconic breakdown or something that everyone recognizes…At Festivals and Huge events…its totally different as the Vibe and energy is a lot more emotional and those long breakdowns and synth lines will really make an impact.