JC,
I’ve been a DDJ for a number of years now and I’m recently getting into more of a hardware-based mixing with my software. That said, I’ve been going through much of the same as you are now.
What I can tell you is that YouTube is your friend. That’s how I found this place, spending hours upon hours of watching things and stumbling across some of Phil’s videos. You’ll find a lot of different authors on YouTube. 2 of my favorites for tutorials and theory have been DJTLM and Laidback Luke, but there are millions out there that you might be able to pick up one or two little things from. Watch all the things, it only costs you your time! I’ve been sleeping 2 hours less every evening and dedicating that time to it instead of sacrificing elsewhere. So far, it’s working.
One thing I’ll caution you about is trying to be like someone else. I can see how by watching one person for an extended period of time might help that happen, don’t let it. Just be conscious about it. They can teach you techniques, but you have to find your own style.
Lastly, to answer your question about Mixcloud… I think that’s still just a preference. Some people like it, others have established SoundCloud profiles and haven’t found a need to jump from there either. I haven’t produced a single thing worthy of either yet that I’m willing to put my name on, so I can’t really say if one is easier or better than the other. Chances are they’re both so populated so most of the traffic you’d get at either place will be driven by yourself anyway. At that point, you can tell people to go wherever you wish.
.
