Disc jockey
A disc jockey selects and plays recorded music for an audience, often shaping the set through sequencing, mixing, and live performance.
Beatmatching: A technique for synchronizing the tempos and beats of two musical tracks. It lets a DJ move between tracks without disrupting the dance rhythm.
Radio disc jockey: A radio presenter who introduces and plays recorded music for broadcast audiences. Radio established the disc jockey as a public selector and music personality.
Club DJ: A DJ who performs recorded music in nightclubs and dance venues. Club DJs build sets around a room’s energy, musical style, and dancers.
Live electronic music: Electronic music performed in real time using instruments, software, or sound equipment. Unlike conventional DJing, it creates or transforms musical material live rather than mainly selecting tracks.
Audio mixing: The process of combining audio signals into a balanced output. A DJ’s transitions and live adjustments are forms of mixing.
Martin Block: An American radio broadcaster known for popularizing the modern disc jockey format in the 1930s. His Make Believe Ballroom helped turn record selection into a recognizable broadcast role.
Mobile DJ: A DJ who brings sound equipment to events at changing venues. Mobile DJs adapt selections and announcements for weddings, parties, and community events.
Music producer: A person who guides the creation, recording, and production of music. Producers shape recordings in the studio; DJs primarily select and present existing recordings.
Turntablism: A performance practice using turntables and records as instruments. It develops DJ equipment into a tool for scratching, juggling, and rhythmic composition.
Jimmy Savile: A British DJ and television personality who helped popularize disc-jockey culture in postwar Britain. His dance events and broadcasts brought the role to British mass audiences.