Jhonny Gozadera
First off, I am not a Pro. Just DJ'ing dances to improve the dance opportunites and experience, and working parties and weddings for friends. Since Spotify was eliminated from online access in VDJ, I opted to connect a phone with a Spotify account to play requests. But there is no mixing, just fading out the VDJ deck and fading in the song on Spotify. So I have been thinking about opening an account on Deezer. Who can tell me any discernible difference between the two?
Posté Mon 17 Dec 18 @ 9:52 pm
groovindj
Neither are permissible for public performance use. They're for personal use only, as stated clearly in their terms & conditions.
Posté Mon 17 Dec 18 @ 9:56 pm
Jhonny Gozadera
So why is VDJ supporting them? I know I just read this issue in a closed thread that iTunes was legal, illegal, legal, illegal. I do not qualify, as I am not a paid professional DJ, to get the Pro subscription for online music, but can't play deezer because I play outside of my home. Might as well drop my Pro subscription to VDJ is I can't use a song collection that cost thousands of dollars. Waste of money buying the controller recently. Pretty messed up as I know people who have been playing iTunes for paid gigs.
Posté Mon 17 Dec 18 @ 10:33 pm
groovindj
VDJ has Deezer (and it does state in VDJ itself that it's for personal use) so that DJs can for example audition tracks using VDJ (with its pitch, EQ, key change etc). NOT for playing out live to audiences at gigs.
Of course you can use your own music collection "that cost thousands of dollars" or you can use Content Unlimited, which is not just for professionals. It has always been available to all VDJ users, even home users - unless something has changed recently that I'm not aware of.
The photos of your setup on Facebook certainly look professional to me, despite what you claim. You've spent money on a controller, DMX lighting, PA speakers, tripods, radio mics, and "thousands" on songs - but you're trying to use consumer streaming services to provide music to your clients?
Of course you can use your own music collection "that cost thousands of dollars" or you can use Content Unlimited, which is not just for professionals. It has always been available to all VDJ users, even home users - unless something has changed recently that I'm not aware of.
The photos of your setup on Facebook certainly look professional to me, despite what you claim. You've spent money on a controller, DMX lighting, PA speakers, tripods, radio mics, and "thousands" on songs - but you're trying to use consumer streaming services to provide music to your clients?
Posté Mon 17 Dec 18 @ 10:49 pm
Jhonny Gozadera
It clearly states that content unlimited is for paid professionals. I do not make money for my DJ'ing. Good friends weddings for free, holding dances where I am lucky to get back the funds needed to rent out the venue. Before you can be paid, you have to have the skills and equipment to compete with the pros. I know guys playing at clubs for pay with the club's sound system and they use iTunes, Apple Music and Spotify. So all this comes as a surprise. I have been collecting dance music for years for my own use as practice as a dancer. So it did cost "thousands of dollars" That is no exaggeration as you may have implied with the quotation marks. Everybody holding dances in public use either purchased iTunes or download offline from Spotify (which I did know was a no no). Every dance studio in town is using iTunes and using for lessons and dances as a full time living.
Posté Mon 17 Dec 18 @ 11:16 pm
Jhonny Gozadera
groovindj wrote :
VDJ has Deezer (and it does state in VDJ itself that it's for personal use) so that DJs can for example audition tracks using VDJ (with its pitch, EQ, key change etc). NOT for playing out live to audiences at gigs.
Of course you can use your own music collection "that cost thousands of dollars" or you can use Content Unlimited, which is not just for professionals. It has always been available to all VDJ users, even home users - unless something has changed recently that I'm not aware of.
The photos of your setup on Facebook certainly look professional to me, despite what you claim. You've spent money on a controller, DMX lighting, PA speakers, tripods, radio mics, and "thousands" on songs - but you're trying to use consumer streaming services to provide music to your clients?
Of course you can use your own music collection "that cost thousands of dollars" or you can use Content Unlimited, which is not just for professionals. It has always been available to all VDJ users, even home users - unless something has changed recently that I'm not aware of.
The photos of your setup on Facebook certainly look professional to me, despite what you claim. You've spent money on a controller, DMX lighting, PA speakers, tripods, radio mics, and "thousands" on songs - but you're trying to use consumer streaming services to provide music to your clients?
This is the conditions set forth that I interpreted as for professionals only. Would be happy to use Content Unlimited if
felt I qualified. Since I charge money to recoup some of the fees associated with renting a venue to dance, but not for my labor and equipment, I lose money. Having read and saw on FB DJ's who played for free for years before their first paid gig, I was not interpreting the definition of a professional DJ as someone who plays for free for friends in a publically rented facility. I suppose contacting Content Unlimited directly is the best way to go about this.
ContentUnlimited Audio is a subscription service sold by IDJ (Illinois Record Pool) for customers of the VirtualDJ software.
ContentUnlimited Audio is an MP3 music audio resource for professional DJs (Radio FM or AM, Internet Radio, Satellite Radio, Club, Bar, Lounge, Mobile & Entertainers)
The services and resources from iDJPool are made available under current and specific licenses and permissions granted by the original copyright holders and/or their consigns under usage and display definitions in accordance with United States Copyright Code, Title 17; §106(4,5) and §114(b) respectively, and for use in ASCAP, BMI and SESAC compliant venues within the United States and other authorized countries alone.
ContentUnlimited Audio is NOT a consumer resource for MP3 music audio and the assets described herein are NOT made available to the general public under any circumstance or condition. By subscribing to the service, you warrant and represent without condition or reservation, that you are a DJ or media professional as per the definitions above and seek access to this site strictly within such capacity.
Posté Mon 17 Dec 18 @ 11:54 pm
blckjck
My 2 cents here would be this. If you are hosting a private parted at a venue you have rented, invitation only kinda thing, and ask for donations to cover costs, then your not acting as a professional. If you are charging a door fee, and anyone can walk in off the street, then I fell you have the potential to make money, there for are "professional" at that point. They aren't referencing your skill level, but, do you have the potential to make money.
There are a whole lot of people out there playing music for profit without that music being licensed for that use. I've seen "DJ's" play youtube tracks and playlists at gigs. They take that legal risk.
There are a whole lot of people out there playing music for profit without that music being licensed for that use. I've seen "DJ's" play youtube tracks and playlists at gigs. They take that legal risk.
Posté Tue 18 Dec 18 @ 12:31 am
Jhonny Gozadera
blckjck wrote :
My 2 cents here would be this. If you are hosting a private parted at a venue you have rented, invitation only kinda thing, and ask for donations to cover costs, then your not acting as a professional. If you are charging a door fee, and anyone can walk in off the street, then I fell you have the potential to make money, there for are "professional" at that point. They aren't referencing your skill level, but, do you have the potential to make money.
There are a whole lot of people out there playing music for profit without that music being licensed for that use. I've seen "DJ's" play youtube tracks and playlists at gigs. They take that legal risk.
There are a whole lot of people out there playing music for profit without that music being licensed for that use. I've seen "DJ's" play youtube tracks and playlists at gigs. They take that legal risk.
Potential to make money is probably the best definition, although we can't bring in enough people to cover the costs of rental. But the music is a hell of a lot better, and that makes it worthwhile for us. Playing in our friends restaurant (where they make money from increase sale of food), and we get a free dance floor, or doing a friends birthday party or wedding in their back yard would certainly not quality for "professional". But the key word is "potential" I do believe we will hold two dances in the next year where we rent a small venue and charge $5/person to go towards the rental. IT beats trying to dance things like salsa and swing to the unending hip hop and reggaeton music that dominates everywhere. For people who have taken dance lessons this is a horrible situation to find places to practice.
We'll see what Content Unlimited tells me when I get an answer back from them.
I sent a help message over to Content Unlimited to see if I would qualify as professional
Posté Tue 18 Dec 18 @ 12:52 am
blckjck
Jhonny Gozadera wrote :
Playing in our friends restaurant (where they make money from increase sale of food), and we get a free dance floor, ... would certainly not quality for "professional".
Here is where a court system would probably disagree with you. You may not be paid with cash, but you are receiving compensation. You're not getting a free dance floor. You're providing DJ services for the use of a dance floor. It may not be the same value amount that another business would charge. It is still a value amount.
Doing a gathering in a friends back yard, for fun, with no one collecting money, is not a professional/commercial venture.
Posté Tue 18 Dec 18 @ 2:03 am
Jhonny Gozadera
blckjck wrote :
Here is where a court system would probably disagree with you. You may not be paid with cash, but you are receiving compensation. You're not getting a free dance floor. You're providing DJ services for the use of a dance floor. It may not be the same value amount that another business would charge. It is still a value amount.
Doing a gathering in a friends back yard, for fun, with no one collecting money, is not a professional/commercial venture.
Jhonny Gozadera wrote :
Playing in our friends restaurant (where they make money from increase sale of food), and we get a free dance floor, ... would certainly not quality for "professional".
Here is where a court system would probably disagree with you. You may not be paid with cash, but you are receiving compensation. You're not getting a free dance floor. You're providing DJ services for the use of a dance floor. It may not be the same value amount that another business would charge. It is still a value amount.
Doing a gathering in a friends back yard, for fun, with no one collecting money, is not a professional/commercial venture.
Good point. Either way I need to be prepared for those occasions when I act as a professional. IDJ Pool customer service wrote back and there is no requirement for being a working professional, just using DJ equipment in the public. So I would be able to join Content Unlimited. They also have IDJ Pool in the USA only where you can purchase music. I need to check if that is license restricted like iTunes or not. I'll dump Spotify on my phone and add Content Unlimited on my laptop for a net of no extra cost and I'll be all set.
For me there is still an issue with iTunes and if I can use it. I am reading iTunes music, (but not videos and apps) are DRM free since 2009. This is another example of what I read about iTunes and DRM-free
"Prior to 2009, Apple's iTunes Store utilized the FairPlay DRM system for music. Apple did not license its DRM to other companies, so only Apple devices and Apple's QuickTime media player could play iTunes music.[7][69] In May 2007, EMI tracks became available in iTunes Plus format at a higher price. These tracks were higher quality (256 kbit/s) and DRM free. In October 2007, the cost of iTunes Plus tracks was lowered to US$0.99.[76] In April 2009, all iTunes music became available completely DRM-free. (Videos sold and rented through iTunes, as well as iOS Apps, however, were to continue using Apple's FairPlay DRM.)" There was a thread here on this forum that was closed due to an earlier thread had addressed the issue. I spoke to a dance studio manager and she said the music on iTunes is stamped for the purchaser and can be used by only the purchaser. No copies of the files an be utilized, and only 7 downloads are available, so she essentially leaves all music on her hard drive. IDJ Pool has unlimited downloads, so if you want to free up space on a hard drive and download back onto it later, there is no issue. So still confusing. Guess I'll have to look for this thread from years ago.
Posté Tue 18 Dec 18 @ 5:08 pm
groovindj
You seem confused because you're mentioning IDJPool and Content Unlimited in the same post as if they're the same thing.
IDJPool merely provide the tracks for Atomix's Content Unlimited service. IDJPool (the service) and Content Unlimited are not the same thing.
If you subscribe to IDJPool then you get unprotected MP3s and you can keep them if/when you cancel the subscription.
On the other hand, Content Unlimited files are copy protected and will only play in VDJ, only whilst your subscription is current. Once you stop paying, the files won't play.
IDJPool merely provide the tracks for Atomix's Content Unlimited service. IDJPool (the service) and Content Unlimited are not the same thing.
If you subscribe to IDJPool then you get unprotected MP3s and you can keep them if/when you cancel the subscription.
On the other hand, Content Unlimited files are copy protected and will only play in VDJ, only whilst your subscription is current. Once you stop paying, the files won't play.
Posté Tue 18 Dec 18 @ 6:37 pm
A Man and His Music
I see a few issues here, the main one, keeping the focus on yourself. What others do should have no bearing on what you do in life. Stop crying about what others are getting away with. If you want to follow them, then do it. If you want to do things legally, then do the research. The venues you are renting requires various licenses, if you are playing music in public. In the US it's: ASCAP, BMI, and . If you think they will not only shut you down, but will also levy a substantial fine. I know this from personal experience working in a club that tried to defy them.
Second, I have not seen your setup, but if Groovin says it looks like a duck, it is. Do yourself a favor, and get into a legal music pool. PromoOnly is a good place to start. VirtualDJ's streaming services are very good, and will only get better in the future. We all had to spend money to do what we do, a lot of money. You have come at a time where it will not cost nearly as much, but you will have to spend something. The scabs and bottom feeders will always be out there, and getting gigs, but are of no concern to me. I can only worry about me, and I keep working.
Second, I have not seen your setup, but if Groovin says it looks like a duck, it is. Do yourself a favor, and get into a legal music pool. PromoOnly is a good place to start. VirtualDJ's streaming services are very good, and will only get better in the future. We all had to spend money to do what we do, a lot of money. You have come at a time where it will not cost nearly as much, but you will have to spend something. The scabs and bottom feeders will always be out there, and getting gigs, but are of no concern to me. I can only worry about me, and I keep working.
Posté Wed 26 Dec 18 @ 8:58 pm
Jhonny Gozadera
The reason I mention what other people are doing is I have read it here on these forums. Just reading thru the forum posts and seeing what other people are doing locally makes it very confusing to get to the truth. Spotify used to be available on VDJ and Deezer seems to come and go. I signed up to a monthly subscription to IDJPool and it is worthless to me. It does not contain much of anything I would want to play . I know the real pros have to be using something else, but when you are online, IDJPool was the only service showing in the online folder. So I am trying to get a pro streaming service to be legal. I remember seeing content unlimited as well, but not 2 weeks ago when I signed up for IDJPool. What else can I subscribe to get it to work within VDJ8?
Posté Thu 03 Jan 19 @ 9:38 am
kradcliffe
What you are trying to do is the equivalent of setting up a car rental agency but you don't have any cars.
Posté Thu 03 Jan 19 @ 9:44 am
klausmogensen
Jhonny Gozadera wrote :
I know the real pros have to be using something else
Real pros buy the music. They normally don't use streaming resources for DJ sets
Jhonny Gozadera wrote :
What else can I subscribe to get it to work within VDJ8?
For Audio currently only:
iDJPool: Licensed to use in public, but mostly holds the most current music and DJ remixes. This is often the case with pools licensed for public DJing, because they are based on promo licenses with the record companies
Deezer: Not licensed to use in public, but holds almost anything - like Spotify
Soundcloud should be coming soon BTW
Posté Thu 03 Jan 19 @ 12:16 pm
groovindj
Jhonny Gozadera wrote :
I am trying to get a pro streaming service
There is no "pro streaming service". A service called Pulselocker tried a couple of times, but didn't succeed.
Streaming is aimed at domestic consumers, for personal use. DJs tend to either buy their music or subscribe to a "DJ pool" (monthly fee for unprotected downloads you can keep).
Even the new addition to Serato (Tidal) is for personal use only. I emailed Tidal to ask, and they confirmed.
Posté Thu 03 Jan 19 @ 5:29 pm
A Man and His Music
I have been buying my content, since I did the Last Supper (He was not in a good mode that night). Pros own their music, just like they own their other equipment. I don't know how anyone can DJ a whole gig, with streaming. I know it is the easy and cheapest way to go, but it would seem like a lot more stress, to an already stressful situation. Everyone wants to take a shortcut, but rarely does that work out. Pro streaming is coming. Beatport acquired Pulselocker last April, and stated it would take 6 to 9 months to get it running like they wanted. It still will not take the place of owning your content. Your clients will not want to here any excuses about the internet being slow or down.
Posté Fri 04 Jan 19 @ 8:32 am
groovindj
A Man and His Music wrote :
Beatport acquired Pulselocker
From what I've heard though, they won't be reinstating the service as it was. They're just planning to use the tech behind it to provide a subscription service for their own specialised content (so "dance" music only).
Posté Fri 04 Jan 19 @ 5:36 pm