3 Tagging Systems You Should Steal
🏷️ Stuck? Your tags may be the reason
Hi there direct-drive demons,
Tagging your tracks is one of the most powerful things you can do to organise any DJ library. Unlike standard mp3 or metadata tags, tags allow you to put tracks in multiple buckets of the same type at once.
They are great for creating interesting combinations and categorising those pesky cross-genre tracks.
But there are many ways you can tag your library, depending on how you like to DJ and the experience you are looking to create. I’m currently on my 3rd iteration of a tagging system and it’s finally starting to feel like my own.
In this newsletter I’ll give you 3 unique tagging structures you can steal to make your sets more creative and your library easier to navigate.
1. Efficiency Eric
Who’s it for: DJs who want zero-fuss prep and instant set-ready libraries
What’s it about: For fast sorting, filtering and laser focussed track selection with no ambiguity. It also helps you keep track of whether your banger cannons have been deployed successfully on the dancefloor or not. This is DJing like the Terminator.
Tag Groups:
Energy Level: Low, Mid, Peak, Reset
Drop Style: Soft, Hard, No-Drop
Set Role: Opener, Builder, Peak, Closer
Status: Untested, Proven, Flopped
2. Creative Christine
Who’s it for: Pushing boundaries and creating unique (or downright weird) sets
What’s it about: Less focussed on efficiency and more about creating musical texture, contrast and enabling unexpected combinations. This one might be worth a go if your sets are starting to feel stale. It’s like painting with music. Go forth and create some journeys!
Tag Groups:
Vibe/Texture: Gritty, Dreamy, Hypnotic, Bouncy
Mood: Moody, Playful, Dark, Sinister, Pensive
Disrupters: Weird, Genre-bender, Vibe flip, Anti-banger
3. Sound Signature Simon
Who’s it for: Identifying, shaping and developing a personal ‘sound’ in your sets
What’s it about: Built to reinforce taste, and emotional storytelling across your sets. This one’s for you if you want to start injecting more of your personality into your mixes, or if you feel like your sets are sounding generic. People will recognise you using only their ears. That’s better than with their noses I guess.
Tag Groups:
Emotional Tone: Melancholy, Euphoric, Nostalgic, Ponderous
Signature Elements: Dreamy Piano, 808s, Amens, Big Synth, Vocal forward
Story Arc Role: Intro, Scene change, Challenge, Resolution
Which of these tagging systems sounds most like you? Which would you like to try?
In other news
I’m just back from a great trip to the Greek Islands. And as is now tradition, I used the sunshine to wear my chest hamster and record a video. You can check it out on the channel
Thank you to all those who submitted their libraries for a roasting. I’m working my way through the 3 that were selected. It’s always so interesting to see how different DJs think about and organise their libraries and how many of you are facing the same issues. Looking forward to sharing that with you soon!