Do Your Tags Actually Work?

Most don't

Hi there Jog Jugglers,

I love a good tag. They give you almost infinite ways to describe your music and help you find the right tracks faster.

Or do they?

From the libraries I review there is often no shortage of tags. But DJs still say their big problem is actually choosing the right track to play next.

In this newsletter I’ll show you 4 quick tests to diagnose if your tag system is pulling its weight or dragging you down.

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1. The re-tag test

Describing a track is pointless if you’d describe it in a different way each time. It’s like the Chicken Jalfrezi I get from my local takeaway.

Sometimes I’d describe it as more like a Bhuna . And sometimes I’d describe it more like a peanut butter sandwich.

This test checks if your tags are robust enough to accurately and consistently describe your tracks.

What to do:

1. Hide your tags panel

2. Select any track at random and give it a quick 20s preview

3. Without thinking too hard say the tags you would instinctively tag it with

4. Open your tag panel again and see if they match

What this tells you:

• Whether your tags are stable enough to be reused across your library

• Whether your tags rely on mood rather than description (not necessarily bad, but to be aware of)

• Whether multiple tags are competing to describe the same idea

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2. The pressure test

Thinking time is in much shorter supply when you are playing live.

It’s like being asked to do one of those electric wire games with a cat clinging onto your popliteal fossa (look it up).

This test finds out if your tags only work on your laptop and not when you are sweating on a CDJ.

What to do:

• Imagine you are mid-set and the track you just put on flops.

• You have 10 seconds to find something else using only your tags

• Do this as you would currently with filters, playlists or just browsing

What this tells you:

• Whether your tags are fast enough to understand or need interpretation

• Whether you can make decisions from the tag alone or if you need extra metadata to decide (e.g. grouping, artist etc)

• Whether your tagging system matches how you actually think under time pressure

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When your library hides your best tracks

Refine playlist

Aside from tags one of the biggest issues I hear from you guys is that you know there are bangers lurking in your library, but you can’t surface them easily.

That means relying on the same old tracks over and over, even if there are better options.

I’ve added a new beta feature to librarydojo that will take any playlist and actively suggest underused swaps from your own library. Tracks you already own and love but aren’t reaching for.

You can get 15% off your first month or on the lifetime plan for the next 48 hours* and try it out.

Just use code EZNZK3NW at checkout.

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3. The uno-tag test

If you had one word to describe yourself what would it be? For me it would be handsome. But I’d also use some other words, like muscly, hot and matte.

This test helps you uncover the implicit layering systems in your tags.

What to do:

• Choose a track at random

• Force yourself to choose one tag to describe it

What this tells you:

• Whether you have multiple tags being used for similar things

• Whether you are compensating for weak tags by stacking more of them

• Whether there is a clear hierarchy of core vs supporting tags

• What you should focus on tagging when you are short on time

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4. The trust test

You know that motivational group exercise where you get someone to stand behind you and then fall backwards, trusting that they will catch you?

Don’t do that with my mate Dave is all I’m saying.

This final test helps you realise if you actually trust your tags when it matters.

What to do:

• Create a smart playlist pulling in one of your tags

• Without previewing anything, do you trust everything in there belongs together?

What this tells you:

• If the answer is no then this tag can’t be fully relied on for decisions during a set

• If the answer is yes this tag is doing it’s job

➡️ Hit reply or the comments and tell me which tag you trust the least

See you next time

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*Code valid until 11th February 2026 5pm UTC