If you are looking for a solution to DJ on the go, your iPad can provide a huge amount of options. There are endless DJ apps you can download at various price points. But, how do you know what to choose, and what do you do with them once you buy one?
To DJ on your iPad, you will need:
- Music on Your iPad
- A DJ App for iPad (djay, Traktor DJ 2 or Pioneer WeDJ)
- Additional Hardware (headphones, splitter cable, extra-long power cable, USB-C or Lightning adapter)
I have listed my favorite options for iPad below, plus my ultimate step-by-step guide to mixing on an iPad.
Music Files You Own
Existing music files you own are your first resource for mixing on an iPad. Any files you want to use have to be uploaded to your iPad in advance. Most of the DJ software will access existing playlists you create in Music, so I create playlists in iTunes on my laptop and then sync them with my iPad.
Your iPad probably has less storage space than your laptop, so make sure you choose your music wisely. Dumping your entire music library to your iPad will just make it harder to pick songs you want to play.
If you want to know the secrets to gathering a HUGE library of music on a budget, be sure to see my post on unlimited DJ Music for $20 per month. Just be choosy about what you actually transfer to your device.
Music Streaming
Most newer DJ apps will let you stream from a variety of music services. This is a great way to expand your music collection without chewing up storage space. Supported services include Spotify, SoundCloud GO+, Beatport LINK, and TIDAL.
Most streaming services won’t let you download and play music offline. You will need an internet connection to stream music from your iPad. Make sure that the venue you are DJing has good Wi-Fi before you depend on a streaming service.
Software
I recommend three major apps for mixing music on an iPad. All three give you the major features you will need to DJ. Algoriddim djay ($39.99/yr) is my personal favorite, because it is very easy to use for beginners. Unfortunately, they now require a Pro license to use Split Cueing, which is critical to preview tracks and transitions.
Traktor DJ 2 (free) gives you a similar experience and doesn’t cost anything. It is very similar to the desktop version of Traktor, so this is a great choice for DJs familiar with Traktor. Traktor DJ 2 has lots of features, which can be overwhelming for beginners. It also cannot sync metadata like cue points with the desktop app, so it doesn’t benefit you to own both versions.
Pioneer WeDJ ($4.99) is another DJ app I would recommend. It is easy to use like djay, but it doesn’t have nearly as many features. It does support splitter cables for cueing at a lower price. But, even though is it made by Pioneer, it cannot integrate with rekordbox. It’s really a standalone app.
Hardware
There are some basic items you need to mix effectively on your iPad. First, you will need a decent pair of headphones with sound isolation. This will help block out the sound from your speakers while you cue up the next track. If you want high quality headphones for a dirt cheap price, check out my recommended headphones for less than $20.
A splitter cable will let you separate the speaker signal from your headphones using just the single headphone jack on your iPad. Note that you can’t just use any headphone splitter. The cable you need separates the stereo signal into two mono outputs. I recommend the Native Instruments cable. It will cost you less than $10 and it works just as well as any other cable.
If your iPad doesn’t have a 3.5mm headphone jack, you will need a USB-C or Lightning to Headphone Adapter. Be sure to select one that will also give you a charging port, because you will need to charge your iPad while you mix. You’ll also need an iPad charger with an extra-long cable, because you should plan for the power outlet to far away from where you are mixing.
9 Steps to Mix Music on Your iPad
1. Prepare Your Music in Advance
You will need to have all of the music you plan to mix loaded and ready to go on your iPad. Take the time to build out one or more playlists in advance, just like you would for any other DJ gig. I pack twice as many songs as I will need for any given event. It’s a good idea to group your music into several playlists inside whatever DJ software you are using on your iPad. Playlist will make tracks easier to find on the iPad’s smaller screen.
Also, take the time to set up cue points, keys, BPM and any other settings your DJ software allows. This data gets saved locally on the iPad, so it won’t transfer over from your desktop. You will need to spend time loading up tracks and setting the cue points in advance.
Traktor DJ will automatically analyze your tracks when you import them into the app. You simply select the music from your iPad and the analysis starts. This process can take a long time depending on how many songs you analyze, so you will want to import your music well in advance.
Pioneer WeDJ and Algoriddim djay use automated analysis as you load tracks, so you don’t have to run analysis in advance. You can load tracks into the player in advance and set cue points if you have the time. Once you set cue points and run analysis for your music, it is saved to the iPad permanently. This would be useful for the songs you play most often, and you can manage the rest of your songs as you play them.
2. Practice Before You Play
You will need to spend some dedicated practice time with your iPad before you play out in public. While these DJ apps are intuitive, they have a very different feel from a physical controller. A touch screen without physical buttons now controls all of your music. You need to practice your taps and swipes to get used to the feeling and understand what you can control with your fingers.
Also, these DJ apps have a different layout from what you would find on a laptop. They are cramming a ton of features into a very small space by design. Advanced features are buried in menus and submenus. Take the time to learn where all of your favorite DJ functions live, and practice mixing music until you feel comfortable. Remember that you will have less than three minutes to load and play the next song. Keep practicing until iPad mixing becomes second nature.
3. Get Set Up for Your Event
When you are ready to play out, make sure all of your hardware is ready to go. You will need headphones, speakers, a splitter cable and an AC adapter for your iPad at a minimum.
Start by connecting your AC adapter to your iPad and plugging into the nearest power source. Playing music and interacting with your iPad will drain your battery very quickly if you are not plugged into a power outlet. Some older iPad will last less than an hour without AC power.
Next, plug your splitter cable into your iPad’s headphone jack. Plug your headphones into the connector labeled for headphone output. This can be confusing, as they are typically just marked with symbols. Consult the owner’s manual for your splitter cable if you are unsure.
Plug your speakers into the connector for speaker output. The output will be a 3.5 mm headphone jack, so you will need the appropriate cables to convert to your speaker input. If you are running your speakers from a mixer, you need to route the speaker output from your splitter cable to the mixer instead. Remember that the speaker output will be a headphone-level signal, so you will need powered speakers or an amplifier to hear the sound output.
Finally, start up your DJ software on your iPad. Be sure to select the proper settings to allow cueing through your headphones. Check your volume on your speakers and headphones by cueing and playing a song in the app. Don’t forget to turn up the volume on your iPad, or you won’t get any sound out to your speakers. This is the #1 mistake that new iPad DJs make!
4. Load and Play Your First Track
Once you have checked your sound, you are ready to start mixing music on your iPad. Load your first track on your DJ app using the load feature of the software. As the song loads, you should see any analysis and cue points you set in advance, or the app should run the analysis as the track loads.
Wait for the analysis to finish, and then put the song in Cue mode so you can only hear it in your headphones. Be sure to turn down the line level if your app doesn’t do that for you in Cue mode. Otherwise, you will be playing the song through both the speakers and your headphones.
Now move the track to the first moment music starts playing. You can do this by playing the track, or by dragging the waveform to fast forward. You want to get past any silence or talking that can be at the beginning of some songs. Nobody wants to listen to that at a party. They just want to get to the music. Pause right at the beginning of the music and set a cue point in the app if you haven’t already. That way, the song will automatically jump to this point the next time you load it.
You are now ready to play the song over the speakers. Take the track out of Cue mode, move the line level back up, slide the crossfader all the way to that deck and press play. You should be able to hear the song through the speakers. Congrats, you are playing your first song!
5. Cue Your Next Song Using Pre-Cueing
Repeat the loading process as your first song plays to load whatever song you want to play next. The steps are exactly the same, just now you are loading the other deck that isn’t playing. Again, make sure your line level is down on the other deck, and set the new song to Cue mode. Load the new song, run the analysis, set your cue point and you will be ready to play.
Before the first song ends, you can practice your transition in Cue mode. Use your headphones to listen to the next song while the first song is playing. If you want a smooth transition, match the BPM of the new song using the pitch slider or the Sync button. Make sure the Key Lock is on before you adjust BPM. Otherwise, the key of the song will distort as you adjust the speed.
Practice starting the next song several times in Cue mode. Try to find a point to start the new song that feels natural, like the beginning of a measure or phrase. It’s almost like the singer finished one song and just started singing a new one. Feel the beat and work on your timing so you can hit the play button at the right moment. If you don’t know how to do this already, go read my post “How Do DJs Mix Songs?” right now for some of the easiest, no-fail ways to transition from one song to another.
6. Transition From One Song to the Next
After you have practiced your transition in Cue mode, you are ready to transition for real. Take your next song out of Cue mode and wait for the right moment to transition. This will usually fall towards the end of the song currently playing. Wait for the end of a phrase or musical idea, a spot where it feels natural to transition to a new song.
Move your crossfader to the middle position before you hit play on the new song. Hit play and use whatever transition technique you practiced. Then, use the crossfader to move completely into the next song. Repeat this process for each new song you play: Load, cue, practice and transition. Congratulations, you are now DJing!
7. Use Simple DJ Techniques
You can use any transitions or DJ techniques you want. As you gain more experience, don’t be afraid to try new things and get creative. Playing with the music is what makes DJing an art form. If you were just going to smoothly transition from one song to another, you could just put your iPad on shuffle and walk away. Your artistic choices are what make you unique as a DJ.
You don’t want to get too fancy on an iPad, though. First, it is very easy to overdo the DJ tricks. Scratching, phasing, chopping, and gating songs are only interesting in small doses. Nothing kills a party vibe faster than a DJ doing so much that it distracts from the music. Just pull up any DJ breakdown video on YouTube. You’ll see that as soon as the DJ starts going nuts with the tricks, the whole dance floor stops and turns their attention to the DJ. If you are over the top with your techniques, your guests will be focused on you and not the music.
Secondly, remember that you are mixing on an iPad. You don’t have as much space or control as you would on a physical DJ controller. You need to be careful with your swipes. One false move with your fingers and a great-sounding technique can fall apart in an instant. Pick the techniques you can execute easily on an iPad, and use them sparingly.
8. Keep Your Crowd Engaged
Like any other DJ event, your primary purpose is to make sure your crowd is having fun. Keep an eye on their reactions. Do they like the music you are playing? How many people are dancing? Did they notice the transition you just did? Is that the reaction you wanted?
Ignoring your audience is the biggest mistake you can make mixing with an iPad. Don’t get so caught up in the technology that you forget why you are there. Pick songs that you think your audience will like, and then watch their reaction. Adjust your music and your techniques to get the best response you can.
You can even control their reactions to create an even bigger response. There is no better DJ feeling than dropping that perfect song that gets a cheer from the floor. You can build and build the crowd’s energy until you have a critical mass on the dance floor. That’s the moment to hit them with that killer track you’ve been saving all night. You will know right away if you did it right.
9. Have Fun!
Last but not least, have fun while you DJ. What’s the point of DJing if you don’t enjoy it? While your primary goal is to make sure your crowd has a great night, you should have a great night, too. DJing doesn’t pay enough to hate doing it.
Play music for your crowd and yourself at the same time. Find the overlap between the music that you love and the music that your crowd loves. That sweet spot is where you want to stay all night.
Mixing music on an iPad is not difficult with the right hardware and the right know-how. If you already have an iPad, you can start today. Download your favorite DJ app, load up your music and follow the steps above. With a little practice, you will be DJing on your iPad in no time!
