The larger DJ Market was one that – understandably – took a sizable hit during pandemic-related shutdowns and subsequent supply chain challenges. As live gatherings continue to rebound and production and shipment channels recover from the strain, sales of one of a DJ’s most vital tools, Multi-Channel Mixers, are also on the rise.
We connected with some of the most significant brands in this market segment to learn about the overall health of this segment of MI, as well as what specific DJ Mixers are flying off the shelves as performers and fans return to clubs and arenas.
What’s your perception of the overall state of the DJ Market in 2023? Have things fully rebounded from COVID-era challenges and supply chain issues, et cetera?
Jake Hill: Yes, I think we can safely say things have rebounded quite well. Supply chain issues still happen from time to time, but for the most part, we are able to produce enough gear and equipment without issue and meet the needs of our DJ communities.
Jeff Hawley: This is a tricky one to answer. We certainly are seeing a bump in sales velocity as live DJ events have generally rebounded post-COVID. That’s great. Supply chains were certainly strained in various ways during the depths of COVID and they have also recovered in most cases. If I had to summarize the state of the union for the market overall vs. say three years ago, it is likely about the same size overall, but different in important ways. Where we might have some shifts in the live event space as far as which venues have recovered, there are definitely changes in the ‘bedroom DJ’ and home studio production space that open up new opportunities. Overall, we’re in good shape, but the shape is a bit different.
Matt Pekmazian: 2023 has been a rebound year overall. The DJ category from our dealers’ perspective has been a true outlier within the MI category. For Pioneer DJ, the supply chain has been improving month over month and continues to show improvement as the year progresses.
For your brand, what model, or models, of Multi-Channel DJ Mixers is (are) the top seller(s)?
J Hawley: American Music & Sound (AM&S) distributes a number of DJ mixer and DJ accessory lines – Xone (from Allen & Heath), Hercules, PLAYdifferently, Reloop, et cetera. Lots of top sellers across different DJ segments, but XONE:96 and PLAYdifferently MODEL 1 / MODEL 1.4 are a few multi-channel DJ mixers I’d highlight that top our sales and overall buzz charts.
MP: For Pioneer DJ, the two mixers that are leading the way in demand and sales are the DJM-A9, 4 channel mixer and the DJM-S11, 2 channel mixer.
JH: The RANE SEVENTY-TWO MKII and the DENON DJ X1850 are our top selling mixers.
In your observation, what features – functionality, materials, size, portability, price-points, et cetera – are end-users considering most when shopping for Multi-Channel DJ Mixers?
MP: Both the DJM-A9 and DMJ-S11 are club standard mixers that are a staple from festivals to clubs, bars as well as scratch DJ battles. These two mixers offer huge functionality and most importantly reliability in many different environments.
JH: Users are looking for the highest quality in sound and construction. They want a mixer that will hold up to the rigors of the road. Also FX options and intuitive workflow are extremely important to professional DJs.
J Hawley: We are seeing the analog side of things continue to thrive. For the die-hard analog folks out there, MODEL 1 leverages analog technology normally found in the finest studio consoles, such as a fully balanced mix buss, zero crossing detection for seamless filter and master EQ routing along high voltage differential power rails. Xone:96 draws on Allen & Heath’s rich heritage to present an advanced analog mixer, engineered from the ground up to deliver the legendary Xone analog sound in a flexible, powerful format. From a dealer standpoint, I think the appeal of AM&S is that we offer products that can span the full analog to digital spectrum.
How do the most effective MI retailers connect DJ customers with the “best fit” DJ Mixers for them in terms of in-store display, promotion, staff knowledge, and so on?
J Hawley: Just as with many different sectors of the MI and pro audio space it is important to get customer needs flat first. Too often the gear or one particular spec that the customer happened to read about on a web forum becomes outsized in the conversation and sales process – which can make things tricky and/or result in a suboptimal experience for everyone. Remembering the basics and getting back to “What problem are you trying to solve?” or “What does success look like?” is important. Knowing the 129 bullet points specs about a DJ mixer is great, but knowing why you’d grab it off the shelf to solve a particular customer’s needs is even better. The retailers that really excel in the DJ space let customer requirements start (and guide) the conversation. Make sure you are training not only the ‘what’ and ‘how’ of the spec sheet but also the ‘why’ as it relates to different customer segments. Grabbing an analog DJ mixer for someone who would be best served with a digital DJ controller isn’t going to work out well, no matter how awesome the mixer may be!
MP: When DJs are looking to purchase a mixer a majority have already done their research and have a pretty good idea of what they would like, prior to shopping and purchasing. However, the main “technique” for connecting a DJ customer to the “best fit” DJ mixer would be qualifying the customer to understand their needs and how they plan to use the mixer. Pioneer DJ has a mixer for any DJ. Whether they mix house, EDM, open format or scratch, there is a mixer suited to their style.
At Pioneer DJ, we feel the best experience for a customer is to touch and try our products. We incentivize and work with our retail partners to have our units out on display. We have seen that products that are on display have a 36 percent better chance of selling as compared to products that are in stock, but not on display.
JH: Retailer staff knowledge is key. If someone in the store is well-versed in all of the advanced features of DJ mixers (and there a quite a few), it’s much easier for them to match the product with the unique needs and DJ style of the customer.
Does your brand have any recently released or upcoming Multi-Channel DJ Mixers you’d like to shine a light on for MMR readers?
JH: The RANE SEVENTY A-TRAK SIGNATURE EDITION mixer is an absolute stunner with a classic rotary-inspired look combined with a scratch/battle mixer (available now).
J Hawley: The PLAYdifferently MODEL 1.4 is a newer release for us and warrants a look. With an ultra-compact 4-channel design, MODEL 1.4 is ideal for home studio use or as the ultimate tourable analog mixer. MODEL 1.4 can be used standalone or paired with a MODEL 1 using unique mixer-link functionality to deliver an unrivaled 10-channel live mix experience. For this particular niche subset of DJ artists, MODEL 1.4 has been a huge hit.
MP: The DJM-A9, which was announced in February, has been extremely well received from the DJ community. We work closely with the DJ community to understand their needs and continually work to produce products that best fit the DJ’s needs.
Expectations for this market segment in the coming months? Will you be exhibiting at the NAMM Show?
J Hawley: We will absolutely be at the NAMM Show. AM&S has steadily ramped up our presence at the show every year and 2024 will be no different. Our DJ brands will be featured in an enhanced performance area in the main hall, supported by a BASSBOSS PA and the new Allen & Heath CQ Series pro audio mixers sub-mixing the various DJ rigs throughout the guest DJ sets each show day. We’ll have a number of interactive DJ stations throughout the AM&S booth with turntables and decks and just about every type of DJ setup you can imagine. Did I mention we also have a great assortment of DJ stations from Glorious and a plethora of DJ headphones available? Yeah, you’ll want to make sure that the AM&S booth is on your list for NAMM.
MP: As we approach the holiday selling season, we expect sales to continue to increase. Moreso from the more affordable controller category as well as headphones and monitor speakers. Pioneer DJ will be exhibiting at the NAMM show this year showing off many of our products and also having some of the most well-known DJ’s performing in our booths.
JH: I think this segment will remain at its current level in terms of demand for the foreseeable future. We are seeing the most growth in the DJ controller and standalone DJ system (all-in-one) segments. NAMM participation is TBD.
