Why DJs don’t play their favorite music at shows?

A recent survey conducted by Pirate has revealed that 65% of DJs do not play their favorite music at shows. The survey was based on the end-of-year Spotify summaries of 260 DJs from the UK, showing the genre of music typically played at their events. The results showed that 65% of DJs didn’t play their favorite tracks. For example, a techno DJ had the most plays of The Who, while a jungle DJ had the most Lana Del Rey plays. The survey also found that 63% of DJs change their music taste depending on their surroundings, which could explain the differences in music played at different festivals or stages.

Many DJs find new music through SoundCloud, where they have access to the related tracks section and a Stations section that generates lists of tunes based on what they listen to. They also find new music through friends. The reason for not playing their favorite music may be due to management, branding, or crowd trends, but no further data has been collected to determine how this makes DJs feel.