Once upon a time, there was vinyl… It is the 21st century, and we all listen to music in different formats. Music streaming services are great, accessible, and convenient. But there is something magical about vinyl records. They represent a format that is living, unlike CDs that collect dust in your apartment.

We will all agree that nothing beats live music performance. Over the past decade, DJing has changed so much. Computer DJ software, digital music files, music streaming services, and even apps have changed what it means to be a DJ. Of course, nothing is black and white, everything has its pros and cons. DJing with turntables didn’t go away, just like digital art didn’t replace the paintbrush or e-readers didn’t replace real books.

The question is, why would any DJ use vinyl with all the technology that we have? This article isn’t about how music streaming services are bad, and vinyl records are good. No. As the matter of fact, most DJs are actually technology nerds. What is important is to respect DJs who came before you and the art form. So today, we will take a more nostalgic approach to DJing, and why still even today, DJs love using vinyl records. Wax only!

1. Sound Quality

Vinyl is rounder and fuller, it has deeper bass. When DJ plays vinyl, you hear beautiful analog waveforms. They have a very characteristic sound to them, so you can hear all the details of the music. Call us old-fashioned but it sounds better than MP3. Another far better reason why the sound quality is better is loudness. Vinyl has a lower dynamic range so the records are quieter. Tracks in digital format can sound louder than they naturally are. This has an immense result on the audio quality. Tracks sound unpleasant and distorted. Don’t get us wrong, vinyl does have its disadvantages when it comes to sound, but what you can expect from vinyl is a better dynamic range that provides life-like and richer sound quality.

2. Understanding of Back-Cueing and Scratching

There is a moment in a DJ’s career when they learn how to back cue. Rotating the record backward, you really understand where the bass, kick-drum, snare, hi-hat, and other percussion are in the track. When scratching, you learn how to control and manipulate all those sounds. It is a great skill set to learn because it teaches how to cue up mixes and add some flair to them. Touching the CDJ platter and vinyl is an entirely different experience, it brings you much closer to the song and it feels more intimate.

3. Curiosity

Curiosity is the most common reason why DJs still use vinyl. As we said before, DJs are technology nerds. Just because vinyl is an analog format, it doesn’t mean it is not complex. Before the digital era, the scenario went something like this: a young and new DJ starts on turntables, then the CDJs arrive. Next, with a laptop, you could use turntables with digital files. There is more, then the controllers arrived packed in one portable box. After that, everything got smaller and smaller; iPads and iPhones arrived.

These are all amazing things but among all these gadgets, one phenomenon remains, the use of vinyl. Nowadays, younger generations of DJs who started playing music with a mobile app got hooked on making music. They want to know more by learning old-school skills. So they buy the controllers to use with laptops. The next phase is, you’ve guessed it, the vinyl. Many DJs have curiosity and respect for the roots of DJing, and most importantly a passion for the art. Curiosity opens the doors of creation and a lot of good music.

4. Emotional Aspect

DJs who are in the music industry for a long time are emotionally attached to vinyl. Most of them are vinyl collectors and have huge vinyl record libraries ate their homes. They have spent years and money on their passion and it is only natural they will not entirely switch to the digital medium. Also, vinyl is tangible. Touching the vinyl record makes you more attached to the sounds than just seeing them.

5. Feel the Music

DJing digitally allows so many creative choices and options. All those digital tools are incredible, however, DJs by their nature, like to be challenged. As we said before, their curiosity about music is what makes them true music aficionados. Spinning the wax is great for shaping you as a DJ and for developing your DJ skills. Vinyl is an analog format. Forget about the BPM displays, looping, and screens. Vinyl is completely raw and a hands-on experience that requires manual practice. This technique is the main reason why DJs literally feel the music differently than in digital format. The vinyl pushes you to trust your body and your ears. The sound of the beat is actually the only thing you can react to. It forces you to focus on the amplified sound emitted from the record.