We recently saw another site sharing information on the top-selling DJ controllers in 2016 – but it was based on a single online store’s sales figures. In this article, we’ve used industry sales reports to share the top 10 selling DJ controllers in 2016.
Top Selling DJ Controllers in 2016
As an online store, DJTT has access to a number of resources for sales data. But we know that because of our audience, what we choose to carry, and what sales we have, our store isn’t a good resource by itself for what’s happening overall in the DJ industry. So for this article, instead of our own numbers, we’re using data from industry reports.
Important notes about this data:
- Out of respect for the data source, we’re keeping the data confidential by only listing these controller’s relative positions – no specific sales information is shared here.
- We’ve also included the XDJ-RX in this line up – even though we think it’s more of a standalone DJ setup than traditional DJ controller
- Media players (CDJs, etc) are not included on this list. They’re harder (Do you count two units as one “setup” being sold? What about four?) to judge next to these single unit solutions.
- It’s based on number of units sold in the US only.
#10: Traktor Kontrol S4 MK2
- Manufacturer: Native Instruments
- Price: $599 (on DJTT store)
- Release Date: September 2013 (the oldest controller on this list)
- Software: Traktor Pro 2 (included)
It’s not too surprising to see the Kontrol S4 MK2 on this list. It might be three years old, but it’s still Native Instruments’ most recent DJ controller with jogwheels made for their Traktor software. You can use some of the other controllers on the market with Traktor using MIDI mappings – but in general they are all designed for Serato DJ.
#9: Mixtrack 3
- Manufacturer: Numark
- Price: $103.26 (on Amazon)
- Release Date: Jan 2015
- Software: Virtual DJ LE
This is the super-budget offering from Numark – and continues to do well in a large part simply because the price point hovers right around $100. There’s no audio card on this unit – it’s simply a MIDI controller and nothing more.
#8: XDJ-RX
- Manufacturer: Pioneer DJ
- Price: $1,497 (in DJTT’s store)
- Release Date: December 2015
- Software: Built-in standalone Rekordbox
The XDJ-RX being at this level of sales is a good sign of the DJ market’s desire for standalone gear – something that we reported on in this piece from May 2016. It’s a much cheaper way to get a complete Pioneer club workflow on CDJs. Denon’s standalone MCX8000 didn’t quite make it in the top 10 – in a big part simply because it wasn’t released at the beginning of the year.
#7: MixDeck Express
- Manufacturer: Numark
- Price: $499
- Release Date: Originally in 2011, an updated model came out at NAMM 2016 (new audio circuitry)
- Software: Serato DJ (Intro included), onboard CD / USB playback
This is another standalone DJ offering – albeit one that’s much more budget in design and execution. It can act as a MIDI controller for Serato DJ, but also can play from the dual CD drives or via USB flash drives. We expect this unit is on the top 10 because of its versatility.
#6: DDJ-SZ
- Manufacturer: Pioneer DJ
- Price: $1,997 (the new SZ2 is the same price)
- Release Date: Mid-2014
- Software: Serato DJ
The DDJ-SZ had a strong year, coming in at number 6 – which is pretty impressive for a massive controller that runs $2k. However, with the model having been replaced by a new DDJ-SZ2 at the end of Decembert, it won’t reappear on this list next year.
#5: Party Mix
- Manufacturer: Numark
- Price: $99 (on Amazon)
- Release Date: Spring 2016
- Software: Virtual DJ LE
If you’re a more experienced DJ, it’s easy to forget about the fascinating features that come built-in on budget gear, designed to attract the eye of a much younger user. The Party Mix has a built-in light show– with three lights that shine out of the back of the unit, and additional lighting pulsing along with the beat on the pads. And it’s the fifth most popular controller in 2016? Amazing.
#4 Mixtrack Pro 3
- Manufacturer:
- Price: $249 (on Amazon)
- Release Date: May 2015
- Software: Serato DJ (Intro included)
Numark’s highest charting device is the Mixtrack Pro 3. It’s been their mainstay unit for much of the year, but we suspect that 2017 will see the Pro 3 falling off, potentially in favor of the Mixtrack Platinum (released in September).
#3: DDJ-SR
- Manufacturer: Pioneer DJ
- Price: $597 (in DJTT store)
- Release Date: May 2014
- Software: Serato DJ
Here’s where the Pioneer domination of the controller market begins. This two-channel offering is older (we feel like an update must be in the works?) than the other Pioneer models, but still a very solid controller. Unlike the SB2, the pads and jogwheels on this unit are the same higher quality as on the original SX.
#2: DDJ-SX2
- Manufacturer: Pioneer DJ
- Price: $997 (in DJTT store)
- Release Date: August 2014
- Software: Serato DJ
The SX2 is the mainstay of the serious DJ controller world these days, outselling almost every other DJ controller out there. It has four channels on the mixer, and two decks with those powerful performance pads that ever other controller does now. We suspect it will continue to hold a high place on the charts in 2017, barring any crazy new products from DJ manufacturers that we don’t yet know about.
#1: DDJ-SB2
- Manufacturer: Pioneer DJ
- Price: $247 (in DJTT store)
- Release Date: August 2015
- Software: Serato DJ (Intro included)
Yep, the top spot really goes to the low-end offering from Pioneer DJ. In 2016, it sold nearly twice as many units as any other DJ controller on the market. How many of these things can there really be out there? Is there someone filling a warehouse with DDJ-SB2s to prepare for a DJ controller apocalypse?
Honorable Mentions:
There were a few controllers that barely were out of the top ten – including:
- Denon MCX8000: it’s only 50% a controller, as it also acts as a standalone setup. Released part way through the year, so we could see this unit continuing to do well in 2017; except Denon’s media player offerings might be far more tempting.
- Numark NV: The NV did pretty well at the beginning of 2016, but the followup NVII, released partway through the year, was largely overshadowed by the release of the Denon MCX8000.
What units are you amazed at made it on – or are missing from – this list? Let us know in the comments.
