It’s New Year’s Eve again, and it seems like it just a few months ago that DJ Angelo was handing out some very practical advice for DJs playing the biggest night of the year. The DJTT staff is still on holiday break, in a TechTools tradition, I’ve put together some of the best resources for DJs playing tonight. Read on and let us know if you’re playing out!
BEATPORT’S FREEBIES AND NYE COLLECTIONS
Beatport are back with another installment of Secret Weapons for New Year’s Eve. These collections are designed to add plenty of clout to your set without resorting to tracks that have been mercilessly rinsed since the last time the ball dropped.
If you found the 3 minute countdown we shared with you last year a bit rich for your taste, you’ll want to check out Beatport’s free countdowns and impacts courtesy of Sounds to Sample. As you would expect, the countdowns are very clean and neutral enough for most music genres or event themes.
Get ready for New Year’s Eve with our DJ Tools and Secret Weapons—plus free downloads btprt.dj/ZEgmB7
— Beatport (@beatport) December 28, 2012
SOUNDCLOUD’S ALTERNATIVE COUNTDOWN TRACKS
Given Beatport’s dominance in the electronic music marketplace, you might decide to veer further off the beaten track for your New Year’s drops for something more original. There’s also a good chance that if you are reading this for immediately usable, practical advice – you’re quickly running out of preparation time! I’ve done a quick sweep for you all, so here’s 6 very different countdown options for you to choose from. All of these countdowns are available for free download from SoundCloud at the time we published this article.
PLAYING IT STRAIGHT
We like this straight up countdown courtesy of Jo_Prex out of Nantes, France. The strings are a little dramatic in places and partygoers may be ultimately disappointed when they find out an ex-CIA agent wasn’t in the process of having to diffuse a lethal bomb behind the DJ booth. Good stuff all the same.
BUTCHERED AULD LANG SINE
If your countdown requirements include a good deal of shouting, some semi-incomprehensible (and possibly suggestive) language followed by a horrendously cheesy version of Auld Lang Syne, we’ve got you covered with this instant “classic”, fresh out on SoundCloud.
RINGING IT IN
At the other end of the scale, we find ourselves cowering in the corner at what we’ve been lovingly referring to as “THE BELLS.” Prepare to be furnished with 16 seconds of countdown followed by 40 seconds of doom-mongering spire clangers. This could well be the ideal soundtrack for any DJ looking to focus on the deathly aspect of 2013. Little says, “Watch the ball drop and then hope it doesn’t crush all who hath witnessed it’s might and fury” more than this production.
TURN IT UP
When it comes to getting people ready to party, there’s nothing more a crowd likes than being repeatedly shouted out by someone, other than perhaps being repeatedly bellowed at by lots of people. If your party is less count down and more shout down, look no further than this offering from Philly’s Lil’dave.
MIND YOUR LANGUAGE!
If a supercharged crowd, helicopter fly-bys, wailing sirens, police loud hailers, and plenty of ‘effin and jeffin’ are on your ball-dropping shopping list, this Lil’ Jon countdown mashup will more than do the business for your midnight celebrations. Be sure to deploy this with discretion, it’s a bit crass.
FULLY ORGANIZED
You want the full package? Kit Cut from Brampton, Canada has the complete suite of countdowns for you to drop. With drops for 2 hours out, an hour out followed by 30 minutes, 10 minutes and 10 seconds, there’s no excuse to not keeping your dance floor fully informed at all times.
DJ TECHTOOLS TIPS OF YORE
- 2011: A DJ’s Guide To Surviving New Year’s Eve: Last year, DJ Angelo gave his inside perspective on the key elements about New Year’s Parties – the DJ’s responsibilities in a party on New Year’s Eve and what audiences expect on the big night.
- 2010’s New Year’s Eve Tips: Two years ago, Ean and Charles Feelgood got together to compile their top tips for breaking down the final hours of the year.
- 2009: Bearable Holiday Tracks and Remixes + New Years Tools
- 2008’s New Year’s Tips and Tools
DJING NEW YEARS EVE FROM A TOURING ARTIST PERSPECTIVE
Read CoCreate’s article: “DJ Questlove On How To Rock Your NYE Party“
TELL US YOUR TALES
If you’re playing tonight, we want to hear how it goes – share your wild and exciting tales of New Year’s past and present in the comments and let us know what you’ve learned from playing out. Good luck to everyone playing tonight, and stay safe!
[…] Quick Collection of New Year’s Eve … – It’s New Year’s Eve again, and it seems like it just a few months ago that DJ Angelo was handing out some very practical advice for DJs playing the … […]
i think there’s plenty of other much better countdowns out there. besides the fact that creating your own countdown is relatively easy to get done if one matters so much. I think it’s important to do your own also because, like DJ_forcedhand said. most of those clips we’re rather genre specific. A crowd generally wants to hear either genre or pop cultural hooks, not Lil’ Jon probably. something like siri could help if people were stuck with production skills and still be pop cultural. I personally prefer a tone/dime and fx track and just use a mic for the actual countdown. that way i can control and personalize the message. Also i find promotors generally want to get the honour of counting down. The thing that’s wrong with all of those clips is their to over powering in my opinion. On another note I personally prefer to go out and enjoy my new year rather than dj’ing. I dj in clubs mostly and if i’m working in what’s generally one of the best parties of the year, it infuriates me having to be sensible and sober. So that’s another tip, go and enjoy yourself rather than working. I generally try my hardest to get in a load of gig’s before xmas that way the money on NYE or NYD doesn’t matter as much .
bring on the cheese 🙂
the first and last one were not bad though
Don’t forget about us 😉 We have been providing tools for DJs/Remixers for over 4 years. Check us out – http://www.mixaloop.com
Well New Years in Japan was AMAZING. Just got back from Osaka and got to dj at my old spot in Okinawa. Club was remodeled and looked great. It was a bit sketchy at first. Opened at 9 but no one showed until almost 11. But when they came, they came in GROUPS! Packs of ladies all dressed up. Ratio was easily 8 to 1 so you know the guys loved it. I ended up playing 3 sets since the place got Chuck Norris on Meth wild. Lost dresses, 4 on top of 1 in the middle of the floor, heads between legs (girls), and a slew of other off the wall happenings.
One thing I learned after 10 years is that New Years is one of those days that it doesn’t matter if you play the same song another DJ played (just as long as it isn’t in a 1 hour span). It is still important to take the crowd on a rollercoaster as the night progresses. A solid build up new hot music, into some current hits, is a great way to build up to the countdown. It’s also a great time to try out some of your own productions and remixes. Then the next 2 hours are just a free-for-all of the hottest, dance your butt off tracks you have. Around 3 or 4 is when slowing it back down alittle is good. Gives them a chance to recoup and get some more drinks (I’m a hiphop, old school, rap, reggae, dance, & TOP 40 DJ).
After the build up using new music and the New Years 2 hour massacre, it’s easy to lose a crowd. Playing a bunch of not very popular music is a quick way to get booed and have customers leaving. I keep it going by recalling all the party hits. The classic tracks of the last decade that is sure to get the crowd singing and/or dancing. Slowly winding down the night after banging out all the classics is something most DJs do by slowing down the music. Keeps the crowd calm and they start feeling it’s time to leave. WELL, that’s not me.
My last (unexpected) set was 3:30 until 5:00. I played classics and the top 40 of the last few years but the last 20 minutes I threw on my own…
“HAPPY NEW YEARS 2013….THANKS FOR COMING OUT…BUT I’M NOT F*CKIN FINISHED” sample.
It always gets the crowd looking around like wait, the party isn’t over?? Then I kill it for the next 15-20mins and send them out the door dancing. One thing I don’t like is leaving clubs as if I’m about to fall asleep. I want people to walk (or stumble) out singing and smiling. I want them to be upset the party has to stop and NOT want to leave. A great feeling is when you get messages days later about the performance you gave. The BEST feeling is when New Years comes around again and people are talking about the last New Years you did. Always aim to out do last year.
Much luv from Japan *DJ TeeOh
There wasn’t much of a choice there, you had all these over-hyped (and as audiofap says) “Extra douchey” count downs basically made for House and Hip-Hop parties that probably house have made the people in the crowd laugh.
You should have heard the ones we didn’t include 😀
I heard a 12 Days of Christmas NYE countdown once… it was the Muppet one so you had Miss Piggy doing the Ba-Dum-DUM-dum part.
All these examples sound alike. Extra douchey.
you should make one then 🙂
Dick Clark made a generic one years before he… had that medical problem. You don’t make a count down better by lowering the pitch or adding extra crunk, you make it clean and clear… which is exactly what Dick Clark did for 50+ years. Yes, his body is giving out on him, but you really can’t improve on correct.
Not really sure how a count down can be much different without having no energy…
did you want a british gentleman counting down while giving toasts and reminding you of new years resolutions? Its supposed to be a typical, cheesy announcer.
I can certainly provide that for a modest fee.
Yeah, perhaps they should serve as examples of what not to sound like when you get on the mic and do it live, Bill O’Reilly-style.
some of the greatest drops and intros are ultra cheesy.