How to find DJ music on SoundCloud
Use SoundCloud's search filters, Following feed, related tracks and DJ mixes to find edits and early uploads, then keep finds out of a pile of likes.
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To find DJ music on SoundCloud, search by genre or artist and narrow the results with the upload date and tag filters, follow labels and DJs so their uploads and reposts reach your Following feed, open a track's related tracks when you find something good, and listen to mixes for tracks you can't find anywhere else. SoundCloud is strongest for edits, bootlegs, early uploads and long-form mixes. It's weaker as a place to keep what you find, so decide early where your shortlist lives.
What SoundCloud is good for
SoundCloud is an upload platform, so it carries music that doesn't fit store catalogues: unofficial edits, bootlegs, free downloads, demos, radio shows and full DJ sets. Some artists post a clip or a full track before the official release. For a DJ, that makes SoundCloud a good place to find:
- Edits and reworks that will never appear on a store.
- Early previews of releases, so you know what to look for on release day.
- Mixes from DJs whose taste you trust, each one a list of leads.
- New producers who post here before any label picks them up.
It's less useful for checking release details. Titles on uploads are whatever the uploader typed, so confirm the artist, title and version on a store or label page before buying.
Search with filters
SoundCloud's search help explains that results are grouped into categories such as Tracks, People, Albums and Playlists, and on mobile there's a DJ Sets & Podcasts category for long-form uploads. On the web, you can refine results with three filters:
- Upload date: last 24 hours, last week or last month.
- Duration: short, medium or long.
- Tag: user-defined tags for genre, style, mood or theme.
A practical search for new music is a genre term, the last-week upload filter and a tag. For mixes, use the DJ Sets & Podcasts category or the long duration filter. Tags are set by uploaders, so expect some noise: a "techno" tag can sit on anything.
Build a Following feed worth reading
Search finds things once. Following finds them every week. SoundCloud's help page says the Following tab "shows new releases and reposts from people that you follow in reverse chronological order." That makes the feed only as good as the accounts you follow.
Accounts worth following for DJ music:
- Labels in your genres. Some post previews of each release.
- DJs whose sets you rate. Their reposts often show what they're playing.
- Producers who upload edits.
- Promoters, radio shows and podcast series that post full sets.
Prune the list now and then. One account that reposts constantly can bury everyone else. SoundCloud also notes that the feed shows only one post or repost of a given track: when someone you follow reposts it, the repost moves to the top and replaces any older post of the same track lower down.
The mobile app also has a Discover tab, built from what you've liked, played and followed. It's useful, but it's browsing rather than digging: the app chooses the next step for you. What is crate digging? explains the difference.
Use related tracks carefully
On a track's page, SoundCloud shows related tracks on the right. The help center says they're picked by an algorithm that draws on a network of interactions, such as likes, follows and reposts. That can lead somewhere good, especially from a niche track whose listeners share your taste. From a popular track, related tracks tend to stay popular. Start from the most obscure track you like, not the biggest one.
Mine mixes for tracks
SoundCloud's mixes are some of the best leads on the platform, and some of the hardest to use. A mix is only useful if you can name the tracks. Check the description first, then the comments, where listeners sometimes post track IDs with timestamps. If neither helps, look for the same set on a tracklist site.
Our guide to finding a song in a SoundCloud mix covers those steps in order, and how to Shazam a whole DJ set covers identifying a full mix from its link.
Downloads and DJ software
Some SoundCloud tracks can be downloaded. SoundCloud's help center says you need to be signed in, the download button sits beneath the waveform on the web, and "Not all tracks are downloadable." Mobile apps don't offer downloads. When a download is available, you get the file the uploader chose to share, so check its quality before you play it out.
Streaming is the other route. rekordbox lists SoundCloud Go+ and SoundCloud DJ among its streaming options, and SoundCloud's availability page lists the countries where those plans are sold. rekordbox's streaming FAQ notes that SoundCloud tracks aren't available in EXPORT mode, so you can't take them to CDJs on a USB stick. For club gigs on USB, you still need files you've bought or legitimately downloaded. Where do DJs buy music? covers the stores.
Keep finds out of your likes
The like button is the easiest way to save a SoundCloud track, and that's the problem. Likes pile up, mixed with tracks you liked as a listener, with no record of whether you've judged them for your sets. A few habits help:
- Like freely, shortlist separately. Use likes for anything you enjoyed and keep a separate list for tracks you'd consider playing.
- Note the source. Write down which mix or account led you to a track, so you can find similar ones later.
- Check the release. Before buying, find the official release and confirm the version you heard.
- Review weekly. Listen through your shortlist and decide keep or reject for each track.
The pillar guide on how DJs find new music fits SoundCloud into a wider weekly routine.
Doing this with CatchIt!
CatchIt! is a Mac app with a free iOS companion that keeps one shortlist across sources, including SoundCloud.
- Single tracks. In the SoundCloud app, use Share and choose Save to CatchIt!. The share extension accepts SoundCloud track links, along with Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube. On the Mac, paste or drop a SoundCloud track URL into the Inbox.
- Whole mixes. Paste a SoundCloud mix URL into the Mac app's Add Tracklist sheet and it Shazams the whole set, with live progress. The identified tracks land together for review.
- Decide on the Mac. In the Inbox, Return keeps a track and Space rejects it.
See Capturing tracks and Importing tracklists for details.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I download tracks from SoundCloud to DJ with?
- Only when the uploader allows it. SoundCloud's help center says a download button appears beneath the waveform on the web when downloads are enabled, you have to be signed in, and you can't download from a mobile device. If there's no button, the uploader didn't intend the track to be downloadable.
- Can I play SoundCloud tracks directly in rekordbox?
- rekordbox supports SoundCloud as a streaming service with a SoundCloud Go+ or SoundCloud DJ plan, which SoundCloud offers in a limited list of countries. rekordbox's streaming FAQ notes that SoundCloud tracks aren't available in EXPORT mode, so you can't put them on a USB stick for CDJs.
- How do I find new SoundCloud uploads in a genre?
- Search for the genre or a related term, then use the upload date filter (last 24 hours, last week or last month) and the tag filter. Following the labels and DJs who post that genre does the same job over time through the Following feed.
- Are SoundCloud likes a good place to keep tracks I want to buy?
- They're fine for tracks you'll judge inside SoundCloud. If your other finds live in Shazam, Bandcamp or a streaming app, likes become one more half-list. Move the ones you're serious about into a single list you review regularly.