Best Gifts for DJs and Producers Under £100
3 min readWhether you are a DJ/Producer looking for something to recommend for Christmas, or a family member stuck on what to buy, this guide will give you a helping hand. I have included some of the best gifts under £100 and an explanation of who might like them and why.
USB Sticks
USB sticks are an essential tool for DJs and producers. Whether it is for bringing music to play on a club’s setup, or for transferring files for projects, they are one of the top items on the list of things everyone must own. I have included several options – the first two will work great for performing DJs due to their high storage capacity (to hold all the necessary tracks) and rugged design, while the bulk pack would be a great idea for those handing mixes to promoters and labels.
External Storage
Not only are these essential for storing large sample libraries (electronic producers need a lot of storage space) they also allow for projects to be backed up. I have a dedicated hard drive for my sample libraries and software, and another dedicated to computer backups. These double up great for my university coursework, as well as work files, and also for storing a film collection.
For the average user, 1TB (1 terabyte AKA 1000 gigabytes) should be enough for a large sample library collection as well as general computer backups. If you want multiple people to be able to store their work on it or want to hold lots of films too, I recommend at least 2TB.
MIDI Keyboard
Even if you aren’t a piano player, if you are producing music, a MIDI keyboard is a great help. It means you can easily play melodies into the software instead of writing them in, note by note, with your mouse. The suggestion below is good because it is relatively small but will do the job. It should be noted that established pianists and more serious producers would require a larger MIDI keyboard with extra features.
Cable Organiser
DJs carry a lot of cables. The biggest risk is turning up to a gig and finding out that they don’t have an essential cable which is required for performance and so I always recommend a set of backups. Of course, this leads to the problem of having a messy bag and a tangle of cables so a dedicated cable organiser is highly recommended to save stress.
Blank CDs
This may be a bit obsolete these days with the ability to send files over the internet, and handing over a USB containing a mix is perhaps more professional as you can also include contact details and press releases. I would still advise people to have some blank CDs to hand. Especially for DJs, having some emergency tracks burned to a CD can be a lifesaver in the event that a USB drive fails. Producers too can use them to give away their latest tracks, even just to friends and family.
Headphone Adapters
Arguably the least sexy gift on the list, yet these may be appreciated more than you think. Like with the gift of socks, everyone needs them, and over time you discover how easy it is to lose/break the ones you have. Many bits of equipment don’t have headphone outputs which match the size on your phones and so these adapters are a great way to make sure you can plug in! They should be on the essentials list for every gig bag.
Strip Lighting
We all like to have our music production and DJ space set up as our happy place. Strip lighting can play a great role in enhancing the mood of the room as well as create an awesome vibe for pictures showing off our setups. These will surely be appreciated.
Books
I have compiled some of the best books for DJs and Producers below. Obviously, keep it relevant to the person, if they only DJ, stick with the DJing books, if they produce, the latter few may be more useful. My favourite book is “Mastering Audio: the Art and the Science”, which is especially useful for producers of all genres of music.
