Eli5 – What is a DJ like Tiesto actually doing when performing a live show?

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I don’t really know much about the process of remixing a song but I can imagine it is a process that is like editing a video – layering tracks, adding beats, etc. They are clearly not doing that kind of editing live so they are basically playing something that’s already had some amount of that already done.

So what are they doing live besides maybe mixing between songs?

I just don’t understand what all the knob fiddling is about.

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Anonymous 0 Comments

DJs usually just mix between songs. The goal is basically to make the transitions between songs smooth and almost unnoticeable. They do this by fading the audio as well as using the EQ to bring in certain elements (bassline, vocals, etc.) at different times to make the transition seamless.

Some DJs are a lot better than others though. A lot of the mainstream ones don’t actually do much and just [jump around a bunch while letting a song play](https://youtu.be/Nh9C7nQHmII), while others will have [3-4 songs going at once](https://youtu.be/HRAIgLE1JYQ) (different elements from each) while queuing up a 4th, basically creating a remix live.

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