What is a DJ Drop?
You’ve probably heard the term “DJ drop” and are wondering what, exactly, it even means! Well, luckily, this article will give you an in-depth and comprehensive understanding of Custom DJ drops, so that you broaden your grasp of the subject. Additionally, there’s also a great deal of information on how DJ drops relate to branding, mixes, live shows, and mistakes. This should all be able to help you understand the subject a little better.
The first question you probably have is “What are DJ drops ?
A DJ drop is simply a cued sample of audio which contains a Voice saying a DJ’s name, and sometimes other messaging, like a catchy tagline (need script ideas? Check these out) with samples and bites of other pieces of audio and effects creatively mixed together. Fully produced dj drops will contain a main voice, (which will usually say a DJ’s Name, Tagline, Motto, or other message), FX underneath the voice, (like explosions, lazers, horns) and other vocal clips and or samples from songs that may be relevant to the Dj’s Name, music, and/or message. For example. you wanted a drop that said. “In the Mix with the Best..DJ Sample”, that could be recorded by a professional unique voice, and be used as just a dry drop (a dry drop is a drop that contains no other elements other than the recorded voice)
Here’s and Example of a Dry Drop.
Or using that same script you could create a fully produced or “wet drop” Which would contains effects and might go something like this”
FX: Explosion, In the Mix with the best (the word Best Echoed), FX: Lazer Sound DJ Sample! (with delay effects on the voice)
Here’s and Example of a Produced Drop
Most times, Drops, whether Dry, or Produced, are processed with EQ and Limiting and sometimes light reverb on the master bus, so that the audio drop can be heard clearly when played over a music track.
Check Out some samples of DJ Drops Created by us:
How Do They Apply to Branding and Promotion
Branding and promotion are the main reasons DJ’s use drops.
Here’s a couple ways that each type of a Drop are used for branding and promotion.
DJ DROPS FOR BRAND AWARENESS-
Picture this, You're at a club or live event, the Music is blasting at 110DB's, You're playing the hottest song out right now, and about to transition into another hot trending song, you kill the transition and the crowd goes wild when you bring in the 2nd song, This is the Moment! You Drop! Your DJ Drop in your Mix!! Why? Because right at this moment the audience has reached peak excitement, And you're letting them know who's responsible for this feeling they have by playing your DJ Drop. Now they associate your drop, your name and brand with that feeling you gave them with playing these songs. That's what DJ Drops were meant for, and that's how you build your band. Every large business in the world knows that feelings are the best way to connect their brand with customers, and many companies struggle. But a DJ Drop is an easy and quick way for DJ's to accomplish this type of connection with the audience.
BEAT TAGS FOR OWNERSHIP-
A beat tag is a very simple concept. It is simply a way of indicating that a certain DJ or producer is responsible for a song or beat by using a unique noise associated with them. Most Beat tags are heard at the beginning of a track (like the Maybach Music drop), And are usually a voice that has a hi pass filter set very hi to give it a crispy sound. Sometimes Beat tags are dry, but most times they may contain some Echo, reverb and delay. Using Beat Tags helps promote the producers name, and also claims ownership to the producers work so that no one else can try and take credit for the track or song.
This is very useful for branding, because the beat tag acts a way of getting a DJ’s name out there and making sure people remember their specific sound. It’s both simple and highly effective and this is why many DJs have taken to using this strategy in the recent future.
PODCAST INTROS FOR PROFESSIONAL AND EXCITING SOUND-
How do you kick off a Podcast, maybe by saying, Hi my name is blank, and this is the blank podcast show. Sounds exciting? not Really. How about a professional intro with a Deep Movie Trailer sounding voice, a Hype Voice, Professional or Sexy Female voice introducing your podcast show while having some cool music and other relevant sounds to hype your audience? That’s the best way to open your podcast, so that your show has a professional presentation and a sound your listeners wont forget. If you’re serious about your podcast, make a small investment and get a serious sounding drop to use as your intro.
Is It Important to Mixes
So, the next question is this: Is it important for mixes? The short and simple answer is yes, it is very important for mixes. There are a number of reasons for this, so we will go over two of the primary reasons, those being movie voices and radio voice overs.
The first reason that DJ drops can have a huge impact on mixes are movie voices. When you add a movie voice to your mix, you can instantly combined your sound with an already iconic and highly familiar sound. This subconsciously makes the listener associate those two sounds together, which is a great way to make your mix highly successful and popular.
Next, you have radio voice overs, which also have a strong beneficial component for mixes. Radio voice overs can give your mixes a charming quality by adding in something that the listener might find light-hearted or nostalgic. This makes them pay closer attention to the mix and it sears itself into their memory, allowing for another boost in popularity to your mixes.
What is the Impact one Live Shows?
So, now you might be thinking to yourself: “DJ drops sound cool, but can they really have that much of an impact on live shows?”
The answer is yes! As mentioned earlier, DJ drops can totally change up the atmosphere of a live show and fill it with energy and fun. When a DJ uses drops, it can give off a vibe of good spirits to the audience, which will get them moving and in the middle of the action much easier. By adding DJ drops into the mix, the whole environment of the live shown can be completely and totally transformed.
In addition to the atmosphere, DJ drops can also act as an attention-grabber. If the audience isn’t very focused on the music, a drop can pull them away from what they’re doing due to its unexpectedness and make them pay closer attention to the music. This way, the audience won’t view the music as background noise but rather, they will view it as an integral part of the whole experience they’re having.
The music will become a focus piece and maybe even the star of the show. This is, obviously, a very good effect to have from the DJ’s perspective!
HOW DOES IT RELATE TO MISTAKES
Finally, there’s the matter of mistakes. This isn’t where most people’s minds initially go when they think of the utility of DJ drops, but this is actually one of the most useful purposes that a DJ drop can be used for. Here’s why!
When a DJ makes a mistake, the first thing they’re going to want to do is either cover it up or, if that isn’t possible, to get the listener’s mind off of that mistake. This can be accomplished by the use of a drop. A drop will act as a sudden and unexpected distraction from the mistake of the DJ, which can either be used to conceal the mistake or otherwise make the listener forget all about it. This definitely comes in handy when you’re a DJ and in a tough spot!
In other words, the DJ drop can let you completely direct the listener’s attention to something other than a mistake you’ve made. It gives you a level of control and flexibility that you wouldn’t have otherwise, which will help you relax and get in the zone while experimenting with different sounds. Which is, ultimately, exactly what you want to do in the first place!
More for info, you can hear sample. order drops and more.