- Understand how DJ pools work
- Locate the best DJ pool that suits your taste and needs
- While you’re here, also check out our review of Tunebat BPM & Key Finder
The most crucial thing for any DJ is the music they play (kind of an understatement!). So, of course, sourcing that music is also equally as important.
Keeping a high-quality, diverse, and fresh music library can be tricky, which is why DJ pools are so popular.
Of course, streaming services (or even just paying for music and downloading to a USB) is another option but using a digital pool can be extremely advantageous.
What Is A DJ Pool?
DJ Pools (sometimes known as record pools) are a direct music service that allows a DJ access to a wide range of music that can be used at gigs.
DJ Pools usually charge a monthly fee for this, much in the same way that Spotify or Apple Music would, but the key difference is a Pool is designed specifically for club DJs to play live.
Sometimes this will come with other advantages such as pre-release music or early access to tracks.
Often they will offer ‘DJ-friendly’ tracks that are easy to mix and they almost certainly offer a more convenient option than using a typical streaming site.
Most will only be available to DJs and will require a disclaimer to be completed before granting access, to ensure that the Pool is being used by legitimate DJs.
If you’re looking to sign up for a DJ Pool but you aren’t sure which is right for you, here’s our list of the 7 best DJ Pools.
- Beat Junkies
- Late Night Record Pool
- BPM Supreme
- Crate Connect
- ZipDJ
- DJ CIty
- Club Killers
Learning how to DJ? Check out our guide to the 5 Best Online DJ Courses (Free and Paid).
1. Beat Junkies
Founded in 1992, Los Angeles-based Beat Junkies are revered as the world's greatest DJ Collective. Their record pool reflects this vast knowledge and collection of music.
Hailing from L.A. and founded in 1992, Beat Junkies record pool are widely regarded as the world’s greatest DJ collective.
Their Pool currently stands at a massive 62,371 MP3 files which can be accessed through various different subscription plans.
Their Starter plan gets you access to their digital library pool for $35 per month. This includes unlimited 320 KBPS downloads with all files including title, artist, bpm as well as the year of release.
Their Pro plan is the most expensive coming in at $360 per year but this includes a 15% saving and offers some extras such as complimentary membership to Beat Junkies online DJ school and a 25% discount on all merchandise.
Check out Beat Junkie’s price plans here.
2. Late Night Record Pool
From Top 40 to your favorite Throwbacks, from Future House to Trap to Twerk, LNRP has you covered for all your DJ needs.
Late Night Record Pool has a huge and diverse range of music to download, from Rock to Country to Reggae.
Tracks can be sourced by genre or decade and you can even browse by trending, top downloads, or new music. Their tracks are professionally curated and include clean, dirty, acapella and instrumental versions.
With over 10,000 releases available you’re bound to find exactly what you need, and you can download each release as a convenient zip file.
There are several price options to choose from depending on your needs with their Monthly Plan working out the cheapest if you want to pay month by month.
Subscribing to Late Night Record Pool will cost you $47 per month however other options are available including their 6 Month Plan which will save you 20%, through to their Yearly Plan which is billed annually at $397 but saves you 30% overall.
For more information and to subscribe head over to Late Night Record Pool.
3. BPM Supreme
BPM Supreme delivers all of the music you need in one dedicated source.
BPM Supreme is a super easy platform to use and includes a mobile app for iOS and Android, making them one of the most convenient to use record pools on the list.
Their tracks are curated directly from record labels on a daily basis with each track being high quality and DJ ready. All you need to do is pick a plan and start downloading!
Their mobile app is a massive benefit to using BPM Supreme, with the ability to browse by genre, version, and BPM. If you’re after convenience then they are easily one of the best DJ Pools.
You can also access their extensive sample library, BPM Create, designed for creative DJ’ing, that includes one-shots, stems, effects loops, and more.
In terms of pricing, BPM Supreme offers two services, Standard and Premium, at $19.99 and $29.99 per month respectively (with the first month being priced at $9.99 for the first month).
Both offer access to the mobile app, high-quality downloads, and track preview, with the Premium also offering playlists, curated sets, and high-quality streaming.
For more details on plans and benefits, head to BPM Supreme’s website.
4. Crate Connect
Established in 2003, Crate Connect Record Pool is one of the largest sources of promotional-only music worldwide.
Established in 2003, Crate Connect offers one of the largest music pools in the world, offering tracks to club, radio, wedding, and tour DJs.
Subscribing to Crate Connect gives you access to exclusive edits, remixes, and transitions, with over a hundred genres to choose from.
Whilst a lot of digital music pools allow you to download MP3s, Crate Connect provides high-quality WAV files with new music added daily.
Their pool can be accessed via desktop or mobile with three pricing options: 30 days, 90 days, and 180 days.
Their 30-day plan is the cheapest in terms of upfront cost at $22, however, their 90-day plan will save you $11 and is priced at $55 with their 180-day plan offering a $33 saving and being priced at $99.
For more information on plans, genres and benefits head over to Crate Connect’s digital pool.
5. ZipDJ
ZIP DJ's genre specialists select, curate, and compile the best tracks for your convenience to meet all your DJ needs.
Claiming to be one of the most elite record pools for professional DJs, ZipDJ uploads hundreds of new tracks each week for download in over 60 sub-genre categories.
Signing up allows you to search and preview tracks filtered by artist, release, track genre and label with a hotkeys option allowing you to gain a fast preview of music with easy key commands.
ZipDJ is one of the record pools on our list that offer the most diverse range of paid plans, with two intro plans and three pro unlimited plans.
Their intro plans start at $25 and $30 per month, offering 50 downloads and 100 downloads per month respectively, great if you’re just starting out or playing shorter sets.
Their pro plans offer bigger savings the longer you subscribe with their 12-month plan (billed at $35 per month) offering a 30% overall discount.
Pro plans offer unlimited downloads with curated packs/playlists.
Find out more about ZipDJ and their various plans here.
6. DJ City
DJcity is a promotional music subscription service that enables professional DJs to download the latest club and radio music in MP3 format.
DJ City offers both a record pool and DJ streaming service that allows you to DJ offline without WiFi.
Selecting only the best music for its online services, DJ City has become known as one of the top DJ Pools and also one of the most trusted.
Subscription benefits include a bulk download function, allowing multiple downloads at one as well as curated playlists and an enhanced search function.
Even better, subscribing will only cost $30 for a one-month plan, with their six-month plan offering the most savings at $150 ($30 in savings).
The one downside is DJ City’s DJ Pool catalog doesn’t include throwbacks and classic tracks, with more of a focus on new material.
For more on DJ City, including their pricing plans, head over to their website.
7. Club Killers
Long established on the DJ scene, Club Killers are one of the best record pools for DJs if looking for EDM, trap, and hip hop music.
Long established on the DJ scene, Club Killers are one of the best record pools on our list if you’re looking for EDM, trap, and hip hop.
Club Killers host their own podcast with every episode coming with exclusive tracks you can find in their record pool. You’ll also be able to access a wide range of edits taken from popular tracks using their ‘CK Cuts’ feature.
They might not be the most suitable option if you’re looking for a huge range of genres to download, but you can be sure what you’re getting will be high quality!
Check out Club Killer’s official site for more.
8. Promo Only
Promo Only Limited is the leading DJ pool service in the UK that consistently supplies DJs, bars, and club venues with the highest quality music and music video content of all genres.
Promo Only is a UK-based DJ Pool that has consistently been voted ‘Number 1 Promotional Service’ for 10 years in the International Dance Music Awards.
Their subscriptions cover a huge range of options based on genres such as Chart Audio, Latin Audio, and Modern Rock Audio.
Even more unique is that they offer video packages too which include the latest music videos in various genres.
Prices range from £10 up to £40 per month (roughly $13 up to $52) with the option to compile multiple subscriptions.
For more information on Promo Only head to their website.
9. CD Pool
CD Pool is a fully licensed music curation service created with the sole aim of bringing the best music to DJs in whatever genre of music they play.
CD Pool has been supplying music to DJs since 1994. Subscribers can choose to have their music on MP3, high-quality lossless files, or on CD.
You’ll find a massive range of options with a CD pool, and rather than just subscribing and searching you can easily find packs that include mixes of chart music, electro, dubstep, and even collections of classics and the most requested songs of all time.
The one downside is each pack requires a subscription, meaning if you want to branch over several genres then you may end up paying a bit more than other DJ Pools on this list.
However, if you are after a specific style of music, then CD Pool is a solid choice.
For more on pricing options, subscriptions and packages head over to CD Pool.
FAQ’s
How Are DJ Pools Legal?
You might be wondering how DJ Pools are legal. However, they are a direct music service that works with record labels and adheres to proper licensing policies.
Essentially, they do things by the book and ensure that artists still get paid for the use of their music!
Much like popular streaming services like Spotify or Tidal, a DJ would have to pay a subscription fee to have access to a record pool’s bank of music which further legitimizes how they work.
DJ Pools will often only allow professional DJs a subscription, which further distinguishes them from a normal streaming service that would be subscribed to for personal use.
How Do I Know If A DJ Pool Is Legal?
If you’re going to be playing music from a DJ Pool in clubs then it’s important to know you are working with a legitimate organization.
Granted, the chances of the police storming the club and asking for details of which DJ Pool you are subscribed to are pretty slim, but if you’re going to be doing this professionally you need to ensure what you are doing is correct.
The Terms and Conditions page is a good place to start and check if the site adheres to copyright and which regulatory bodies they are members of or belong to.
Checking their price can also be a good indicator of whether the Pool is legal or not. As you’ll see in this list, most DJ Pools are charging around $30 per month minimum.
Anything cheaper and you might want to question why the cost is lower (ie are they cutting corners?).
Why Use A DJ Pool?
A DJ Pool usually comes with added benefits to their subscription plan that you wouldn’t get from simply downloading music yourself.
First of all, you can be safe in the knowledge that the music you are downloading is legal and fully authorized to be played at a gig or club (and we all know the tight rules around music licenses!).
Additionally, you’ll usually find your record pool offers other advantages such as remixes, intros, outros, samples, and more.
DJ Pools are tailor-made to make a DJ’s life easier with intuitive ways to discover, download and play new music.
How Do I Submit My Song Or Music To A DJ Pool?
A lot of the time music for DJ Pools will be sourced directly from a label. If you’re signed to a label then of course you have an instant advantage!
If not, you would need to contact each DJ Pool individually that you want to be listed on.
That’s not a hard and fast way to get your music heard and it’s worth taking the time to research if the Pool you are looking at will take submissions before reaching out.
What Is The Benefit Of A Label Signing Up To A DJ Pool As An Artist?
The benefits are very different from uploading a track to a streaming site.
For a record label, uploading their artist’s music to a DJ Pool offers exposure in clubs and gigs. This is the reason why, if you sign up for a DJ Pool, you will be vetted to ensure you are a professional DJ.
A label providing you with the music means the track will be heard by more people and in turn, be bought by more people.
What Are My Rights If I Download A Track From A DJ Pool?
When it comes to playing music live, ownership can be a tricky subject. But essentially if you download a track from a DJ Pool, you own that track in that you are able to play it live and edit, change or remix it.
This does however differ from owning the copyright. That still remains with the label and the artist, meaning you are unable to sell the music or use it for commercial gain.
Are There Any Free DJ Pools?
There are some free options for DJ Pools available, which can be great if you’re looking to save money or perhaps you’re just starting out DJ’ing.
Of course, you’ll likely find the music on there will be mostly from smaller, unsigned, or underground artists with ‘bigger’ and newer tracks being made available through paid DJ Pool options.
It’s worth doing your research as you need to make sure the Pool you are signing up for is legal.
Particularly if it’s free and promises big things, definitely do a thorough check to make sure you know what you are signing up for.
Can I Cancel My DJ Pool Subscription Anytime?
You’ll need to refer to the t’s and c’s of the specific DJ Pool you have subscribed to, but most offer the option to cancel anytime.
If you can afford to though, paying for a subscription longer than one month will usually secure you a discount versus the normal monthly price.
It’s unlikely that if you were to cancel mid-way through this period you would get a refund, so be careful before jumping into a 6-month or 12-month membership.
Its also worth properly researching the platform before subscribing, to see if the benefits of a more expensive package are worth it for you as it can be quite costly, particularly if you are starting out, to subscribe to a top-tier package if you aren’t likely to use the benefits.