Record pools are very popular among DJs to download music. However, the monthly fee may be an obstacle for beginners when starting their hobby. Therefore many look for free DJ pools but they are hard to find. This article is all about free platforms that are very like free DJ pools.
What I am searching for in a free DJ pool
- The possibility to browse by genre
- The possibility to search through the library
- The possibility to download only what I like
- Saving time
Meeting these criteria, I have determined 3 platforms very much like DJ pools
Best free DJ pool alternatives
1. Private trackers
Private torrent trackers are what is the most resembling to DJ pools. It is hosted on a website, categorized by music style, and you can browse by artist, song or BPM. The main difference between DJ pools is that it uses torrents instead of direct download.
In order to have the platform keep running, most trackers impose a minimum share ratio. What that means is that you have to share a certain amount of music to be able to download. For instance, a ratio of 0.5 means you need to share at least 5 songs every 10 songs you download.
This sharing system is what helps many trackers to be free. They don’t need to pay for big servers since everyone on the platform helps sharing the files. The minimum ratio ensures that every music on the website stays available.
The best trackers are based on an invitation system meaning you need to know someone already in to subscribe. Sometimes one tracker may let anyone subscribe for a very short period of time, but these events are rare. Trackers are kind of private clubs that many don’t know about but are golden once you are in.
To find such sites simply search for the terms “house tracker”, “trance trackers”, etc on google. Reddit is also a useful place to find them. It is especially handy to find users to help you go in.
As on some record pools, downloading on some trackers may be illegal. Some trackers will provide only promos to help DJs grow and then remove the files once the track is released. But that’s not the case of many trackers. But in reality, that’s also true of some record pools. Indeed, some record pools don’t really have partnerships with labels as they claim, and this is really hard to verify. Hopefully, most DJ record pools seem legal. For trackers I believe it is the other way around, so be careful.
2. Soulseek
Soulseek is a free P2P client that is mainly used for sharing music. As many P2P clients it is possible to search by track name but what is interesting about Soulseek is browsing by users. Indeed, for each file you download, you can see who is sharing the file.
This is where Soulseek is interesting because you can find people that have the same music tastes as you and download music from their libraries. Users can organize their music by style, artist, year, etc. Therefore it is very useful once you find your need. You may even find folders or users specialized by labels!
However be careful about what you download. Indeed, as with every P2P platform, the file shared are not necessarily free of copyrights. When participating on a P2P platform, the files you download will then be shared, and sharing copyrighted music is a huge infringement against the law.
3. Specialized YouTube channels
Many YouTube channels specialize in specific music genres. Some of these channels even became so popular that they became music labels or brands used in music festivals. Some channels owned by labels even let you stream their music for free on streaming platforms. That’s the case for Anjunabeats, Spinnin’, and Proximity for instance. For a list of labels that authorize DJ streams freely, please read my other article: What music can DJs play on Twitch.
Therefore, browsing through YouTube on specialized channels is a good way to find music before downloading them on specialized platforms. Many beginners also like to use “Youtube to MP3 converter” sites or chrome extensions. This is my least favorite method, but that’s only my opinion.
The reason I am not a fan is because of the music quality: not everything is of great quality on YouTube. But I do know this is a popular option among beginners. As one of the main aims of this blog is to help beginner DJs, it seemed important to be named.
If you are on this page, there is a good chance you are a DJ interested in downloading music. Therefore I also recommend that you read my article: Best places for DJs to download music. I cover popular ways to download music among DJs both paid AND free.
