Club goers want to hear the latest chart music, but not every piece of DJ equipment UK is synced up with the latest tunes. Even the most expensive DJ equipment won’t sound right if it is playing yesterday’s hits. By purchasing and downloading music in MP3 format, anyone who uses DJ gear can be sure that they have the latest UK Dance Chart tracks on the speakers.

The Official Charts Company set up the UK Dance Chart to monitor the trends in what gets played on DJ gear. Technically, the chart itself does not receive any airplay per say. It is compiled purely from individual sales of music. Digital downloads began to be considered in June 2009. The sales of compact disc and LP format music were the only metrics considered before that time. While all three types of music distribution are important for performance on a wide range of DJ equipment, digital downloads are becoming more prominent.

Perhaps one of the reasons that individual users of DJ gear are so apt to switch to downloading MP3 format music is that in doing so they can get things instantly. While some people are quick to criticise the digital marketplace as glorifying instant gratification, this is something that can be truly important in the DJ equipment industry. The newest beats can be mixed on whatever DJ gear is available to produce a new sound in a matter of minutes.

DJ equipment is bulky by itself, but it gets even worse when one considers how much individual records and compact discs can way even before the DJ gear itself is considered. While the distribution technique certainly makes chart music appear on DJ gear instantaneously, digital downloads do have other benefits. They can be used as a way to make the DJ equipment load less of a burden. The use of special DJ equipment like vinyl emulation software can even make for an interesting show. Software based DJ gear like this comes in a variety of packages that can fit with numerous DJ gear installations.

Licensing, however, can be a complex thing. A digital DJ license is required for those who operate DJ gear to publicly play copyrighted digital music in the United Kingdom. While having an electronic copy of a hit dance track certainly makes running a stack of DJ equipment easier, it does come with a few obstacles. Indeed, those who run any type of DJ equipment with copyrighted digital music must ensure that they are not in violation of the law. This is even true of vinyl emulation software and other pieces of virtual DJ equipment.

The license can cover MP3 music downloaded directly to a computer, though it can also cover music copied from other formats depending on the terms. The Phonographic Performance Limited or the dubbing operators that work under it, along with the Mechanical-Copyright Protection Society, grant licenses. One eminently needs to check that they have obtained the appropriate licensing before any chart music MP3 files are publicly played on DJ gear.