5 predictions from Digital DJ Tips on what 2012 will offer to the DJ world

From turntables to Serato Scratch Live, DJ tools have already experienced their own extreme technological revolution. So with the advent of so many new options, what is in store for the 2012 edition of this trade? Check out these 5 Predictions from Digital DJ Tips on what we can expect to see - and how we can expect to hear it in 2012.

1. The iPad will move into digital DJing territory

Imagine being able to show up to a DJ gig with just your iPad and a pair of headphones. Not only are iPads easier to bring as carry-on luggage, they’re also sturdier, lighter, and sleeker than laptops. Chances are that dedicated DJ hardware and software that use iPads for their library and waveform display will be in the pipeline for 2012.

2. Manufacturers who can deliver the full controller experience will pull ahead

Products such as the Pioneer DDJ-T1 controller, which was released last year with a “Pioneer Edition” Traktor, have helped set the bar high for a future of products that will come customized, with pre-integrated software options. With increasing amounts of Internet communities and forums around products, users are telling companies directly what does and does not work. It’s survival of the fittest, and the companies that listen are the ones that will be poised to create the products that will last.

3. More non-jogwheel all-in-one controllers will enter the market

The Novation Twitch, which was released in 2011, pioneers this category as a wonderful addition to DJs who are either booth minimalists or who did not come from a background of using turntables or CDJs. Because the Novation Twitch touchstrips are such a fine replacement to jogwheels, there’s an extreme likelihood that this category will be brimming with competition in 2012.

4. A competing manufacturer will try a full-on assault on Traktor

This year may be all about tying the pieces together, an advantage Native Instruments currently leads with their S2 and S4 Traktor software options, which ties software and hardware components together. Other manufacturers may catch on to this convenience in 2012 and create compatible software for their hardware (or vice verse) this year.

5. Cloud DJing will go mainstream

The number of people who already have their music in the iTunes Match cloud is growing and with Spotify opening it’s API, it will only be a matter of time before manufacturers begin to incorporate Spotify into their software. DJs are bound to start using their laptops to access tunes from iCloud/iTunes Match and/or Spotify, which would legitimately be cloud-based DJing. This prediction will open up a world for DJs and their music libraries, shutting down future chances for DJs to tell song-requesting party-goers, “Sorry, I don’t have that track.”

Check out the full list of these predictions on Digital DJ Tips.