Author: Robert Simoes | Publisher: Aqua Flamingo Labs | Format: Ebook/Print | Published: 2025
Buy it on Amazon: Building a Great DJ Music Library
If you’ve ever asked “how do I actually build a DJ music library that doesn’t turn into a bloated, disorganized mess,” this is the book. Released last year by Robert Simoes, founder of learningtodj.com, Building a Great DJ Music Library is a practical, structured guide built specifically for electronic music DJs who want a repeatable system for finding, buying, and organizing tracks, instead of just hoarding downloads.
What the Book Is About
Most DJ education focuses on beatmatching, mixing, and gear. This book focuses on the part of DJing that happens away from the decks: music discovery and library curation: arguably a DJ’s most valuable long-term skill. The book argues that in the streaming era, unlimited access to music has actually made curation harder, not easier, since overwhelming choice, decreased exclusivity, and AI-generated tracks flooding the market have all made quality control a real challenge for modern DJs.
The EBP Funnel: The Book’s Core Framework
At the center of the book is the EBP Funnel, a three-stage workflow for turning chaotic “digging” into a repeatable curation process:
- Exploration: Discovering new music, genres, and styles across platforms like SoundCloud, DJ mixes, record pools, and record stores.
- Library Building: Sourcing and purchasing tracks from digital stores such as Beatport, Traxsource, Juno Download, and Bandcamp.
- Performance, Organization, Integration & Refinement: Tagging, rating, organizing (including Rekordbox workflows), and distilling a collection into sets that actually work on the dance floor.
Each stage filters the collection down, funnel-style, so DJs avoid the common trap of adding everything they hear and ending up with a bloated, unfocused library.
Who This Book Is For
- New and intermediate DJs who don’t yet have a system for finding music
- Bedroom and hobbyist DJs overwhelmed by streaming-era choice overload
- DJs transitioning from casual downloading to intentional, curated collecting
- Anyone who wants a practical roadmap to platforms like SoundCloud, Beatport, Traxsource, Juno Download, Bandcamp, and record pools
- DJs looking to improve their Rekordbox tagging, rating, and playlist organization systems
Key Topics Covered
- The shift from physical (vinyl) to digital DJ libraries, and what’s gained and lost
- A platform-by-platform breakdown of where to discover and buy electronic music
- How to use record pools and record stores strategically
- Rating systems, “energy star” tagging, and building “Proven Performers” playlists
- Situational tagging for different venues and crowds
- Balancing personal taste against what actually works for an audience
- Digital library health checks, backup strategies, and multi-device workflows for larger collections
About the Author
Robert Simoes is a hobbyist DJ and educator with over a decade of experience collecting, hunting, and playing electronic and house music. He is the founder of learningtodj.com, a blog and resource site focused on the theory of electronic music DJing, and shares additional DJ education through YouTube and podcast appearances.
Where to Get It
Building a Great DJ Music Library: A Structured Approach to Building a Winning Electronic Music DJ Collection is available now as an ebook on Amazon:
Frequently Asked Questions
What is “Building a Great DJ Music Library” about?
It’s a structured guide for electronic music DJs on how to discover, purchase, and organize tracks into a winning, curated collection, centered around a three-stage system called the EBP Funnel (Exploration, Library Building, Performance/Organization/Integration/Refinement).
Who wrote Building a Great DJ Music Library?
Robert Simoes, a hobbyist DJ and educator, and founder of learningtodj.com, wrote the book. It was published by Aqua Flamingo Labs in 2025.
What is the EBP Funnel?
The EBP Funnel is the book’s core framework: Exploration (finding new music across platforms), Library Building (purchasing and sourcing tracks), and Performance, Organization, Integration & Refinement (preparing, tagging, and using tracks in live sets).
What platforms does the book cover for finding DJ music?
The book covers SoundCloud, record pools, record stores, Beatport, Traxsource, Juno Download, Bandcamp, and streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, explaining how each fits into a DJ’s discovery and buying workflow.
Is this book for beginner DJs?
Yes! it’s written for new and intermediate DJs who want a practical system for music curation, though the organizational and refinement techniques (like Rekordbox tagging and “Proven Performers” playlists) are useful for more experienced DJs too.
Where can I buy the book?
It’s available as an ebook on Amazon: Building a Great DJ Music Library.
