Over the last couple of years I’ve posted quite a few bug reports, feature requests and improvement ideas here.
Some have been picked up, but quite a few are still waiting. Lately I also have the feeling that a lot of development attention goes towards new features and new controller mappings, while some long-standing issues and relatively small workflow improvements remain untouched.
So I thought it would be interesting to make my current Top 5.
My Top 5
1. Fix long-standing reliability bugs first
For me, this has become the most important one.
Some issues directly affect things you need to be able to trust during a live performance.
One example is the Echo Out timing issue. When a track is playing at a tempo other than its original BPM, Echo Out can still lose its correct beat timing. This is especially noticeable when using it on vocals with Neural Mix. Instead of ending cleanly on the beat, a vocal can suddenly be cut halfway through a word.
Another example is the beat-alignment issue I’ve reported with some tracks using Dynamic/Fluid Beatgrids, where Sync does not immediately align correctly during the first beats even though the beatgrid itself appears to be analysed correctly.
For me, BPM, Sync and Fluid Beatgrid behaviour are therefore part of this same category: the basic timing has to be dependable first.
These are not nice-to-have improvements. Existing DJ tools first need to be predictable and reliable when you use them live.
2. Better playlist and library workflow
For open-format DJs, playlist and library workflow is absolutely essential.
Native djay playlists still need some basic but very useful improvements, such as:
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Search
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Favorites
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Easily searching and pinning lists on top
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better navigation
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better tools to organise large collections
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a real “Not in Playlists” option
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better handling/synchronisation of metadata such as ratings
These may not be flashy headline features, but they save time over and over again during real use.
3. A much smarter Match / Related Tracks workflow
I would love to have more control over where djay searches for matches.
For example:
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search within the active playlist
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search within a selected playlist
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choose another defined part of My Collection
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get suggestions based on a selected track instead of only what is currently playing
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better support for half/double BPM matches
For open-format DJing, the context of a match is often just as important as BPM and key.
4. Stop changing my settings and workflow behind the scenes
This is another area that sounds small, but can become very annoying during a live set.
A good example is switching between local tracks and Spotify.
Spotify doesn’t support Neural Mix. So when you trigger an effect that was assigned to a stem, djay changes that effect back to the full track.
That part is understandable.
The problem is that the changed setting remains after switching back to a local track.
So if I normally have Echo Out assigned to Vocals, after playing a Spotify track I can suddenly find that my Vocal Echo Out is gone and I have to manually configure it again.
djay should remember the user’s preferred settings and restore them automatically whenever the selected source supports them again.
The same principle applies elsewhere: settings that I deliberately configured should not unexpectedly change just because I temporarily use another source or restart the software.
5. Better UX and visual clarity
This is a category that is often underestimated, but it can make djay much easier and faster to use.
There are many places where better visual design could give the user more information at a glance.
For example:
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show different kinds of matches more clearly, not just by giving the key a color
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visually distinguish between a normal match, an uplifting match, or an energy-down match
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in Related Tracks, visually show which suggestions are manually related and which come from the automatic matching system
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use a subtle outline, divider, icon or grey box to make those distinctions clear
These are the kinds of UX improvements that don’t necessarily add new features, but they can make the software much more intuitive and useful during a real DJ set.
Small improvements can make a big difference
Algoriddim has added a lot of impressive functionality and support for new controllers over the last few years.
But I would personally love to see a little more balance between adding new things and polishing the tools that existing users already depend on.
Sometimes the biggest gains really are in the seemingly small things.
What is your Top 5?
I’m curious what other long-time djay users would choose.
If you could pick only five bugs, improvements or missing features, which five would make the biggest difference to the way you actually use djay?
Not 20 requests. Not everything you’ve ever wanted.
Just your Top 5.
It would be interesting to see which issues keep coming back across different users. Maybe that can also give @Algoriddim a clearer picture of what existing users would most like to see addressed.
If djay wants to keep growing, it should not only add new things, but also polish the everyday tools loyal users already depend on.
