Being a DJ is, like all things, extraordinarily hard work if you want to become good at it. There is a lot more to it than simply spinning records and amping up the crowd. You need to have a wide and varied musical palate. There are tons of places to find new music. Some include BBC Radio 1, online music stores with their many lists of what's hot at the moment, forums, youtube, and other music playing websites like lastFM and Pandora. That said, here are some of the genres of music worth exploring if you want to get serious about professional audio equipment.
1. Electronic: This is probably the most popular form of music for DJ's to listen to because it embodies the DJ culture. When you explore electronic music you will find that there are hundreds of different subgenres, each representing their own smaller culture. For example, Ambient, Breakbeat, Disco, Downtempo, Garage, Industrial, Chiptune, Trance, House, Hardcore and Nu Rave are the main breakdowns. But within Garage, for example, are 2-step, 4x4, bassline, breakstep, dubstep, funky, grime and speed garage, all of which sound slightly different from each other. To become a master DJ means to immerse yourself in these forms of electronic music so that eventually you can use your own DJ equipment to take what you've heard and reinvent it.
2. Hip-Hop: For a long time, DJ equipment and a professional audio mixer have been closely related to this genre. Due to the need for a beat over which to rhyme, the electronic mixing of music with professional DJ equipment has long been a part of hip-hop. Today, the melding of the genre with electronic music shows that hip-hop is being reincarnated into a more personal, emotional genre of music and less of a gangbanger associated style.
3. Rock n' Roll: The oldest genre of music on this list, rock and roll evolved from the blues, gospel, and folk music during the 40's and 50's. With heavy emphasis on electric guitar, this genre still finds listeners today but has morphed into an electronic rock that can be called any number of things, from dance-punk, to new rave.
4. Indie: Today Indie rock is a verified genre of its own, and its influence is far-flung. With its roots in alternative rock, post-punk and new wave, it grew out of American and English music in the 80's and thrived in the 90's and 00's. With the mainstream success of bands like Modest Mouse, Death Cab for Cutie, and more recently The Arcade Fire, the influence of Indie music has mixed with hip-hop, rock, and electronic to produce sounds that shy away from the need to sell records. Thanks to the internet, music has begun a modern revolution, and indie is just part of it.
Modern music can be generally broken down into these four genres, but that doesn't limit what you should expose yourself to. To be a really great DJ means, first of all, getting professional DJ equipment, and second of all, listening to whatever you can. Good luck!
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