Creating A DJ Mix In Ableton Live

The full video tutorial is below.

Ever since I saw Armin Van Buuren dj-ing live in A State Of Trace, I wanted to know how to create my own DJ sets.

Loading The Tracks In Ableton

Drag and drop one song onto it’s own audio track in Ableton.

Here’s how it should look like:

Warping The Songs

Correct warping in Ableton aligns the songs to the beatgrid.

I wrote a full guide on How To Warp Songs In Ableton.

Make sure to read it before you continue.

Choosing A Mix-In Point (Song A)

We choose a point in song A where it sounds good to bring in song B.

What you need to know before choosing a mix-in point:

  • phrase mixing
  • beat mixing
  • automation in Ableton

Mixing in phrase makes sure the parts of the songs being mixed overlap correctly.

When song A ends, song B comes in perfectly and it sounds like a perfect transition.

The best reaction I get is when people tell me: Wow, I didn’t even know a new song started.

We can’t just mix anywhere in the song, we must overlap the songs correctly.

It’s not just about beatmatching, but about getting the songs to mix in (musical) phrase.

For this, check my Song Structure Guide (Coming Soon).

Adding EQ

Make sure the left hand side panel is activated in Ableton with Ctrl + Alt + B

From under Audio Effects -> EQ & Filters, drag EQ Three onto the first track.

Then another EQ Three onto the second track.

Bass Swap

Exporting

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