That thing where everyone knows something to be true, but now someone crunches the numbers to actually prove it. Back in July of 2013, we asked if the DJ Mag Top 100 DJs list even mattered, only to realize earlier this year that it probably does, primarily because a number of the artists who end up on this annual list are paying for some heavy campaigning. Now the immediate question is "why?," and we've always had the same answer: promoters (and anyone else looking to get their hands on big name EDM talent) will look at these numbers and use this poll as a measuring stick on who matters and who doesn't. You can shrug your shoulders and ho-hum about it, but thanks to this handy infographic, there's proof to what many have been saying all along.
In a study conducted by Galavantier (which is described as being "an online Las Vegas travel company specializing in curating one-of-a-kind travel experiences") to "showcase the impact of the world’s top ranking DJs on the Las Vegas music scene," they found that of the 100 DJs on the list, 64 of them performed in Las Vegas this year, with 55 of them playing at the Las Vegas edition of the Electric Daisy Carnival. Some of the bigger spots, like Hakkasan and Marquee, seem to pull in residencies from this pool as well. Galavantier's president and CEO Marko Greisen made it clear, saying that "[i]t's important to showcase how DJMag.com’s prolific list of Top 100 DJs for 2014 impacts the electronic music scene in Las Vegas." He goes on to say that "[a]fter diligent research, we have found that Las Vegas is at the epicenter for performances by a majority of these talented DJs."
You hear that? DJ Mag's fan-voted list has a direct impact on the scene in Vegas (which happens to be one of the biggest hotbeds for EDM in the United States). It's no different than talk of clubs booking DJs based on Facebook likes or producers being plucked by labels based on how many plays their song got on SoundCloud. The problem is that, to get ahead, it's easier for many to grease the wheel, get their numbers up, and start to collect on that investment than it is to put in legwork and get the word out on their work.
Mind you, Greisen, Galavantier, and the promoters behind the biggest clubs in Vegas aren't seeing this as a bad thing; their aim is to draw people into Vegas as a destination spot, either for local EDM heads or people from across the nation (and the world), as more asses in the club means more money coming in. That's awesome for them; get money. What we fear for is what they're doing by keeping the same big DJs in the same positions means for the future of the scene in general. These DJs aren't being thrust into the limelight because of their actual talent, or how unique their sets are—DJ Mag makes sure to say that this is a fan-voted poll (or "popularity contest," as Paris Blohm put it) that ends up having a much bigger impact than many realize. The poll ends up being made up of DJs playing the same songs for people who will more than likely get you kicked off the decks if you stray from what they were expecting to hear. You know where this all leads, right? Nothing changes, while the same DJs ride the high off a cliff and take the entire EDM scene with it.
This is definitely not something that's singular to EDM, but with EDM being driven by festival culture here in the States, it would make sense that those looking to ascend the ranks quickly would have no problem making it rain on the ad department and hoping they come up big. Considering that numbers like these further cheapen what was considered to be an accurate look at the DJ landscape when it first hit, this is discouraging. Not a surprise at all, but very discouraging. Check out the infographic below.
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(EDM.com)
