• Let The Robots Deal With The Emails

• Apple Music Is Learning to DJ — Should You Be Nervous?

• Aaron's Cheat Codes

• 3 New DJ Apps

See Inside EvenSteve’s Wordplay Creation Process

Tonight we go LIVE with one of the most respected and clever editors in the game — Even Steve.

He’s a Club Killers legend. His edits are known for clean structure, creative transitions, and hilarious wordplay that actually WORKS on the floor.

And now, he’s walking us through:

• His edit process start to finish

• What tools he uses to remix effectively

• His real crates — live, unfiltered, and raw

🧠 Smart songs

🎚️ Smooth blends.
🎯 Real strategy behind every pick.
🎥 Live on Twitch + cratehackathon.com

🗓️ Tuesday, 8PM ET / 5PM PT

AI Just Crashed the Wedding…and It’s Not Leaving

Let’s be real — most of us didn’t get into weddings to write 42 emails a week or spend three hours perfecting a caption that sounds “fun but professional.” But now? AI is the silent partner every DJ, planner, and florist never knew they needed.

According to a 🔥 new guide from WeddingPro, AI isn’t just a nerdy gimmick anymore — it’s that digital sidekick that helps you sound slick, look sharp, and save your damn time.

What’s AI Doing for Wedding Pros (Besides Not Eating Vendor Meals)?

• 🎯 Email Cleanup Crew:

  Tired of writing the same “Thanks for inquiring!” message for the 89th time? Tools like ChatGPT or Gemini can draft it faster than you can say “Do you take requests?”

• 🎨 Design Without the Drama:

  Canva’s AI is out here making promo flyers and IG stories look legit—no Photoshop degree required.

• 🧠 Idea Generator, Not Procrastinator:

  “Write me 3 Instagram captions for a beach wedding” — boom, done.

  “Make it fun but not cringe” — it hears you.

• ✏️ Your Proofreader That Doesn’t Judge:

  Grammarly + AI = copy that’s smooth, smart, and typo-free — without the “did you really just write that?” energy.

Real Prompts from Real Wedding Geniuses

(Yes, steal these.)

• “Make this email sound less like a robot, more like a cool human with a clipboard and a killer playlist.”

• “Write a thank-you email that’s not cheesy but still makes the couple cry a little.”

• “Turn my voice note ramble into an actual caption that doesn’t make me sound like I’ve had 3 Red Bulls.”

🔥 Why DJs & Creatives Should Care

• 🕒 More time to mix and less time to micromanage your inbox.

• 💸 Level up your brand voice — because “fun + professional + bilingual + slightly emotional” isn’t writing itself.

• 📈 Stay ahead while everyone else is still trying to spell “algorithm” right.

✅ DOs & DON’Ts (For the AI-Curious Crowd)

• ✅ DO give AI direction. It’s smart, not psychic.

• ✅ DO tweak the output. You’re the talent — it’s just your ghostwriter.

• ❌ DON’T copy/paste like it’s 2011. Everyone can smell AI that hasn’t been seasoned.

• ❌ DON’T ignore it. That’s like refusing to use Serato crates in 2025.

TL;DR:

AI won’t DJ your set (yet), but it’ll absolutely help you book more of them.

It’s like hiring a 24/7 intern with no attitude, no lunch breaks, and serious copy skills. Just tell it what you want, slap some of your sauce on it, and go make magic.

📖 Want the full playbook?

Check the WeddingPro guide: How Wedding Pros Use AI

🔊 Future-proof your workflow. Let the robots handle the busywork while you handle the bangers.

Apple’s New AutoMix — Taking a Cue from DJs (and Spotify)

Just announced at WWDC 2025, Apple Music’s AutoMix is finally stepping into the booth — or at least next to it. It’s a sleek new feature that beat-matches, blends, and transitions your playlist tracks automatically using AI-powered timing and tempo detection.

If that sounds familiar, it’s because Spotify’s AI DJ has already been doing something similar — narrating tracks, adjusting moods, and DJing your day like a virtual Zane Lowe. But Apple? They’re skipping the talk and going straight for the vibe.

AutoMix vs. Spotify AI DJ: Who’s Rocking the Aux Better?

🎧Why Apple’s Move Is DJ-Culture Approved

• Time-stretching and tempo matching are now baked into your phone. This isn’t just gapless playback — it’s algorithmic mixing.

• AutoMix is subtly reinforcing that Apple understands the art of transitions, something DJs have lived and breathed for decades.

• It also lands at a time when Apple has added:

  • DJ Mixes on Apple Music

  • Spatial Audio support for live sets

  • Integration with apps like djay Pro and Serato

This isn’t a one-off gimmick — Apple is clearly turning some of its billions toward real-time audio curation, a.k.a. the DJ’s domain.

🔍What It Means for DJs Like You

• Crate Testing: Preview how your playlist transitions sound before ever touching a jog wheel.

• Low-Stress Background Sets: Cocktail hour? Rooftop lounge? Let AutoMix hold it down while you sip something cold.

• Client Demo Tool: Let couples or clients hear how songs will flow, not just play. Bonus points for subtle flexing.

🚧But Let’s Be Real…

• You’re still the DJ. This won’t replace actual set-building, EQ control, or crowd reading.

• The transitions? Clean, but not “double drop” creative.

• The vibe? Think well-produced lounge radio, not peak-hour warehouse fire.

TL;DR:

Apple is taking DJ culture seriously — not to replace us, but to make our tools more accessible, more intelligent, and more seamless. AutoMix isn’t a club banger, but it’s a sign that music tech giants see where the future’s headed: real-time curation with DJ logic at its core.

📲 AutoMix drops with iOS 26 and macOS Tahoe later this year. Start practicing your “I did it better” face now.

In our last poll we asked Could AI Shape The Future of DJying. 43% responded: “Yes – AI tools will be my co-producer soon”

Aaron’s Cheat Codes: WordPlay Edition

You know that moment when a DJ transition hits so hard the whole room goes silent, then explodes? That wasn’t just timing — it was lyrical precision.

Tonight, on the Crate Hackathon, we are breaking down a next-level strategy that too many DJs sleep on: wordplay transitions. These are clever, lyric-based blends that turn ordinary sets into memorable storytelling moments.

Whether you’re spinning at a bilingual wedding, a rooftop lounge, or an underground rave, these 5 techniques will give your transitions that “how did they do that?” effect.

🎯 1. One-Word Wonder

• The move: Stack two songs around a shared keyword and loop the word into the transition.

• Example: Loop “work” from Work From Home (Fifth Harmony) and slam in Rihanna’s Work.

• Why it works: The beat changes, the lyric doesn’t — creating a seamless, clever pivot that feels like magic.

  💡 Pro Tip: Use lyric sites or your DJ software’s search to find repeatable words across genres.

🧠 2. Set-Up & Punchline Mixing

• The move: Use one lyric to set up a phrase, then punch in a second track that finishes the line.

• Example: Nicki Minaj: “I’m the baddest alive…” → Drop Eliza Rose: “She’s the baddest of them all.”

• Why it works: It’s hilarious, unexpected, and feels like a scripted mic drop — minus the mic.

💡 Pro Tip: Ask AI to help finish the lyric setup with tracks from different genres.

🌍 3. Thematic Tag Team

• The move: Build a mini-story using tracks that share a lyrical theme (like “money,” “love,” or “party”).

• Example: ABBA’s Money, Money, Money → Cardi B’s Money.

• Why it works: Genre doesn’t matter — the theme keeps the vibe connected across time and style.

💡 Pro Tip: Google a theme word + “song lyrics” and start building your word chain.

🧨 4. Double-Meaning Drop

• The move: Drop a track with the same keyword but a totally different meaning.

• Example: LMFAO’s Shots (party anthem) → Imagine Dragons’ Shots (emotional ballad).

• Why it works: The context flip catches the crowd off guard — and they love it.

💡 Pro Tip: Use this sparingly for max effect — like a plot twist in your set.

📍 5. Name-Drop Connection

• The move: Transition between songs that name-drop the same person or place.

• Example: Afro B’s Joanna → Kool & The Gang’s Joanna.

• Why it works: It bridges eras and genres in a way that instantly resonates.

💡 Pro Tip: Use your track title search bar — names and cities are low-hanging creative fruit.

🤖 Bonus Tip: Use AI to Hack Your Lyric Game

Aaron recommends using GPT-4 (Turbo if you’ve got it) to brainstorm new wordplay pairings across genres.

Prompt ideas:

• “Find 3 EDM tracks and 3 hip-hop tracks that all use the word ‘fire’”

• “What song could finish this lyric: ‘I’m too hot…’?”

AI isn’t replacing your ears — just supercharging your imagination.

👀 Don’t miss Aaron breaking all this down LIVE at tonight’s Hackathon.

Grab your crates, fire up your loops, and let’s get lyrically dangerous.

Three Free DJ Tools Born at 30,000 Feet

This week, Aaron—yes, that Crate Hacker—accidentally built three powerful DJ tools mid-air using nothing but Delta Wi-Fi, AI, and sheer boredom in seat 14C. What started as “let’s see what happens” turned into a full-on DJ toolkit revolution, and he’s giving it all away for free.

Plus, he breaks down how he built it all using AI-powered “vibe coding” (no code experience required) through a tool called famous.ai — proving that the future of DJ tech might just be made by DJs themselves, not devs.

BONUS: We’ve got a special 7-day free trial of Crate Hackers so you can take your crate digging to the next level. Grab it here: https://www.cratehackers.com/7daytrial