• Legal Mash Ups on Your Phone

• T-Mobile is Coming For Apple

• Don't Read The Manuals

• Google Takes On Siri

• Making A DJ Playlist with Aaron

• Hip Hop Current Crate

MashApp Lets Fans Create Legal Mashups – DJs, Should We Be Worried?

Ever thought your audience might try to out-mashup you from their smartphones? Well, with the new MashApp, fans can now legally create their own mashups using tracks from major artists, thanks to licensing deals with all three major labels. But before you start guarding your secret sauce, let’s dive into what this means for the DJ community.

What’s MashApp All About?

• Fan-Powered Mashups: MashApp allows users to create mashups using an intuitive interface, making it easy for anyone to blend their favorite tracks.

• Licensed Content: The app features tracks from major labels, ensuring that users can create and share their mashups legally.

• Social Sharing: Users can share their creations within the app’s community and on social media, potentially reaching a wide audience.

Should DJs Be Concerned?

Not really. While MashApp offers fans a taste of mashup creation, it doesn’t replace the skill, experience, and crowd-reading abilities that professional DJs bring to the table. Think of it as a gateway—some users might develop a deeper appreciation for DJing and seek to learn more, potentially expanding the community.

The Silver Lining

• Increased Engagement: Fans experimenting with mashups can lead to a greater appreciation for the art, possibly resulting in more enthusiastic audiences.

• New Talent Discovery: The app could uncover individuals with a knack for mashups, who might pursue DJing more seriously.

• Content Collaboration: DJs could collaborate with fans, using their mashups as inspiration or incorporating them into sets, fostering a more interactive experience.

In Conclusion: MashApp is more of a complement than a competitor to professional DJing. Embracing such technology can lead to new opportunities and a more engaged fan base. So, instead of worrying, consider how you can leverage this trend to enhance your own DJ journey.

👉 Read more about MashApp here

T-Mobile’s AI Phone - The Smartest Assistant You Didn’t Think You Needed

Because we clearly don’t have enough AI in our lives already, T-Mobile’s parent company, Deutsche Telekom, just announced its new AI-powered phone at MWC 2025—and it’s bringing some serious sci-fi vibes to the mobile world. This “AI Phone” comes loaded with Perplexity Assistant, a voice-powered AI designed to book your flights, find you the best pizza spot, and probably ignore your texts just like your friends do.

What’s the Deal with This AI Phone?

• Magenta AI Integration – This thing is packing Google Cloud AI, ElevenLabs, Picsart, and Perplexity to help you manage your life with voice commands. Whether that means organizing your DJ gigs or just yelling at it to play some deep house, it’s got you covered.

• A Voice-First Future – Tired of tapping on screens? The AI Phone is designed to run almost everything through voice commands—which sounds cool, until you’re in a loud club trying to ask it where the afterparty is.

• Midrange Specs, High-Tech Features – Don’t expect this to replace your flagship phone just yet. It’s rocking a budget-friendly Android build, some noticeable bezels, and a bright pink button (because branding matters, folks).

Why DJs & Tech Enthusiasts Should Care

• Streamline Your DJ Workflow – Imagine telling your phone to find trending tracks, book your next gig, or even generate setlists based on what’s popping in your city. AI integration like this could be a game-changer.

• AI-Assisted Creativity – If AI-powered DJ software, track curation, or even smart mixing suggestions become integrated into devices like this, we could be looking at a new era of music tech on-the-go.

• One Step Closer to a Full AI Ecosystem – Whether you love or fear AI, it’s clear that voice-driven tech is making its way into everything—so why not see how it might fit into your DJ or content creation workflow?

The Big Picture

Look, we’re not saying you’ll be talking to your phone more than your actual friends (though, let’s be real, who hasn’t argued with Siri before?). But the AI-powered phone concept is worth watching—especially if it means smarter tools for DJs, creators, and music lovers who want to stay ahead of the tech curve.

In our last poll we asked what DAW you are using and 42% responded “DJ.Studio”

AI is Here to Read Your Gear Manuals So You Don’t Have To

Let’s be honest—nobody actually reads gear manuals. You either guess your way through it, watch a random YouTube tutorial, or just mash buttons until something works. But thanks to AI, you might never have to squint at a 200-page PDF again.

Musician and YouTuber Mylar Melodies recently tested out Google’s Notebook LM, an AI tool that takes those confusing manuals and turns them into an interactive, ask-me-anything guide. Instead of scrolling endlessly for that one MIDI mapping setting, you can just ask the AI and get instant, to-the-point answers. Finally, technology working for us instead of making us feel dumb.

How AI is Making Gear Manuals Obsolete

• AI-Powered Q&A: Upload your gear manual into Notebook LM, and boom—it becomes your personal tech support, minus the annoying hold music.

• No More Endless Scrolling: Instead of searching page after page, just ask, “How do I assign FX to channel 3?”and get a real answer, instantly.

• Accurate & Reliable Info: Unlike random forums (or that one DJ friend who “knows everything”), AI pulls only from the actual manual—so it’s legit.

Why DJs Should Care

• Faster Learning – Skip the manual deep dive and get straight to actually using your gear. Whether it’s a new mixer, controller, or synth, you’ll be up and running faster.

• Unlock Hidden Features – AI won’t just show you the basics; it can help you discover tricks and functions you probably wouldn’t have found on your own.

• Less Guesswork, More Creativity – Instead of wasting time troubleshooting, you can focus on what actually matters—your mixes, sets, and music.

The Big Picture

AI isn’t here to replace DJs (yet), but it’s definitely making our lives easier. If you’ve ever been frustrated trying to figure out why your gear isn’t doing what you want, this could be a game-changer. No more trial-and-error—just quick answers and more time to create.

🚀 Would you trust AI to teach you your gear, or are you still rocking with old-school trial and error?

Google Gemini’s iOS Widgets – Siri, You Might Wanna Take Notes 📱🤖

Well, well, well… Google just dropped six new Gemini widgets for iOS, and let’s just say Siri should be feeling a little nervous right now. If you’ve ever yelled at Siri for misunderstanding literally everything, Gemini might be your new best friend.

What’s New & Why It’s a Big Deal

• 📌 Type Prompt – Skip the awkward “Hey Siri” fails and just type your AI queries like a normal human.

• 🎤 Talk Live – Have actual conversations with your AI, instead of getting one-word Siri responses that make you question your life choices.

• 🎙 Open Mic – Voice commands that (hopefully) won’t turn “Remind me to play house at 10 PM” into “Calling House Roofing Contractors.”

• 📸 Use Camera – Snap a pic of a tracklist, record pool, or event flyer and let Gemini actually give you useful info.

• 🖼 Share Image – Upload an image and get insights, creative ideas, or AI-generated remixes (Siri still hasn’t figured out how to do this).

• 📂 Share File – Drop a file in and let Gemini do something productive with it—not just stare at you in confusion.

Why DJs Should Care

• 🎛 Smarter Gig Management – Set reminders, organize your tracks, and stop forgetting set times like a pro.

• 🔍 Instant Track & Sample Searches – Find info fast without scrolling through endless Google results (or getting useless Siri answers).

• 🎶 AI-Assisted Playlist Building – Ask for song recommendations based on your set, and actually get relevant results.

The Big Picture

Look, if you’ve ever rage-quit a conversation with Siri, Google’s Gemini widgets might be exactly what you need. With faster responses, better AI-powered suggestions, and fewer misunderstandings, it’s looking like Gemini is here to make Siri feel very outdated.

🚀 Would you swap Siri for Gemini, or are you still holding out hope for Apple’s AI glow-up?

👉 Read more about Gemini’s iOS updates here

How to Build the Ultimate DJ Playlist (Without the Guesswork)

Creating a killer DJ playlist isn’t just throwing random bangers together—it’s about energy flow, crowd reading, and smart track selection. According to Aaron Traylor from Crate Hackers, nailing this takes strategy. Here’s the short version:

• ✅ Start with a Theme – Pick an era, genre, or vibe to keep it cohesive.

• ✅ Balance the Energy – Banger after banger = burnout. Use tempo waves to keep the crowd engaged.

• ✅ Watch the BPM & Key – Seamless transitions make or break the mix. No awkward jumps!

• ✅ Read the Room, Not Just Your Screen – “Serato Face” kills the vibe—look up and adjust!

• ✅ Always Have a Plan B – Backup playlists save you when the crowd flips the script.

Want to see exactly how it’s done? Watch Aaron build the perfect playlist in real time.

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