Beatport LINK streaming for DJ Software launches today, Beatport CLOUD goes into beta

Last October, we revealed that online music store Beatport would roll out streaming and subscription models in 2019. Today, we’re sharing the news that both are finally being released to DJs. Beatport LINK will start streaming music from the massive Beatport library directly into Pioneer DJ’s new WeDJ 2.0 app today – for $15/month.

Beatport CLOUD also goes into beta today – which essentially will allow Beatport users to re-download any of their tracks and get access to full track previews with needle drop.

Beatport LINK: Stream Beatport’s Library Into DJ Software

Concurrent with Pioneer DJ’s announcement of the new DDJ-200 controller and WeDJ 2.0 app, Beatport LINK is being launched today. The subscription service ($14.99/month; 30 day trial available) will allow DJs to load streaming tracks directly into DJ software. Starting today, it’s possible to stream tracks into the free iPhone WeDJ app, but no other softwares yet.

Integration with Rekordbox DJ is expected in Fall 2019, and additional integrations with “a host of other key partners throughout 2019”. It feels a bit like Pioneer DJ really pushed Beatport for the exclusive here, but to me, odds are pretty good we’ll see LINK in Serato and Traktor before the year is up.

Here’s what you need to know about Beatport LINK:

• 6.6 million tracks+ are included in the streaming service. Note that this is not the entire Beatport catalog. Beatport shared with us:

We have focused our efforts on getting the best labels onboard so pretty much all of our top content is available. For example, 90 of our Top 100 labels have their complete catalogs available to stream.

• Offline Performance Mode is coming soon – this is the Pulselocker-style technology. Here’s what Beatport had to say about this mode, which will be a part of future integrations:

“The Offline Performance Mode allows the user to temporarily save a certain number of tracks in a digital locker so they can be played offline (with no internet connection) in a live performance environment (e.g. clubs and festivals).

The tracks are encrypted as they are written to the digital locker.

The tracks temporary stored in the digital locker can be changed as many times as the user wants as long as the number of tracks does not exceed the allowed number of tracks to be saved in the digital locker.”

• Files are temporarily locally cached in memory when loaded into track decks – so if there’s a network disconnect, the music will keep playing as long as it was fully-loaded.
• Licensing works the same way as with purchasing tracks – it does not clear it for commercial use (that’s up to the venue to have performance licenses)
• It includes Beatport CLOUD features as well as part of the subscription (see below)

Beatport CLOUD: Redownloading + Full Previews

It’s interesting how Beatport has structured this subscription model launch. Beatport LINK includes a handful of small features that on their own are considered Beatport CLOUD, which is available as its own independent $4.99/month subscription available today.

The features unlocked for CLOUD subscribers are:

1. Full tracks previews via the Needle Drop Player – essentially, needle drop anywhere in a track and you’ll get a 120-second preview window
2. Unlimited re-downloads of previously purchased tracks
3. My Library – essentially a sortable online catalog of all of your Beatport tracks

Will you use either CLOUD or LINK? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section, below.