History was made last month, as DMC announced their first ever VR-DJ World Champion. Alongside the awards for Scratch and Open formats, they held an online competition where anyone in the world could submit a mix video using virtual turntables. Some people cheered and as you can expect, some moaned. In this article, I take a look at Virtual Reality DJing – or VR DJing – as an educational tool which makes it easier than ever for beginner DJs to access professional equipment.
My own VR DJing experience
A few weeks ago, I went to Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory for DJs, the WeDJ Conference in London. In its second year, the conference had everything DJs, both experienced and beginner, might dream from pure imagination.
Everywhere I looked, helpers in branded t-shirts hovered over flashing tech which caused bass to rumble through my toes. I tested out the best new headphones from AIAIAI and played on the new EP-40 Riddim from Teenage Engineering. I then felt like an actual DMC finalist, testing out the new scratch-friendly devices from Phase. An Everlasting-Gobstopper if I ever saw one!
However, it was not until I stepped into Virtual Reality that I began my trip down the proverbial chocolate river. The lovely team from Tribe XR DJ Academy and their 14-year old DJ Prodigy, Sick Legend (aka Riley), invited me to try out DJing on a Meta Quest headset.
They placed the lightweight headset on my head and strapped controllers to both my hands. Intuitively placed buttons now controlled my new virtual fingers. With another button and a wave of my right hand, I moved what would be 20 kilos worth of equipment up to my preferred height and started mixing.
As is tradition, I spammed that Cue button. Expecting latency, I was shocked the deck reacted in real time. I tried again, this time with both hands – my lips pursed in a James Hype-manner. That first kick of the track drummed into my ears right on time as I jabbed the air where the cue button appeared to me. I cracked a small smile. A new toy. One I can’t break?! (Editor’s note: Elliott could most definitely break a VR headset, but the virtual CDJs were virtually safe.)
To pinch a knob or slide a fader you have to squeeze the controller buttons, so the experience is tactile and tangible. The jog wheels glide with ease and the wheel-ups are just as exciting in VR as in the club. There were a couple of times my virtual fingers struggled to pinch two equalizer knobs which were close together. Mainly because of the controllers knocking against each other. A little frustrating but I was just getting used to the controls. I imagine with a little more time and practice I’d be ready to start DJing at one of VR Chat’s many virtual clubs.
Someone who does feel ready to be a VR DJ is Riley, the young DJ I mentioned earlier. He learnt how to DJ through Tribe XR’s DJ Academy. Alongside the main practice experience, they have on-demand lessons and live workshops with pro DJs. He’s only 14 but he has the confidence of a pro. He’s probably spent more time with CDJs in the last year than I have in 10+ years of DJing. Mainly because I still only get to use them when I play out the house.
The software
Tribe XR is not the only virtual DJ app on the market. But they’re the only ones to have officially partnered with Pioneer not long after their well-timed launch in 2019. With just a headset you can practice on different eras of CDJs, with as many effects panels set out however you’d like. You can even try your hand at their Virtual Vinyl, Drum Sequencers or a simple 2-deck controller. With a Meta Quest and annual subscription to Tribe, you’re looking at $390/£295/€334.80 minimum to get going. Coincidentally, the same price as a brand new beginner DJ controller.
Vinyl Reality from Entropi Games and Algoriddim’s djay are also great for those looking to learn how to mix vinyl records in the virtual world. But Tribe XR is the app where Darcy Kong, the first ever DMC VR-DJ World Champion, practiced his skills and performed his winning mix.
The DJs
Darcy Kong learned how to DJ entirely in VR. He’s a resident DJ with TribeXR which means 2-4 times per month he joins their livestreams and is an active member of their Discord community. Darcy mixes video game tracks with Funky House and other genres. He does streams from his home in Halifax, Canada. In recent years he has begun playing shows out and about in real venues.
Tribe XR claims to have more than 90,000 students globally enrolled in its Academy. With 170 million VR users worldwide, the VR DJ community looks set to grow. VR raves peaked throughout lockdown, mainly on social VR-platform VR Chat, which is becoming an increasingly used tag on Mixcloud. One regular event organiser in a VR-world called Kaleidosky has welcomed over 300 different DJs into their meticulously-crafted club over the years. Sadly, a lot of these spaces are 18+ and therefore inaccessible to the young masses beginning their DJ journey.
The problem VR DJing solves
Virtual anything will never replace real spaces met with trusted human connection. I’m not interested in attending a virtual club and don’t think 2026 will see people flocking to them either. But VR DJing can be an important bridge over the substantial gap between beginner-friendly controllers and industry-standard professional decks for those without access to them.
Your first time using CDJs can feel like entering a cockpit without any flight experience. Even if you’ve had a couple years practising on a controller, the freedom, capability and sheer size can feel daunting to some. Many beginner DJs don’t get to practise on CDJs until their first gig or radio slot, myself included. Hiring studios can be expensive and so many young people don’t have access to amazing youth clubs that gave first DJ lessons to the likes of DJ Krust and Roni Size. VR DJing tools solve that problem.
That said, it still won’t prepare a DJ for their first time playing on a glitchy pair of CDJs in a dive bar with no link set up, a jumpy scroll wheel and a new update that just feels like wiping your USB clean. We need to support grassroots venues for those rights of passage.