Mixmag

About Mixmag

DJ Mag, formally DJ Magazine, is a British magazine dedicated to electronic dance music and DJs, founded in 1991 and published by Thrust Publishing Ltd from London. Now published quarterly in print alongside a major digital operation, it is best known internationally for the Top 100 DJs poll, an annual survey that has become the most famous popularity contest in electronic music. Covering the global club scene, DJ culture, technology and the business of dance music, it remains one of the most influential titles in its field.

Founding in 1991

DJ Mag was launched in 1991, at a moment when dance music was moving from the underground into the mainstream of British culture. The rave era had made DJs into stars, but the existing music press gave them limited coverage. DJ Mag set out to be a magazine for and about DJs, combining news and reviews with technical content on equipment, mixing and production. Its early issues served a readership of working DJs and serious clubbers, offering the kind of specialist, practical journalism that the generalist music weeklies could not provide. Based in London, it was perfectly placed to cover a scene centred on the capital's clubs.

Thrust Publishing

The magazine is published by Thrust Publishing Ltd, an independent London-based publishing company. Thrust has owned the title throughout its life, giving DJ Mag a stability of ownership unusual in the volatile world of music magazines. The company's focus on the dance music sector has allowed it to build a portfolio of related products and events around the core magazine brand. Independence has also allowed DJ Mag to maintain its editorial character without the pressures of corporate publishing, even as the economics of print have forced it to adapt its frequency and business model.

The Top 100 DJs poll

DJ Mag's most famous creation is the Top 100 DJs poll, an annual public vote to rank the world's most popular DJs. Launched in the 1990s, the poll has grown into a global phenomenon, attracting millions of votes from fans in every corner of the world. Topping the poll has become one of the most coveted accolades in electronic music, conferring headline status at festivals and significantly boosting a DJ's earning power. The results are announced each year at a ceremony staged in Amsterdam during the Amsterdam Dance Event, one of the industry's most important gatherings. The poll's influence is such that campaigns for votes have become a major annual ritual in dance music, and its winners, from the trance titans of the 2000s to the EDM superstars of the 2010s, chart the commercial history of the genre.

The Top 100 Clubs poll

Alongside the DJs poll, DJ Mag runs the annual Top 100 Clubs poll, ranking the world's greatest nightclubs by public vote. The clubs poll celebrates the venues at the heart of dance music culture, from the superclubs of Ibiza to underground institutions in Berlin, London and beyond. Like its sister poll, it generates enormous engagement from fans and the industry, and a high ranking is a valuable mark of prestige for venues. Together, the two polls give DJ Mag a unique convening power in the global dance music industry, bringing together artists, clubs, promoters and fans in a shared annual conversation.

Quarterly print and digital

DJ Mag is now published quarterly in print, a reduction from its former monthly frequency that reflects the economics of the modern magazine market. The quarterly issues are substantial, collectible editions built around major features, interviews and photography. Alongside print, djmag.com operates as a daily-updated digital publication with news, reviews, video content and live streams, reaching a global audience far larger than the print edition ever did. The brand's social media channels command millions of followers, and its video content, including filmed DJ sets and documentaries, is a significant part of its output.

Best of British awards

In addition to its global polls, DJ Mag runs the Best of British awards, celebrating the UK dance music scene that remains its home turf. The awards recognise the DJs, clubs, labels, producers and breakthrough artists who have defined the British scene each year, as voted by the magazine's readers and a panel of industry figures. The ceremony is a fixture of the UK club calendar and a reminder of the magazine's roots in the British underground, even as its brand has become global.

Editorial coverage

DJ Mag's editorial mix covers the full spectrum of DJ culture. News and reviews keep readers up to date with releases and events, while features profile the biggest names in the scene and investigate the trends shaping it. Technical coverage of equipment, software and production techniques serves the magazine's core readership of working and aspiring DJs, a legacy of its origins as a specialist title. The magazine has also covered the business of dance music in depth, from the economics of streaming to the politics of club licensing, reflecting the professionalisation of an industry that was once resolutely underground. Interviews with leading DJs go beyond the usual promotional patter to explore technique, career longevity and the realities of life on tour. The title's long-form features have tackled subjects including mental health in the DJ community, the environmental impact of festivals, and the challenges facing grassroots venues, demonstrating an editorial seriousness that belies the glamour of its cover stars.

Global reach

Though published from London, DJ Mag is a global brand. Its polls draw votes from every continent, its website serves an international audience, and its events take it to dance music capitals around the world. The magazine has documented the globalisation of electronic music, from the rise of scenes in Eastern Europe, Latin America and Asia to the dominance of the Las Vegas and Ibiza residencies. Its international outlook has been central to its success: where some dance publications remained rooted in a single scene, DJ Mag positioned itself as the chronicler of a worldwide culture. The annual poll results night in Amsterdam has become a summit for the industry, bringing together artists, managers, agents, promoters and brands from every continent. This convening power gives the magazine an influence that extends well beyond its pages: it is not merely reporting on the global dance music industry but actively shaping its calendar, its hierarchies and its sense of itself.

Cultural significance

DJ Mag's significance lies in its role as the institutional memory and the annual scoreboard of DJ culture. The Top 100 DJs poll, whatever its critics say about its methodology, is the closest thing electronic music has to a definitive ranking, and it has shaped careers and scenes for three decades. The magazine's journalism has documented the transformation of the DJ from an anonymous selector to a global superstar, and of clubbing from a countercultural pursuit to a multi-billion-pound industry. For DJs themselves, a DJ Mag cover remains a mark of having arrived.

Continuity and the future

More than three decades after its launch, DJ Mag continues to publish from London under Thrust Publishing, adapting to the digital age while maintaining the print product that built its reputation. The quarterly magazine, the daily website, the polls and the awards together form a media brand that remains central to the global dance music conversation. As electronic music continues to evolve, fragment and renew itself, DJ Mag's combination of heritage and reach ensures that it will remain one of the scene's defining voices.