pretty much a DJ to me, provides the music for whatever event he/she is playing.  They can play records, cds, mp3s on various systems, or just arrange a playlist on a laptop or provide a mixture of music on radio.  A DJ can be in any genre, just some more than others.

Yeah, to me when you say DJ I immediately think of someone who takes existing music and "spins" it or at least gets creative with a playlist.       Being in the electronic music scene long enough I also usually think of either CD or vinyl disk jockey when you say DJ.

And someone who makes the music (like me) would be a producer or composer.  I don't use DJ in front of my name because I haven't ever really considered myself a dj - even though I have made mixes.

z.

i guess im old school but to me a dj spins records or cds. period. no laptops no playlists. using your hands to manipulate the sound in someway and blend beats as well as picking a good set. for instance...radio DJ's ARE NOT REAL DJ's 

-my jaded opinion

When someone says DJ I think of :



Sigh.   I had such a middle-school crush on her.   ha ha...

z.

LOL

I agree with Rodimus and will take it further. A DJ knows his or her music that they are playing (artist, track label, etc), knows the audience they are playing for, supports the artists by purchasing their material not downloading off the net or taking a pre-recorded mix of DJ 404 and saying that they created the mix. And a DJ interacts with the crowd (speaking in the mic).

Frankie Vibe

Hmmm.....Few things here...

1.  Radio DJs existed WAYYYYYYY before club DJs.  Even with today's automation and "Jack" format stations,  it is still appropriate to call a radio personality a DJ,  simply out of respect for history.

2.  When I started DJing,  there were no CDs or MP3s.  Just vinyl.  Over time,  I moved to CD,  and now I use Ableton.  Did I stop being a DJ when I stopped using CDs?  No,  I just evolved with the times.  From where I'm standing,  beatmatching is a dying art,  and there's about to be a generation of DJs that have never had to beatmatch.

Personally,  I've always thought beatmatching is an overrated skill.  If you're a DJ,  you should be able to beatmatch.  Just like a surgeon should be able to make a clean incision.  Where REAL DJs set themselves apart are.....

1.  Track selection.  Right track at the right moment
2.  Creativity.  What did you do differently to set yourself apart?
3.  Reading the crowd.  DJs who never look up from the mixer are NOT connected with the audience.  A DJ should be able to look at the crowd and tell where they want to go.

And I'll be honest...The argument that playing vinyl adds an element of showmanship just doesn't fly with me.  Someone cueing a record doesn't look much different than me working a MIDI controller.

Everyone here has made interesting points though.  I'm with Kadinger on his definition.