DJs are the drivers of global dance music culture, yet on major streaming platforms, they’re buried beneath gaming channels, cooking shows, and hot tub streams, according to Bill Klatt, Chief Music Licensing Officer of LFG, a new streaming platform launching August 30 that aims to change this dynamic by creating a space exclusively for DJs, complete with pre-negotiated music licensing and monetization tools available from day one.

“DJs are not treated right and lack support on existing platforms,” explains Bill, a music industry veteran who has mixed Billboard #1 charting singles and managed publishing catalogs for over three decades, including work on Cher’s “Believe” album. 

The platform, which has been in development for over six months, targets the global DJ community – from bedroom producers to touring professionals – who have grown frustrated with platforms that treat DJ culture as an afterthought, complex and expensive music licensing requirements, and the lack of DJ-specific features. 

“By these other services trying to be all things to all streamers, they’ve lost the soul of what the DJ needs to do to reach an audience,” Bill states.

The Licensing Solution

Drawing on Bill’s decades of experience as both a music rights owner and manager of international publishing catalogs, LFG has secured licensing agreements before launch, covering major markets including North America, Europe, Australia, and parts of Asia.

“I’m very sensitive to the idea that the creators should get paid,” Bill explains. “We do want to have a great relationship with the creators, their labels, their publishers, where they see value from day one.” Unlike other platforms that, as Bill notes, “startups usually wait until they’re big enough for the copyright owners to come and demand their piece of the pie,” LFG has been proactive from the start.

Bill also rejects the idea of a “DJ tax” – fees charged just to play copyrighted music – noting that LFG absorbs all licensing costs. “DJs will not have to pay to play music on our platform,” he states firmly. DJs simply sign up and start streaming, with LFG handling “all that stuff that nobody knows about copyright, everything behind the scenes.”

Bill also reveals that this proactive licensing strategy often surprises everyone in partnership discussions. “That question comes up every time from everybody, ‘How are you going to do this. Once we tell them, they are like, ‘What? Really?’ Yes, we got it covered.”

Building the DJ-Centric Experience

In addition to licensing management, LFG has developed features tailored to how DJs work and their audiences interact. The platform organizes all content through genre-specific channels – from techno to jazz – rather than mixing DJ streams with unrelated content. When DJs go live, they select up to three genres, and their stream appears simultaneously in all relevant channels. 

“The advantage that presents is that when that streamer has selected three different genres, they will be streaming live in all three of those channels, which will be very beneficial for them from a discovery perspective,” Bill explains.

Beyond basic streaming, LFG includes track identification technology that tells viewers what they’re hearing and provides instant purchase options through Beatport or integration with Spotify, Apple Music, and Deezer playlists. As Bill explains, “We saw a need; a pretty interesting thing that we thought people would get excited about.”

The social architecture reflects DJ culture’s collaborative nature. A mutual friends system shows which streams friends are watching. “Not only will it tell you that they’re live and on the platform, it’ll also tell you what stream they’re on,” Bill notes. “So you can go join them at that stream and hang out with them.” 

This transforms streaming from one-way broadcast into a communal experience where “the main feature of the platform is the DJs and music, while the second feature is the chat and interaction with the global audience.”

Democratizing DJ Monetization

LFG’s monetization reflects its founders’ belief that every DJ deserves the opportunity to earn from their craft. Through a virtual currency called LFG coins, viewers support DJs through tips, subscriptions, and gifted subscriptions, with streamers receiving 50% of net revenue after transaction fees.

“Even if it’s a dollar from their best friend that pledges or tips them or subscribes, we want them to realize from day one that they’re as important to us and the DJ culture in a larger sense as a global superstar,” Bill emphasizes, contrasting this with specific subscriber counts or streaming hours before creators access monetization.

The platform has also introduced a gifting economy. Users can transfer coins to others, enabling financially stable fans to support those who might not afford coins themselves. “If I have 10,000 coins in my bank that I purchased to cheer to a streamer, I can gift you coins without you having to purchase them,” Bill explains. This system also allows DJs to compensate moderators with coins.

The platform will generate additional revenue through advertising, though Bill notes they’re offering free advertising to partners during the launch month since they don’t yet have viewership metrics to justify charging.

Industry Reception and Partnerships

Defected Records and Toolroom, two major independent dance labels, were among the first to commit to LFG. “‘We’re in from day one. What do you want from us?’” was their immediate response, according to Bill. “The labels are going to have their own channels, and they are going to stream content there.”

Equipment manufacturers, including Technics, have partnered with LFG, recognizing synergy between their products and the platform’s audience. “They want more people to buy their gear. People want to see what gear other people are using,” Bill explains. Beatport’s involvement extends beyond partnership – they’re integrated into the platform’s track identification and purchase system.

The platform has also attracted support from unexpected quarters. Bill recounts receiving a call from a Grammy Award-winning producer who phoned from Italy to express frustration with existing platforms. The producer was “pissed off at the other platforms that they do not support DJ culture and that he’s taking it personally, that he wants to do whatever is possible to help this platform succeed because the industry needs it.”

This extends to grassroots enthusiasm. “We’ve had a lot of people, believe it or not, reach out to us directly through our social media channels, asking how they can promote the platform,” Bill notes. “Everybody wants to be in on the ground floor.”

The Launch and Vision Forward

LFG’s launch on August 30 will feature a 13-hour marathon showcase starting at 3 a.m. ET (7 a.m. BST) to capture global audiences. The lineup includes established names like David Morales and Michael Gray, with 13 guest DJs total performing one-hour sets on the LFG TV channel before the platform opens to all DJs.

Looking beyond launch, LFG has plans for expanding features and partnerships. Version 2.0 developments include VIP subscriptions with exclusive content and enhanced monetization tools. The team envisions partnerships extending beyond music to lifestyle brands aligning with DJ culture.

The platform’s success metrics go beyond traditional business measures. “Success to me is that DJs and viewers embrace the platform not just for the shiny period, but after that as well,” Bill reflects. “Our success comes down to how unhappy people are with what exists today and how much change they want.”

For Bill and his team, LFG represents more than another streaming platform – it’s reclaiming space for DJ culture in the digital world.

“Unleashed creativity and expression,” Bill describes LFG’s energy in one sentence. “No boundaries, no guardrails. Just get on there and go. Start mixing. Start DJing.”

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