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ANNOUNCEMENT: DJWORX is for sale 3

ANNOUNCEMENT: DJWORX is for sale

Mark Settle·
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At the start of 2020, my pension company wrote to tell me that I’m 55 next birthday and can start to draw money on that date. Fuck — I got old and didn’t realise.

But while I still feel young, I can’t fight genetics or time. The clock ticks, ever louder. 

It’s just about 18 years to the day that I first registered the skratchworx.com domain. I think that’s long enough — time for something else.

I have reached a point where I’m holding DJWORX back, and now DJWORX is holding me back in return.

My best work lies ahead of me, being challenged, being creative, and importantly putting the last two decades and beyond to much better use.

I want to create, not report. I want to help, not judge.

I still have so much that I want to achieve, and have very happily chosen to spend that last part of my career doing those things. 

So I have to, but more importantly, want to step down from being the editor and owner of a tier one media outlet. I’m definitely a square peg in that particular round hole these days. 

Thus, I’m putting DJWORX up for sale.

djworx for sale

YES, FOR SALE

As of today, DJWORX is for sale as an established brand and website. One careful owner, 6.5K days from new, brilliant bodywork, full service history. Goes like hell, purrs like a kitten, and roars like a lion. In the right hands of course.

I’m actively preparing the sale as we speak and will have a document for interested parties detailing everything in the next week. 

For now, it’s business as usual. And we’ll have plenty of time for reminiscing, and for me to complete a few things I’ve started and want to achieve before I stop. The latest date I’ll be doing this is 27th December aka my 55th birthday. I must draw a line. I must move on.

Should a deal not materialise before then, DJWORX will be permanently shuttered. Like skratchworx, you’ll be able to access it, but it’ll cease to be updated.

It was just important to me to finally get the sale ball rolling and come out these interesting times on a new path, one that I hope many of you will continue to walk with me. 

Should anyone reading this have real intentions or ideas of who could take DJWORX to new heights, feel free to drop me a line at marksettle@djworx.com. 

OVER TO YOU

I suspect you have questions. In fact, I suspect you suspected. Ask away.

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34 Responses

  1. I too have been a faithful reader ever since the Skratchworx days. Out of all the DJ news sites, DJ Worx has always been my favourite, because it has distinct edge and flavour. While I appreciate their professionalism, sites like DJ Tech Tools and Digital DJ Tips seem a bit bland and generic in comparison. I truly hope whoever takes over DJ Worx is able to keep that edge and flavour alive.

    Thanks for all the great work you’ve done over the years, Mark. Much appreciated!

  3. I’m reading these comments like I would a book of condolences so I feel like adding my own ‘entry’.

    Been reading since Skratchworx and enjoyed every last character typed on a page.

    Best of luck Mark. I remember walking around BPM around 10 years ago and getting a little starstruck when I spotted you. The following year you had the tech demo stand and watched if for ages.

    Thank you for being the go-to site for DJ news and reviews for the last 18 years and the best of luck for whatever life throws at you next. Your contribution to DJ culture and how you held the companies to account was, and still is, literacy perfection.

    Chris

  4. Mark, wow.

    As a once teenage DJ, turned business consultant, turned back into part time mobile DJ, your site has been invaluable for me.

    The DJ scene here in the Caribbean is rich, but sometimes one dimensional in terms of genre (mainly Jamaican dancehall, soca and hip-hop) and “jumping onto the latest gear” bandwagon. The team of writers at DJWorx has always taken my knowledge one step ahead – including commenters! This was a refreshing break from the “more of the same”.

    I hope this is not the end and that the culture of DJWorx lives on hopefully here or in some form.

    Love long and prosper my DJ gear spirit guide.

    RD

  5. Don’t You Do It!!! Don’t You Dare Do it!!!….We’ve Got No Else To Gooooooooo…………
    Been Here Since The Gizmo and SkratchWorx days.We’ve All Gotten Ohh My Back!!
    Thanks For Keeping It Real Mark.

  9. I’ll be sorry to see you go Mark! It’s been a pleasure talking and reading your insightful input.

    Please don’t sell to InMusic as they would ruin the good name of your work 🙂

      1. Well, probably not the appropriate reaction 🙂

        All the best for your future plans, Mark! And thanks for hundreds (if not thousands) hours of great reads and awesome, free english lessons.

  11. Your articles will be deeply missed. Not only for the honesty in it, but also for the great writing. I’ve learnt a lot of english phrases,
    play on words and sayings, which I often needed to google. That’s the thing, I really dig the long articles from every member of djworx. That’s also the reason why I visit this website on a daily basis. Here, everything seems to be more mature, also the comments. So I hope that the djworx lights will stay on for a longer time.

    Mark, thank you for your work. Please keep releasing articles or blog entries. You’re writing style is just one of a kind. Good luck on your path.

    greetings from Austria

    2. Comments like yours have always driven me to be more… creative with the English language. And I will still be writing to some degree, just not here, and not because new gear has been released or needs reviewing. More for fun and research.

  13. Been reading you since Skratchworx, and I still visit you daily. I’m sad and you will be missed. I hope you good luck and success with your new adventures.
    Thank you for the recent wave of DJ gear from yesteryear articles, those were super fun.

    Is the rest of the team also moving on? I assume yes
    Who do you recommend following for reviews nowadays?
    Did you ever get a 06T mixer?
    are TTX-USBs still viable in 2020?
    Is there a read-only archive of Skratchlounge somewhere? I bookmarked a thread long time ago which I wanted to re-read recently but was not able to and archive.org didn’t help since it doesn’t have a snapshot of that particular thread.

    1. I can’t speak for anyone else, but personally it will depend on a bunch of things. I like writing for DJWORX (though that’s happened less recently). I’ve stuck around for seven years, so Mark must be doing something right.

      But the industry has changed a lot in the last few years, so I’m not even sure there’s a place for old-school long-form writers in the age of instantly available five minute video reviews of gear. Our reviews take a lot of man-hours to produce. Even though we never stopped trying for the quality, I feel like the reality is that someone has to pay those costs, and more and more, it’s a tug of war between accusations of being paid from industry ads (I’ve had that thrown at me both here, and on Reddit), and the bulk of users blocking ads / the industry no longer justifying ads.

      For DJWORX to stay true to its ethos, I would like to see it:
      – continue long-form industry editorial, opinions, gear news
      – find an independent way of funding the time of those that contribute

      Then again, they might want a fresh start anyway…

      But the thing is, there’s still so much value in what we do… we still get so much engagement on pretty much every story, every social media post. And for me specifically, it’s opened doors in an industry to work with some really cool people.

      1. I’m not even sure there’s a place for old-school long-form writers in the age of instantly available five minute video reviews of gear.

        Been here since the skratchworx days for that very reason.

        Just look at the comments under certain youtube videos. They’re as superficial (and dumb) as most of those videos.
        Quality reviews and discussion almost exclusively to be found here.

    2. Thanks for the kind words. Some answers:

      • I’ll be continuing with DJ Gear From Yesteryear for a bit. There’s still some cracking hardware to highlight.
      • Who do I recommend? Whoever succeeds DJWORX. Unless they do it with a screwdriver, it’s not good enough for me.
      • Yes, I have an 06T. Considering putting an Innofader in it.
      • No, I believe the TTX-USBs are discontinued. My fingers are crossed however that the purchase of Stanton will see some turntable magic happening.
      •The Skratchlounge was wiped clean. Sorry.

  16. Mark – I fully understand and endorse your decision (we’re roughly the same age, so I know EXACTLY what you’re talking about), but if DJWorx closes, I’ll have nowhere-else to go! This site’s matter-of-fact approach, its no-nonsense attitude – even its self-effacing humour (and *especially* its knowledgeable and helpful members) – have all been a massive help to me over the years AND an absolute *oasis* of normality in a sea of pissing contest DJ sites on the internet.

    I know why you feel it’s time to go, I understand and I regretfully concur …I just wish it wasn’t so!

    Many thanks for all your hard work over the years. It was (and will continue to be, all the time the site’s up and running) REALLY appreciated.

    Wishing you all the very best of luck in your forthcoming ventures,

    Charly

  18. I have to say that skratchworx, skratchlounge and then djworx were and have been a pilar in my DJ career. This has been the home of much of my DJing knowledge for many, many things… Most of my decisions regarding gear have been made considering what was talked about and around these websites. Not only your inputs but everyone’s input in this community!
    I even bought a mixer from you that I still own to this day 🙂 Allen&Heath Xone:02

    Thank you so much for everything and I truly hope You wil somehow continue to contribute to this community somehow because You sure know how to do stuff!

    Best regards,
    José Caeiro AKA DJ X-Acto from Portugal.

  19. I think I’ve bought at least three mixers based on the reviews here and on skratchworx. I’ve been on this site and skratchworx since 2005 and have watched it grow into becoming the number 1 trusted source of no BS opinion on DJ gear.

    Yes, of course I’ll be sad to see it go but glad that you’re finding inspiration in other areas and hope all goes well on your new endeavours.

    Many thanks Gizmo and Mark (yeah, I know you’re one and the same but you’re also not, if you get my drift – hence the double shout out).

    1. As I re-read that, it sounds like I value DJWorx at £1. Perhaps I should have started the bidding at a £1B. I have a fragile ego and the down-vote really hurts. For those who aren’t as old as me (or Mark), I helped out with some of the early review work on Skratchworx all those years ago (back when I almost knew something about DJ equipment).
      I’ve never got into watching Youtube videos for anything really, so no idea if there are some great review sites out there making bazillions on advertising clicks. DJWorx is the only DJ related site I visit. The editorial tone has stayed the same over the years and that’s a huge credit to Mark. I always had a dream of bank-rolling a site like DJWorx if I won the lottery (which says it all really). Getting truly independent coverage on equipment is nigh on impossible, barring some individual trustworthy people who buy the equipment themselves. Creating good content is not a trivial job, and if you want it done properly you either need someone extraordinarily generous with their time or you’ve got to pay. The question then is where does this money come from. Let’s hope whoever takes it on won’t tarnish the name.

  21. As someone who has sold an established brand and website previously, it’s often the bit that cannot be sold which is the most important, and that’s the person.

    Anyone can build a website like this. Many have tried, many have failed, but beyond the code and the domain, the witty reviews, commentary and photographs by Mark are what make this site. Without him DJWORX is just a.n.other website.

    Good luck with the sale and hopefully the new owner(s) will continue the site with the same gusto and energy.

DJWORX and skratchworx remain as an archive of the digital DJ revolution. Please credit us if you use any of our material. We worked bloody hard to deliver it.