When DJs shop on Beatport, they can preview a 2 minute clip of every song. This preview is generated automatically by Beatport: they select the exact 2 minutes in the middle of the track, or you can set the preview start time yourself directly on SoundSystem!
As a DJ, is there any way to preview the full song?
Yes! DJs can pay Beatport for a paid subscription unlocking needledrop previews. With needledrop, DJs can test drive any part of the song instead of the automatically selected 2 minute clip. A paid subscription to Beatport Cloud or Beatport Link will unlock the needledrop functionality.
Pro Tip for DJs: Full length previews on Beatport are also available for FREE whenever you use Crates, an alternative browser to the Beatport catalog. Instead of a paid subscription, the full length previews are powered by YouTube. Cool!
You can also shop on Juno or BandCamp, which offer free needledrop previews.
I'm an artist or label. Is there any way I change the 2 minute clip?
Yes — and it's now much easier than it used to be! If your music label is powered by Proton, you can set a custom preview start time directly in SoundSystem. This tells Beatport exactly where you want the 2 minute preview to begin, so you can make sure it starts at the drop, the groove, or whichever moment best represents the track — rather than whatever Beatport auto-selects from the middle.
You can set preview start times before shipping a release, or submit a correction after it's already live. Proton also supports custom preview start times for TikTok, Meta, and iTunes — and you can configure different timecodes per platform.
Read the full guide here: How to Set Preview Start Times on Beatport, TikTok, Meta, and iTunes