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Producer tags identify who made a beat. DJ drops announce a DJ, mix or show. A producer’s spoken signature is also called a voice tag.[1]
A producer tag should feel like part of the beat. A DJ drop takes the spotlight for its entire length, with the music pushed into the background until the drop ends.
| Recording | What it identifies | Typical production |
|---|---|---|
| Producer tag / voice tag | The beat’s producer, usually through a name or catchphrase. | A vocal signature mixed to feel like part of the beat. |
| DJ drop | A DJ, mix or show. | A voiced announcement that stays in the foreground for its full length. |
| Radio ID | A radio station or programme. | The same kinds of vocal processing, effects and music beds used in DJ drops. |
DJ drops and radio IDs share the same effects
Radio imaging is the produced sound that identifies a station or show. Its effects also work around a DJ’s name: sweeps and risers can lead into the words, impacts can punctuate them, and echoes or chopped vocal repeats can carry the phrase into the next track.
Producer tags can have heavy effects too, including pitch changes, distortion, delay and reverb.
Tag vs. drop
Transcript / audio description
Sara Cajner’s human-recorded producer-tag preview. Reused from the existing human recording option on her profile.
Transcript / audio description
DJ drop supplied by the site owner for comparison with the producer-tag preview.