Mix moves
Spin-in
A spin-in launches the incoming record by spinning it forward by hand into its first beat, so it arrives with an audible rising whoosh rather than simply starting. It is the entrance counterpart of a spinback.
In practice
Spin the incoming record into its first beat so the arrival is heard. This is an entrance, not a blend.
Hold the record a little before the downbeat, spin it forward with the fader already open, and let go so it reaches speed exactly on the beat. Deck torque decides how much run-up you need — a high-torque platter catches almost instantly and a slower one needs more. Use it on a phrase boundary and use it rarely: a spin-in is an exclamation mark, and a set full of them stops meaning anything.
Fader open
The noise is the point
Torque
What sets the run-up
Rarely
How often per set
Where these come from: Standard spin-in technique — established practice, not catalog figures. For what we can measure, see the exit counterpart.
Why it matters
It announces a record. Where a slip cue starts a track invisibly, a spin-in makes the arrival itself the event — which is exactly right when the incoming record is a moment the room is waiting for and exactly wrong when you want the change to go unnoticed.
It is also one of the few transitions where the noise is the content. The sound of a record accelerating into pitch is not a byproduct to be minimised; it is the sound the technique exists to produce, which is why cleaning it up misses the point.
Frequently asked
What is the difference between a spin-in and a spinback?+
A spinback pulls the outgoing record backwards to end it; a spin-in pushes the incoming one forwards to start it. Same hand, opposite direction, opposite job.
Should the fader be open during a spin-in?+
Yes — the rising sound is the whole technique. Doing it with the fader closed is just a slip cue with extra movement.
Can you spin in on a CDJ?+
With the jog in vinyl mode, yes, and it sounds close. The feel differs because a jog has no real mass, so the run-up is a learned adjustment rather than the same movement.
Related terms
Spinback
A spinback ends a track by throwing it backwards out of the mix — by hand on a platter, or with the reverse and brake controls on a player that has none. No beatmatching required.
Slip cue
Slip cueing is holding a record still with the platter turning underneath it, then releasing on the beat. The slipmat allows the platter to keep spinning, so the record is at full speed the instant you let go.
Jog wheel
A jog wheel is the round control on a media player or controller used to nudge, scrub and scratch. Its touch-sensitive top behaves like a record; its outer ring bends pitch without stopping playback.
Needle drop
A needle drop is starting a track at a chosen point with no blend at all — dropping straight in on a downbeat, named for placing a stylus onto a moving record.
Explore: Transition techniques · Spinback · Backspin · All DJ terms