What Scratch DJ Academy, LLC does

Scratch DJ Academy, LLC is a privately held US LLC that has operated DJ education programs since its 2002 founding by Jam Master Jay of Run DMC. It delivers an 8-level DJ Certification curriculum covering fundamentals, mixing, scratching, music production in Ableton, and DJ business skills, supplemented by an Intro course (Levels 1 and 2 combined), 1-on-1 private lessons, and a youth track that includes summer camps and online lessons for children as young as six. The curriculum is delivered through two physical training academies in Brooklyn, NY and Los Angeles, CA, plus live online 1-on-1 lessons accessible globally, with industry-standard DJ software (Serato, Rekordbox, Ableton Live) used as instructional tools.

The company monetizes through one-time course enrollment fees for group programs, packs of 1, 5, or 10 private sessions sold both in-person and online, summer camp and kids program tuition, plus merchandise and gift card sales (valid 12 months from purchase). Enrollment is primarily self-serve through academy.scratch.com, with a payment installment plan available for the multi-month DJ Certification program and a third-party marketplace listing via Coursehorse. Specific course and lesson pricing is not publicly disclosed on the website.

The underlying platform architecture is a standard education e-commerce stack rather than a proprietary technology product: Authorize.net handles payment processing, Cloudflare provides hosting, security, and CDN delivery, and Sanity powers the headless CMS for course, location, faculty, and company content. Headcount is reported at 16 employees, and the company claims 500,000+ students trained globally over its 25-year operating history.

Name

Scratch DJ Academy, LLC

Legal name

Scratch DJ Academy, LLC

Website

https://academy.scratch.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Scratch DJ Academy, LLC is a US-based DJ education company founded in 2002 that delivers an 8-level DJ Certification curriculum and private lessons through two physical academies in Brooklyn and Los Angeles and a global live online channel, serving aspiring adult DJs, professional-track students, and children aged 6-16.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

DJ and Music Production Education

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Music Instruction (Instrumental & Vocal) (EDAMAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Music Camps (Band, Choir, Instrument Intensive) (EDAMALAJ), Private Music Lessons (Instrumental) (EDAMANAA)

Keywords

• DJ education services
• Music production training
• Private DJ lessons
• DJ certification programs
• Youth music programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Course Enrollment Fees: Revenue from structured group courses including DJ Certification Program (8 levels, 6-month program meeting twice weekly) and Intro Course (Levels 1 & 2 combined, 6-week course meeting twice weekly). Courses are sold as fixed-term enrollment packages with set schedules.
2. Private Lessons: 1-on-1 private DJ lessons sold in packs of 1, 5, or 10 sessions. Offered both in-person at Brooklyn and Los Angeles academies and live online. Lessons are customized to student skill level and interests, with discounted multi-hour packages available.
3. Kids Programs: Revenue from summer camp enrollments (5-day camps) and online lessons for children. Summer camps serve ages 10-16; online lessons available for children as young as 6.
4. Merchandise and Gift Cards: Sale of Scratch DJ Academy merchandise and gift cards. Gift cards must be redeemed within 12 months of purchase.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Scratch DJ Academy is a DJ education institution that delivers structured DJ and music production training through an 8-level certification program, an introductory course, 1-on-1 private lessons (in-person and live online), and youth programs including summer camps and online kids lessons. Instruction is provided at physical academy locations in Brooklyn and Los Angeles and via live online sessions accessible globally, with students learning on industry-standard DJ equipment and software including Serato, Rekordbox, and Ableton Live.

Product overview

Scratch DJ Academy is a single unified DJ education platform offering a structured curriculum centered around its DJ Certification Program. The program consists of 8 progressive levels covering DJ fundamentals, mixing, scratching, music production using Ableton, and DJ business skills. Supplementary offerings include the Intro Course (combining Levels 1 and 2), In-Person Private Lessons, and Live Online Lessons for 1-on-1 instruction. For younger audiences, the company provides Kids DJ Summer Camp (5-day camps for ages 10-16) and Online DJ Lessons for Kids. All programs are delivered through physical academy locations in Brooklyn and Los Angeles, as well as live online instruction.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• DJ Certification Program An 8-level group certification program for beginner students committed to becoming a working DJ, covering mixing, scratching, and music production; runs 6 months with classes meeting twice a week at Brooklyn and Los Angeles academies.
• Intro Course Pro DJ Starter Pack combining Level 1 and Level 2 courses, teaching basic DJ techniques and intermediate mixing and blending; students perform a 10-15 minute set upon completion. Meets twice weekly for 6 weeks at Brooklyn and Los Angeles academies.
• In-Person Private Lessons 1-on-1 private DJ lessons tailored to individual schedules, interests, and skill levels, ranging from beginners to experienced DJs. Sold in packs of 1, 5, or 10 sessions at Brooklyn and Los Angeles academy locations.
• Live Online Lessons 1-on-1 live online private sessions with veteran Scratch DJ instructors accessible globally. Students can use any equipment, including Serato, Traktor, Rekordbox, or DJay, and can begin with free DJ software.
• Kids DJ Summer Camp 5-day interactive DJ summer camp for children ages 10-16 held at Brooklyn and Los Angeles academy locations, covering beat-matching, mixing, scratching, teamwork, problem solving, music theory, and math.
• Online DJ Lessons for Kids Live online DJ lessons for children of all ages, typically starting from age 6, with no equipment necessary to begin and lessons tailored to any equipment setup.
• After School Programs DJ education programs for students ages 10-17 held after school or on weekends at Brooklyn and Los Angeles academy locations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 500,000+ DJs trained worldwide since 2002
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• CoursehorseminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party course marketplace through which students can purchase Scratch DJ Academy courses. Purchases made through Coursehorse are subject to Scratch's refund and cancellation policy. Coursehorse customer support handles inquiries for marketplace purchases at [email protected].
• Authorize.netcoreTechnology or IntegrationPayment processing provider handling secure transaction processing and fraud prevention for course enrollments, private lessons, merchandise, and gift card purchases. Authorize.net sets cookies during checkout and handles card data according to their own privacy and security standards. Scratch does not store full credit card numbers.
• CloudflarecoreTechnology or IntegrationWebsite hosting and infrastructure provider. Cloudflare processes requests, provides security, load balancing, and efficient content delivery for Scratch DJ Academy's website and backend services.
• SanitycoreTechnology or IntegrationContent management system (CMS) powering Scratch DJ Academy's website. Sanity delivers website content and manages the content management workflow for courses, locations, faculty, and company information.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Skillshare: Skillshare is an online learning marketplace with a substantial catalog of DJ and music production courses created by individual instructors. It competes for entry-level DJ students with low monthly subscription pricing and is a meaningful indirect competitor to Scratch's Intro Course and beginner private lessons.
• Crossfader Academy: Crossfader Academy is a UK-based online DJ school offering subscription-based video courses focused exclusively on DJ skills (mixing, scratching, equipment). It targets the same beginner-to-intermediate DJ audience as Scratch but with a fully online, lower-priced model that competes directly for cost-sensitive students.
• Ableton Certified Training: Ableton operates a certified training program for Ableton Live (used in Scratch's Level 4 Music Production curriculum). While not a competing school, its certified training ecosystem partially substitutes for Scratch's music production offerings and competes for the same Ableton-curious students.

Direct peers

• Icon Collective: Icon Collective is a Los Angeles-based electronic music production school that teaches DJing, music production, and audio engineering in-person and online. With its LA location and focus on electronic music and DJ skills, it directly overlaps Scratch's audience, curriculum, and local geography (Scratch also operates in LA).
• Pyramind: Pyramind is a San Francisco music production and DJ school offering structured training programs in electronic music production, mixing, and DJ performance. It acquired the previously separate Dubspot DJ school, consolidating it as a direct competitor to Scratch in the structured online music/DJ education category.
• Point Blank Music School: Point Blank is a London-based music production and DJ school offering online and in-person courses covering DJing, production (Ableton, Logic, Cubase), and sound engineering. It is one of the closest direct competitors to Scratch DJ Academy globally, with similar curriculum depth, online delivery, and career-oriented certification pathways.

Broad incumbents

• MasterClass: MasterClass is a subscription online learning platform offering celebrity-taught courses, including DJing (e.g., DJ courses by notable instructors). It competes for the same aspiring-DJ audience at a much lower per-student price point ($240/year all-access) and represents the "good enough" alternative for hobbyists unwilling to pay Scratch's premium certification pricing.
• Full Sail University: Full Sail University is an accredited media arts institution offering degree programs in music production, recording arts, and entertainment business. While it focuses on broader music/audio degrees rather than a dedicated DJ curriculum, it competes for the same cohort of students aspiring to professional careers in music performance and production.
• Berklee Online: Berklee Online is the digital extension of Berklee College of Music, offering courses and certificate programs in music production, performance, and DJ-related skills. While broader than Scratch's DJ focus, it competes for the same aspiring DJ/music producer audience with the credibility of an established music institution and accredited certificate pathways.
• SAE Institute: SAE Institute is a global audio and creative media education provider offering diplomas and degrees in audio engineering, music production, and DJ performance across multiple campuses. It overlaps Scratch on the DJ and music production curriculum axis but at a much larger institutional scale and with degree-granting authority.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights1 record

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/scratch-dj-academy-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Scratch DJ Academy, LLC