Bedroom spin

All it takes is a home PC with Internet access to join the new bedroom-DJ revolution. Home-produced digital music is gaining serious kudos - but for those who prefer scratching vinyl, the good news is that prices are dropping.

First thing you need to get started is RealJukebox 2 Basic, which can be downloaded free from the www.real.com website. Provided your PC has a sound card, you can now start recording and listening to MP3 music files. MP3 is still a relatively new technology that allows you to copy music from a standard CD on to your computer hard drive and upload the MP3 files onto the Internet, effectively putting free records on the net.

One way to trade music files is via Napster. Things might change now that Napster - after its battles with record companies - is introducing a fee for users, but it's been the leading Internet application for sharing MP3 files.

So now you have the music of choice, it's up to what you do with it. From here on, you will have to part with some dosh - or else know where you can get knockoff copies for less. To make your own sounds you need to be able to edit and mix on what is called a sequencer. There is a choice of products and brand names ranging from $40 to $300 at www.mp3.com.

For those that want to stick to new technology but hanker after a physical product, you can "burn" the MP3 files on to CD recorders and manipulate the sounds on a CD mixer. This is quite an expensive piece of equipment, but is very popular among the professionals.

If you still lust after vinyl and believe you have what it takes to become a superstar bedroom-DJ, the good news is that you don't have to rob a bank to get started. For under £500 you can buy a full start-up DJ kit from selected shops. This will include two decks, a mixer and a slip mat and should get you started.