We had the pleasure to interview the great minds behind the trusted algorithm that unlocked the top DJs of 2023. Thanks to Climax, we’re able to accurately examine the global music scene. The algorithm is based on real data with factual charting, and we’re thrilled to share the founders’ background, aspirations, and how they built this extraordinary ranking system for our favorite EDM artists.
Tell us about yourself. What’s your background/education/occupation/electronic
dance music & industry experience like?
We’re a team of people who work in the dance music industry from Italy. We’re currently
based in Rome and the UK and we work in several sectors of the industry – artist
management, marketing, music production, promotions, radio, DJing and label management.
What inspired you to make the algorithm? Who was it intended for?
We felt that a DJ ranking based on real data was missing. Working and dealing with all
aspects of the electronic music industry, we noticed there was a need for data to measure
how influential an artist could be in terms of music releases and social media presence. We
made Climax for people like, for artists, for fans, and for people in the industry like us.
How does this algorithm compare to other rankings?
First of all… it is based on real data! Climax is the only ranking based on real, concrete data.
The algorithm is public, so people can do their own calculations and see what artists are in
top positions. It’s transparent and cannot be manipulated.
Can you elaborate on the process behind creating the algorithm?
We hired engineers to develop a formula that weighs different parameters for the rankings.
For us, the first step was to isolate the parameters that we thought were the most relevant
(most used streaming platforms worldwide, and most used social media sites) – after that,
the engineers started developing the code.
What helped you determine the parameters used?
The parameters were picked based on how widely they are used globally. For example,
Spotify, Apple Music, Beatport, and YouTube, are all portals that are used by almost
everyone in our industry, so they need to be present and have an impact in the rankings
along with social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and Tik Tok.
How was the weight of each parameter determined?
Each parameter is weighted based on how widely it’s used. Everything ends up very
balanced because of parameters that are super spread out.
What does “Climax Top 100 DJs” mean to you? Is it highest popularity/well-known,
talent, like-ability, most booked/highest paid?
Climax Top 100 means highest popularity and most successful releases from an artist in that
specific year. The algorithm takes into consideration streaming numbers, social media
interactions, and presence from the previous 365 days. Therefore the algorithm highlights all
those artists that command huge numbers of streams all over the world and that have the most loyal and wide fan base globally. From the chart, you can see very established artists
with new talent that had a brilliant year in terms of social media growth and release popularity.
What are your vision/hopes for the future of Climax and what it will do for the
industry as a whole?
We hope that the Climax Top 100 chart becomes a reference chart for the dance music
community. We also would like to venture to national charts applying the same principle of
the global algorithm. We believe that the data we are elaborating is useful for artists,
managers, bookers, labels and also the fans.
Connect with Climax:
Website / Instagram