“Trust is incredibly important; micromanaging often causes friction”

Hiroaki Nishikawa, or Hiro, is the managing director of AlphaTheta EMEA and a veteran at the company. A passion for DJing took him first to Pioneer Australia and then Japan, where he worked across product strategy, development, finance, sales and marketing. Now based in London, he continues to oversee the company’s expanding range of DJ-centric products with an eye on making gear that’s accessible to both newcomers and pros – but gear that helps people forge an emotional connection through music.

Here are five pieces of Sound Advice that Nishikawa has learned throughout his career.

1. Music is about meaning, not just hardware

“At AlphaTheta we believe music has a power to bring people together no matter where they’re from or how old they are. We started with strong engineering and product design, of course, but now we focus more on creating meaningful experiences, not just tools. We have evolved from being a product-centric to a purpose-driven company, which means we care not only about what we make, but why we make it.

“And so our goal is to help DJs and music creators express themselves, to connect with others and build communities through music. One example is our partnership with Bridges for Music, a non-profit in Cape Town, South Africa. Together we help to give people in under-resourced communities access to education, creative tools and skills for music careers.”

2. Legacy brands live long in people’s minds

“Last year, we introduced AlphaTheta as a business brand, which led to some mixed interpretations. But Pioneer DJ is still very much alive and well with a strong legacy. The launch of AlphaTheta gave us a chance to express a bigger mission, one that’s focused on the human experience of the music. It’s named after two brain wave states, Alpha and Theta, which we believe DJs often reach while performing.

“AlphaTheta is about the connection between technology, creativity and human emotion. Of course, our CDJ systems are well known, but our goal is to keep moving forward by imagining what comes next while respecting what has gone before.”

3. In a better world, everyone has access to music-making tools

“We are really passionate about making it easier for people to get started with music. That means designing easy-to-use products, offering accessible learning resources and creating a welcoming, inclusive environment for everyone. That’s why we created the Start From Scratch Workshop Program. This campaign is all about breaking down barriers and making DJing open to everyone. The workshops are hands-on and beginner-friendly, helping people learn the basics like beat matching and mixing, all in a fun and supportive space.”

4. Good leaders trust their teams

“I’ve had the opportunity over the last 15 years to lead teams in fast-paced and high-stakes environments, and I’ve found trust to be incredibly important. I think micromanaging often causes friction. On the other hand, empowering others boosts morale and unlocks better productivity. Early on, I felt like I had to have every answer, but over time, I learned that good leaders listen and ask questions. I think it’s a continuous journey, and I’m still on it.”

5. DJs help make products better

“We have an artist relations team and a product planning team and, basically, we are constantly talking to DJs about their wants and needs with regard to products. We might show some DJs a product at an early stage, get feedback, make another version and so on over many months. We might talk to a hundred or more DJs over the course of developing a product. One example is we found that people were using Apple Music in their daily life, so we incorporated support for that directly into our hardware and software.”

This interview with Hiroaki Nishikawa appeared in the MusicTech Magazine July/August 2025 issue.