Best Afro House Mixes to Listen To Right Now (2026)

2026-10-21

The best afro house mixes live on YouTube, where Cercle and Boiler Room film full sets from artists like Black Coffee, plus SoundCloud, Spotify playlists, and a few dedicated radio shows and podcasts. A great afro house mix is the fastest way into the genre, because a DJ has already done the digging for you.

If you want mixes across every genre, not just this one, read my [guide to the best DJ mixes to listen to](/blog/best-dj-mixes-to-listen-to). This post stays locked on afro house.

I'm a DJ who covers afro house and latin house, and I listen to afro house mixes almost every day. It's where I find new tracks, hear how other DJs build a room, and remind myself why I fell for this sound. Here's where I actually listen.

Where to Find the Best Afro House Mixes

Each platform does something different for afro house. Once you know what each one is good at, you'll stop scrolling and start listening.

YouTube: Best for filmed live sets and long mixes. You get the atmosphere of the venue, and big sets often come with timestamped tracklists. SoundCloud: Best for DJ uploads, fresh club recordings, and unreleased IDs that haven't hit stores yet. Spotify and other streaming apps: Best for playlists of individual tracks. These aren't mixed, but they're great for learning the sound and building your own crates. Radio and podcasts: Best for a weekly, hand-picked hour you can follow on a schedule.

Most of my listening happens on YouTube, so let's start there.

Best Afro House Mixes on YouTube

Afro house was made for long sets. Tracks often run seven or eight minutes, with slow builds and percussion that layers up over time, so a one or two hour mix gives the music room to breathe. Afro house YouTube is where you'll find the most of these, filmed in clubs, ballrooms, and open-air spots around the world.

Cercle

Cercle films DJs in striking locations, and its afro house sets are some of the most watched on the platform. Start with Black Coffee's set at Salle Wagram in Paris, which Cercle describes as the city's oldest ballroom. It runs over an hour, ends with an interview, and has a full timestamped tracklist in the description, so you can look up every track as you go.

Boiler Room

Boiler Room puts the camera right behind the decks, so you see the DJ work. Black Coffee played an hour-long set for its Stay True South Africa broadcasts from Johannesburg, and Boiler Room London has hosted Mzansi Beat events built around South African sounds, including afro house. Search the channel for "afro house" and you'll find plenty more.

Artist and Label Channels

Some of the best afro house mixes come straight from the artists. Follow these names on YouTube and search their names with "live" or "set":

Black Coffee: The South African DJ and producer who did more than anyone to take afro house global. MoBlack: The founder of MoBlack Records, one of the most important labels in the genre. His channel is a steady source of label sounds and live sets. Keinemusik: The Berlin collective of &ME, Rampa, and Adam Port. Their sets lean melodic and vocal, and they're a big reason afro house reached so many new fans. Enoo Napa and Caiiro: Two South African producers behind a darker, more hypnotic [afro tech flavor](/blog/afro-tech-house). Worth hearing once you know the basics.

Mix Series

Major League DJz, the South African duo best known for amapiano, run Untitled Select, a weekly series from their Untitled Audio platform that rounds up new afro house discoveries on YouTube and SoundCloud. It's a handy way to hear fresh tracks without digging through stores yourself.

A quick search tip: type "afro house mix" or "afro house live set" into YouTube, then filter by length to show videos over 20 minutes. That clears out the shorts and leaves you with proper sets.

I also post my own afro house mixes on [my YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/@DJRikstar). They're built the same way I'd play them in a club, with long blends and a steady build. More on those below.

Afro House on SoundCloud and Playlists

YouTube gets the big filmed sets, but plenty of great afro house never makes it there. That's where SoundCloud and streaming playlists come in.

Afro House SoundCloud

Afro house SoundCloud is where DJs upload sets after gigs and where you'll hear tracks months before release. Follow the artists you like, starting with Black Coffee, then check who they repost. Reposts are one of the best ways to find smaller DJs with great taste.

When a mix grabs you, look at the "related tracks" panel and the profiles of people who liked it. That's how one good mix turns into a week of listening.

Afro House Playlist Picks

An afro house playlist on Spotify won't be mixed, but it's a great way to learn the tracks that show up in mixes. These three are Spotify editorial playlists, run by Spotify's own team:

Tantra: Hypnotic melodic and afro house built for late nights. Tulum Party: A long, beach-club leaning selection with plenty of afro house in it. Francis Mercier's Track IDs: A regularly updated list of favorites from Francis Mercier, a DJ known for afro-tinged house.

Be careful with the giant third-party "Top 100" playlists. Some are excellent, but follower counts don't always mean real listeners.

If you DJ, also check Traxsource's Essential Afro House charts. They're not mixes, but the weekly picks and monthly Top 100 lists show you what's being bought and played right now.

Afro House Radio and Podcasts

There are fewer dedicated afro house radio shows than you might expect, since most of the action happens in mix series and DJ uploads. These two are real, active, and worth your time.

The Afro Tech Effect is a weekly afro house radio show hosted by mendé sound out of Toronto. It runs for an hour every Saturday at 7pm ET on Afrolivefm.com and is also on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and iHeartRadio, with video on YouTube. Expect afro tech, house, 3 step, and gqom.

Get Lifted with DJ Lady Duracell is a weekly afro house podcast from a London DJ, recorded live on her station, We Get Lifted Radio. It mixes deep, soulful, and afro house, so it's a good pick if you like the warmer side of the sound.

How to Use Afro House Mixes to Improve Your DJing

Listening for fun is great. Listening with intent is how you get better. Here's what I pay attention to when I study an afro house mix.

Track Selection

Notice which tracks the DJ plays back to back and why they work together. Often it's the percussion style or the mood of the vocals, not just the tempo. When a pairing works, write it down and find both tracks.

Transitions

Afro house rewards long, patient blends. Listen for how long both tracks play together and what the DJ does with the EQ, usually swapping basslines and letting the drums overlap. If you want to practice this yourself, my guide on [how to blend tracks smoothly](/blog/dj-transitions-how-to-blend-tracks-smoothly) walks through the techniques step by step.

Energy Across the Set

Pay attention to the shape of the whole mix. Most great sets warm up with deeper, slower-feeling tracks, build through percussion and vocals, peak, and then ease off. Thinking about this shape will change [what music you choose to play as a DJ](/blog/what-music-should-a-dj-play) and when you play it.

Keep a Notes File

I keep a simple running list on my phone: mix name, timestamp, track name, and one line on why it worked. After a few months, it becomes the most useful crate-digging tool you own.

New to Afro House? Start Here

If you're brand new, start with Black Coffee's Cercle set in Paris. It's smooth, it's deeply rooted in the South African sound, and the tracklist makes it easy to follow.

After that, try a Keinemusik set to hear the more melodic, vocal side of the genre. Once you're hooked and want the full story behind the music, read my [complete guide to what afro house is](/blog/what-is-afro-house), from its South African roots to the artists leading it today.

Listen to DJ Rikstar's Afro House Mixes

I make the kind of mixes I like to hear: afro house that builds slowly, with rich percussion, strong vocals, and long blends that keep you moving. I also post latin house mixes that bring Latin vocals and rhythms into the same warm, driving groove.

They work for a night in, a drive, or a pregame before you head out. You'll find them all on [my YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/@DJRikstar), and new ones go up regularly.

FAQ

Where can I listen to afro house mixes for free? YouTube and SoundCloud are the best free options, with thousands of full afro house mixes and live sets. Spotify's free tier works for afro house playlists, and shows like The Afro Tech Effect are free on podcast apps.

What is the best YouTube channel for afro house? There isn't one single best channel. Cercle and Boiler Room are the top picks for filmed live sets, while artist channels like Black Coffee and MoBlack are great for following the sound straight from the source.

How long are afro house mixes usually? Most afro house mixes run between one and two hours, and live recordings can go longer. Radio shows and podcasts usually stick to about an hour. The longer format suits the genre's slow builds and long tracks.

How do I find the tracks in an afro house mix? Check the video description and comments first, since many sets include timestamped tracklists. You can also search the DJ or show on 1001Tracklists, or use Shazam while you listen. Some tracks will be unreleased IDs, so you may have to wait for the release.

Are afro house mixes good for working out or focus? Yes. The steady groove and long format make afro house mixes great for both. Pick deeper, melodic mixes for focus and more percussive, high-energy sets for workouts.

Keep Listening

The best afro house mixes are out there, free, and waiting for you. Start with one set from this guide, keep a notes file, and let one great mix lead you to the next. If you want to understand why the tempo feels the way it does, see my [afro house BPM guide](/blog/afro-house-bpm).

If you want more afro house and latin house in your week, [subscribe to DJ Rikstar on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@DJRikstar). New mixes go up regularly, and I'd love to have you listening.