At the risk of starting mixed in key discourse, I think one judgment DJs need to make is “this is what the crowd/room needs” versus “does this blend harmonically with what’s playing?”…
Most people who learn to DJ can beatmatch in on average in three months. I learned on Vinyl. Even people who can beatmatch use the sync button. What a majority of DJs never learn is how to read the crowd and track programming.
There are moments in which DJs will blend in something purely because it’s necessary to sustain or revive the energy on the dancefloor. For a mix/recorded set, though, I think seamlessness of the transitions matters to people more 🐇