The first disc features collaborations with artists from the R&B, hip hop and pop worlds such as Lil Wayne, Taio Cruz, Nicki Minaj, Ludacris, Snoop Dogg, Afrojack, Chris Brown, Flo Rida, Usher, Jennifer Hudson, Dev, Timbaland, Jessie J and Sia.

[24] David Jeffries wrote for AllMusic that "Nothing But the Beat offers the same experience as one of Guetta's numerous remix sets", but declared that "something's missing, something along the lines of 'When Love Takes Over'.

"[25] In the same vein, Al Fox wrote for BBC Music that "Whether you could go so far as to call Guetta an auteur might be pushing it, but it's a cohesive effort, if not quite a work of art.

"[34] Entertainment Weekly's Mikael Wood praised the tracks "Night of Your Life" and "Titanium" but felt that "the album feels colder than its sweat factor suggests.

"[27] In an almost neutral review, Jon Dolan wrote for Rolling Stone that the album "shows how good he is at making Eurohouse's thumping trounce and jet-engine synth whoosh feel like natural elements in the hip-hop, R&B and even rock continuum.

"[32] In his MSN Music "Expert Witness" column, Robert Christgau said that while he "only wish[es] it had a few 'I Gotta Feeling's", "the two Nicki Minaj features come close, Taio Cruz does what he's sposed to for once, the will.i.am preachment makes its escapist statement, and neutering Snoop is fine with both me and the ASPCA.

"[30] Ally Carnwath wrote a negative review for The Observer, rating it 1 out of 5 stars, writing that the album's collaborations "struggle to impose any distinctive personality on the overall mood of relentless rictus-grin-inducing euphoria.

"[35] Tom Ewing from The Guardian criticized Guetta for making "tiring dancefloor fillers" and concluded that "Nothing But the Beat may sound like a one-man hit parade, but it also takes its title far too literally.

"[28] Eric Henderson wrote negatively for Slant Magazine that "His sound may be the most influential force in pop music today, but he's paradoxically been artistically overshadowed by imitators and innovators alike, all of whom demonstrate a better understanding of power pop's legacy (Lady Gaga's "The Edge of Glory"), dance-floor dynamics (Rihanna's "S&M"), and ridiculous self-awareness (LMFAO's "Party Rock Anthem").

"Play Hard" featuring Akon and Ne-Yo has been remixed by Guetta, and this new version was released as the tenth and final single from Nothing but the Beat.

[47] The video, a burn production directed by Mr. Brainwash, opens with a television with text on the screen that reads, "art cannot be criticized because every mistake is a new creation", and contains scenes involving paint, graffiti, the breaking of objects, and Guetta and Romero DJing.

[51] Also named "Nothing but the Beat", the documentary follows Guetta on tour around the world and behind the scenes of major concerts, featuring interviews with collaborative and associated artists, friends, colleagues, and his wife to chronicle his rise from underground house DJ to global superstar.

Featured artists include will.i.am, Kelly Rowland, Snoop Dogg, Ludacris, Taio Cruz, and dance music legends Fatboy Slim, David Morales, and Pete Tong, plus new talent Afrojack and Avicii.

[52][53] The film received its official premiere at Paris' largest[54] operating movie theatre Le Grand Rex, where it played to over 2,000 fans and guests.

[55] Others involved in the production of the documentary included What a Music, Pardeep Sall (Trouble Makers Associates), filmmakers Partizan and innovation house Deviant Venture,[56] and was released as a free podcast on iTunes.