How To Become A Successful DJ?

The following article was told to us by a famous DJ from the United States and a client who has been working with Grace for six years. When we asked him how he could become a successful DJ, the client seriously told us some of his experiences and experiences, which shocked everyone present.

So you want to become a successful DJ. This was me five years ago, and this is me now. Please watch the entire Blog to see everything that I've achieved. 

The first thing I will ask you is: Do you want to be a DJ? If you're getting into DJing to make a lot of money, like making ten thousand pounds a set, or to become Instagram famous, or gain a million followers in just ten days, you need to rethink your goals. When you first become a DJ, you won't be playing in front of thousands of people like James Hype or Nathan Dawe. If you think you can achieve their success within the first month or even the first year, you need to rethink your expectations. These DJs have worked hard for five to ten years to reach their current position. You, on the other hand, are just starting your DJ career, possibly on your first day or your first year. If you're entering this field solely for quick money and fame, you should reconsider. Initially, you'll perform for free or in front of a small audience, maybe five to ten people, or at most, 20. As a beginner DJ, you need to learn your name, and you have limited experience. So, why do you expect to perform in front of thousands of people right away? If you can imagine yourself DJing for a small crowd and still feeling happy, then DJing might be right. However, if you can't handle DJing in an empty bar or club, you should reconsider. If you genuinely love DJing, turntables, and mixing music, then yes, the DJing journey is for you. But if you're solely in it for money and fame, you should stop here. As we often say, DJs should have a particular moral character. 

The next thing you'll need, once you have your DJ controller, is a laptop. When you're just starting as a DJ, people will advise buying a MacBook, spending around two thousand pounds. However, I suggest not doing that, especially if you're not sure you'll enjoy DJing. I recently made a video where I purchased a laptop for just eighty-four dollars, and it worked flawlessly with the DJ software I recommend in the next part. You can find cheap laptops on eBay by searching for laptops that meet the minimum specs for Serato DJ. I'll display those specs on the screen. You can find laptops for less than a hundred dollars to handle your initial DJing needs. You don't have to break the bank when you're just starting. I'll provide a link to an eBay search where you can find laptops for under a hundred dollars. Once you have your laptop and DJ controller, you'll need headphones. The industry standard headphones are the Sennheiser HD25s. However, when you're practicing at home, you don't need to invest in expensive headphones. You can find affordable headphones on Amazon for about ten to twelve dollars. These will work perfectly for practicing at home. It would help if you heard the songs you're mixing; they don't have to be top-notch. 

The next item on your list is speakers. While you can use your laptop's built-in speakers as output for practicing, having dedicated speakers can enhance your practice sessions. If you opt for the controller I recommended earlier, it has an AUX output. You can buy budget speakers for less than twenty to thirty dollars on Amazon and connect them to your controller. Alternatively, you can purchase cheap studio monitors online, with prices starting at around sixty to seventy dollars. If you want to save even more money, you can use your laptop's speakers with DJ software, which won't cost you a dime. You can even get Serato DJ Lite, a free download from the Serato website, to get started without breaking the bank. You can become a DJ for less than two hundred dollars, including a low-cost laptop, an affordable controller, and the basics you need to practice. 

Now that you have your equipment and want to pursue a DJing career, the next step is to obtain music. Many new DJs wonder where to source their music. To answer this question, let's begin with a strategy that may not be popular but is practical, especially when you're just starting. You can use YouTube Converter to acquire tracks. This method allows you to access music quickly and for free. You can download songs from YouTube, but I would like to emphasize that this approach has limitations. When you convert tracks from YouTube, the quality could be better. The converted files may have a bit rate of 128 Kbps or 256 Kbps at best. These files won't sound good on professional sound systems, so you can't use them in a club setting. However, for your early practice sessions at home, they are good enough. You can start by building your library this way. 

But keep in mind that using YouTube Converter is a temporary solution. As you progress in your DJing career and aim to perform professionally, you must source music from legitimate sources. When you convert music from YouTube, you capture the audio from the video. This process results in a lower-quality audio file compared to tracks obtained from official sources. Professional DJs require high-quality 320 Kbps audio files that meet industry standards. Therefore, transitioning to more reliable sources is essential. Online record pools, such as DJ City, are often recommended, but they may have a limited back catalog.

Nevertheless, many DJs turn to these pools, and you can also explore them. For a subscription fee, usually around $19.99 per month, you can access a selection of music for your DJ sets. Other DJs recommend record pools like DJ City, which allows you to download music for a monthly fee. I recommend exploring these options but be aware that they may offer a few tracks. Nonetheless, they are a suitable source for expanding your music library. 

In summary, you have your equipment, music, and the passion to DJ. Your next step is to practice consistently. Regardless of whether you've been DJing for five years or ten years, practice remains crucial. If you're starting, practice is even more critical. Set aside time to practice daily, whether you're 

coming home from school work or whenever you have some spare time. Dedication to practice is the key to improvement. You can't practice in front of a live audience initially, but you can still practice at home. 

Here's a helpful tip for your practice sessions: Get a tripod for your phone, connect your phone to it, and hit the record button. While practicing, you should aim to capture your DJ sessions on video. This way, you can review and analyze your performances. You'll be able to identify areas for improvement and track your progress over time. Checking your recorded sets can be incredibly valuable in honing your DJ skills. 

To grow as a DJ, you should also build your online presence. Creating content and sharing it on social media is an effective way to establish yourself in the industry. When you're performing, take photos of your setup, record snippets of your DJ sessions, and capture moments when the crowd is enthusiastic. Posting this content on your social media accounts proves your DJing activities. It shows potential clients that you're actively working as a DJ. Also, sharing your experiences and interactions with your audience can help you connect with potential clients. 

When approaching potential venues, keep in mind that many of them already have resident DJs. Be persistent and patient, as not all venues will respond. You may need to send out numerous messages before you get a positive reply if you are okay with it. Building your online presence and showcasing your experience from private events can increase your chances of being noticed and considered for gigs at bars and clubs. 

They're not sitting on their Facebook account waiting for another DJ because they're busy; they've got other things to do. I guarantee that if you send out 50 or 60 of these messages, someone will respond. They might not necessarily come back with something positive, but they will come back with something. Nine times out of ten, they'll probably say, 'We've already got a DJ, but we'll consider you next time.' And that's perfectly fine. So you're in the back of their minds if they ever need a DJ. 

What I will say is if any of the venues reply to you and say, 'Oh, we've already got a DJ, but I'll let you know if anything comes up,' message them again in three months, mention them again in six months. Just keep on them because you never know when this DJ will leave. This DJ could go next week, next month, next year. It doesn't matter. If you message about 50 venues, at least five will come back to you and say, 'Oh, sorry, we've already got a DJ, but we'll keep you on our files,' or whatever. For each one of them, keep messaging them. Please keep messaging because you never know what's going to happen. But then one of them is going to come through. One of them will say to you, 'Yeah, we do have a DJ slot available. Can you come down this week?' 

Now, this is when you need to be prepared, people. A lot of DJs will require more preparation for their DJ gigs. They want to go out and DJ in all these bars and venues, but they still need to be ready. Someone might come back to you and say, for example, you messaged a club on a Thursday, right, and they want a DJ for Friday. It would be best if you were ready. Please ensure your music library is prepared for these venues. There will be many people who want all different types of music. So you must ensure that you have all these different types of music ready for these people. Make sure you're prepared, people. There's nothing worse than sending a message to a venue and then coming back saying they want a DJ, but you need more time to be ready. Then you go to this booking, and you're nervous, you're scared, you're not prepared, you don't have anything ready. You'll get a reply from a venue when you least expect it. Could you make sure you're prepared? 

So, you got your first gig from one of these quiet bars. They got back to you, and you're ready. They messaged you back on Thursday, and you're DJing on a Friday night. You're pumped. You're ready. You're going to be DJing in front of loads of people. But you need to make sure that you're prepared. That's enough music because there will always be someone with an obscure request. They're going to want Abba, or they're going to enjoy the Vengaboys or something like that. Make sure you have enough music, or make sure you have a decent-sized music library. 

I have a bunch of videos on my channel that I'll leave the links to in the description down below on how to build your music library. Follow them, and you should be in a decent place for your gig. Another way to be prepared is to have a DJ mix on your phone. It could be from another DJ, or it could be one of your mixes. Have a DJ mix on your phone and have the aux cable that goes into your phone. If you have an iPhone, please make sure you have the adapter. If you have an Android, you can plug it straight in. Plug that aux cable into the sound system of the club. I am still determining how you will do it, but ensure you have something prepared. There's nothing worse than going to your first gig or going to any gig, and your music cuts out on you. So make sure that you're prepared in that sense. 

Now, nobody online will tell you this. When you go to your first gig, please make sure you have the Notes app open on your phone. So, when you're DJing, write down things you want to improve next time. It could be downloading this song for the girls or creating a folder for girls or creating a folder for cheesy music or something like that during your gig. Just write down little things that you're going to improve. So when you come home from that gig, you're going to go home, you're going to create your folders. So when you go back next time, you're going to improve. Improve, improve, improve. 

Once you've got your first gig, everyone wants more gigs. You're going to want continuous gigs. The truth is that to get steady gigs, you need to be good. If you're a good DJ, you will get constant gigs. If you're not a good DJ, you won't get regular gigs. If you go to your gig and you need to do better, if you're selecting the right songs and keeping people on the dance floor, you won't get continuous gigs. That's the truth. Be good, go home, practice, and keep practicing—practice, practice, practice. If you practice, you'll get better, and if you get better, you'll get more gigs, make more money, and become successful. That's it. 

Another thing that no one tells you online is just to be polite. Many DJs feel they must be this angry, stubborn DJ who doesn't want to talk to anyone. Just be polite, be punctual, go to your booking, and get there half an hour early. I guarantee the venue will love that. When you go there, greet everyone – the security, the bar staff, your manager, the guy in the toilet, and anyone you meet. Be polite because if you're friendly and courteous, people will like you. If people like you, they'll want to work with you, and they'll want you to come back. Be polite, say hello to everyone, and be good at DJing, which will get you continuous gigs. That's the best advice I can give you. 

From now on, continuous gigs can mean getting multiple gigs in this area. But what every DJ should work towards when they first start is getting a residency. A residency is a weekly slot, typically on the same day, like a Saturday. Having a DJ residency means having a DJ booking every Saturday at one specific venue. You're exclusive to this venue, and you'll be DJing there every Saturday. That's the goal for every DJ when they first start. 

The reason this is a goal is that once you get a residency, you will grow as a DJ. You'll learn about set structure, reading the crowd, and other aspects. The most important thing is to get a residency. Once you have it, make sure you improve every single week. Even if you've secured it, you can still lose it if you become stale and boring. You can still lose your DJ residency. People online won't tell you this, but you can lose your DJ residency. Everyone is replaceable. But if you keep your music library up to date, switch things up every week, and are a nice person, your manager will want to support you. 

One tip I would like to give you is to document your sets. Use the history feature in your DJ software to see what you played that night. Create folders in your DJ software for specific sections like "opening," "warm-up," or "ladies' sing-along." Order the tracks by number, with the top track being the first one you play and the last track being the final one. Split your gig into sections, then download more music for each section over time. This way, you'll build up your music library and have more options to cater to different crowds. 

After getting your first residency, aim to get more of them. You can have multiple residencies, which can be on different days, like a Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. The more you repeat these steps, reaching out to venues, being excellent and polite, and building relationships with other DJs, the more residencies you can secure. 

Many DJs want to know how to get booked for random gigs on different days, like Fridays. The key is to put content online and rely on word of mouth. When you post your gigs and mixes online, people who hear you at a club might want to book you for their events, like birthday parties. Content is essential; it helps people find and remember you. 

Listen to live DJ mixes to learn and get inspired. It's hard to go out to see other DJs when you're busy, so turn to platforms like SoundCloud and Mixcloud to listen to live mixes. They offer many ideas that can improve your skills and music selection. 

Remember, the way DJ bookings are happening has changed. It's now more reliant on social media and your online presence. Please get to know other DJs, engage with their content, and put yourself out there. Social media is vital to get known in the DJ industry and to receive more bookings. 

With the right attitude and effort, you can succeed as a DJ and enjoy a continuous stream of gigs.

Conclusion:

To become a successful DJ, you need to have the passion, dedication, and willingness to practice consistently. You also need to be patient and persistent in your pursuit of gigs. Here are some key steps to follow:

1. Get the right equipment: You don't need to spend a fortune on top-tier gear when you're just starting out. There are affordable controllers and headphones available that will allow you to practice and learn the basics.

2. Build your music library: There are a few different ways to source music for your DJ sets. You can use YouTube Converter to download tracks for free, but keep in mind that the quality will not be as good as tracks from official sources. For professional gigs, you will need to purchase high-quality 320 Kbps audio files.

3. Practice regularly: Set aside time each day to practice, even if it's just for 30 minutes. The more you practice, the better your skills will become.

4. Record your practice sessions: Get a tripod for your phone and record your practice sessions so you can review them later. This will help you identify areas where you need to improve.

5. Build your online presence: Create social media accounts and share your DJ sets, photos, and videos. This will help you connect with potential clients and show them that you're an active DJ.

6. Be patient and persistent: It takes time to build a successful DJ career. Don't get discouraged if you don't get gigs right away. Keep practicing, networking, and sending out messages to venues.

1. How much does it cost to become a DJ?

Answer: The initial cost of becoming a DJ can be high, but it will gradually decrease as you gain experience. You will need to purchase basic DJ equipment, including a controller, software, and sound system. These devices can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to tens of thousands of dollars. You will also need to pay for DJ training courses, which can cost anywhere from a few thousand dollars to tens of thousands of dollars.

2. What skills do you need to be a DJ?

3. How do I become a DJ?

Answer: The best way to become a DJ is to start by learning the basics. You can learn these skills by reading books, watching videos, or taking DJ training courses. Once you have mastered the basics, you can start practicing mixing and editing music. You can also start performing at small events to gain experience.

4. How do I find a DJ job?

5. How do I become a great DJ?

Answer: To become a great DJ, you need to constantly learn and practice. You also need to constantly update your music knowledge to keep up with the latest trends. In addition, you need to develop your own unique style to stand out.

6. What is the future outlook for DJs?

Answer: As the music industry continues to grow, the demand for DJs is also growing. Therefore, the future outlook for DJs is optimistic.