words Alexa Wang
The music industry is constantly looking for new talents, and if you happen to be a music lover and have considered getting involved in the music industry, you’ll need to know the ins and outs.
DJs have become increasingly popular with the rise of techno music and digital editing, this relatively new music form has billions of followers around the world. Clubs and discos are always looking for someone to play at their events, and not only them but anniversaries, birthday parties, and even bar mitzvah. In the text below, you can learn 7 easy and yet effective ways of becoming a professional DJ with some serious credentials.
Determine the type of DJ you want to be
First of all, make sure you know what music or kind of music you are going to play and if you prefer to become a producer one day. Then again, there are several different occasions and occupations to choose from. You can be a club DJ, therefore your musical preferences will be mostly to keep the crowd happy and dancing on the dancefloor. You can be a DJ for hire, meaning you can perform at weddings, anniversaries, birthday parties, and bar mitzvah. You’ll have to get accustomed to the mainstream taste of the audience and make sure to go with the safe options for the wider public. Or maybe you’ll choose to become a radio DJ, putting some tunes between the weather forecast and the news. Producers and performance DJs usually are the main goal of most young people starting, as it allows artistic freedom. It means you are creating your own tunes and music using different techniques.
Make sure you have the right equipment
Every DJ needs a set of great equipment to help him become more successful and better at what he does. The whole setup can cost you a lot and therefore, choose the hardware according to its priority, get what you need the most, or without which you cannot perform. Get a mixer, turntables controller, DJ speakers, and several accessories you’ll need. Try to find great software for your mixing and performance, and make sure to know your equipment. Do not feel disappointed as you might not have state-of-the-art speakers, as eventually you are the one creating the music and your talent mostly determines your success. Of course, it takes more than just skill; it also takes a lot of hard effort.
Get acquainted with the 101’s
Try to learn the fundamental skills you’ll need. For example, beat matching and phrasing. The first one is known as the attempt to make two distinctive tracks play at the same time and tempo, and phrasing is an actual skill and needs some taste, feeling, and practice. It is essentially mixing songs or parts of songs and creating something meaningful. These and other skills are a must when stepping into the world of entertainment.
Fun base
Try to promote your work on several music platforms and spread the word about your performance and skills. It is a type of personal marketing, and essentially its purpose is to build a follower base- people who listen to your every performance and are talking about you at different social gatherings and occasions. This way you’ll gain popularity and have more job opportunities.
Keep up with the demand
Once you’ve put your foot on a stage and are having your first real gig, make sure to know how to keep them satisfied and make them have a memorable time. Read the room, make sure you understand the mood and taste of the audience, know when to make things hot and to perform and when to lower the ball.
Patience
The key to every success is having patience. Being a DJ yet doing it for a living can be a tremendous effort and you’ll have a lot of obstacles at first. Patience for building your fan base, patience for getting your first real gigs, patience when you are being rejected several times in a row. All these are different situations when you’ll need to stay calm, think positive, and wait for your moment.
In the end, know for who or what are you Djing
Like we said at the beginning, you’ll have to know what DJ you want to be. Not in terms of performance, what gigs you are going to take, rather in terms of love or money, fame and success, or gaining recognition. These are some essential questions you’ll have to ask yourself at one point. Is it a side hustle to make extra money, is it a dream you want to make real, or are you having just some fun? Once you get the answer, you can straighten your priorities and make sure to achieve your goals.
Follow these steps and make sure to always be ahead of the competition and all the new trends put there. We wish you the best of luck.
