A Step-by-Step Guide to Becoming an In-Demand DJ
Starting out, I remember asking other DJs I admired, “How do you get good gigs?” Almost without exception, the answer was “Start your own.” This kind of project isn’t for everyone, but then again, not everyone is willing to put in the work to succeed.
Most big DJs were part of an event early on, like Pete Tong‘s Family Function, and Kenny “Dope” Gonzalez‘s Masters at Work parties. DJ Smash and DJ Nickodemus were part of NYC’s Giant Step, and Jason Bentley was part of LA’s Bossanova.
Step 1: Find A Need or Niche and Fill It
Finding a need or niche has two aspects: the music and the atmosphere, or “vibe.” Sometimes, the need is musical, other times, it’s merely the presentation or experience that’s lacking.
For example, there are always new types of dance music coming into existence – is there a new one that interests you, and that’s not represented in your local nightlife? Or maybe you have an idea for a memorable venue that offers more to do at an event than just listen to a DJ and drink? Figure out what you can bring to the scene. Do something that stands out, do something that people have been wanting, and everyone will remember your event.
Although most people probably know Jason Bentley‘s name from his association with KCRW (his show Metropolis was the first on the station to focus on forward-looking electronic music), he cemented his reputation by starting a club-night with other local DJs where you could dance to music he’d championed on the show. Eventually, they began to feature guest DJs whose music listeners had been hearing on the radio.
The event that people now know as Bossanova wasn’t playing music you couldn’t hear elsewhere, but it did allow people to come out and dance. Normally, other spots playing that music were non-dance locations (e.g., bars, restaurants, lounges), or events held in underground locations (e.g., raves, private parties). What Bentley and co. did was present the music in a more convenient setting for their audience.
In contrast, Pete Tong (now of BBC‘s Essential Mix) started out putting on events and later moved into radio. Pete made his name finding new music, so it was natural for him to move into radio, and consequently, his shows became the pre-clubbing staple for those getting ready to go out.
Kenny “Dope” Gonzalez played successful parties, and then got into music production, as did fellow New Yorkers, DJ Smash and Nickodemus. Because they started out as party DJs, they brought their DJ sensibility to the music they made. All of them are now in demand as both DJs and producers.
Step 2: Get to Know The Scene
Going out to familiarize yourself with the events and people that make up the nightlife in your area is intimately related to “finding and filling” the need or niche you’ll choose. You can’t fill a need if you don’t know what is or is not going on already. For instance, you need get a sense of which nights different events are happening on and of who is going to them. You don’t want to put on a new night of deep house on the same day of the week as the best-attended event of that kind.
Often, the best way to find this stuff out is by looking for club/event flyers. Music shops are the default place to look for these, but also go to clothing stores, cafes and any place where club-goers tend to hang out. Grab several flyers (the ones that look good and the ones that don’t), and do your research checking websites, MySpace, and Facebook pages.
When looking at flyers and profiles, pay close attention to names you see a lot and note who or what their associations are-often these people are the “movers & shakers” in the scene. Also analyze what gets your attention on the flyer and what doesn’t, because when you design your publicity campaign, you want to use all the techniques that make an event look hot on paper.
When you go to events, pay close attention to the elements you think work well, and the ones that do not-as with the promotional material, both the dos and don’ts are important.
DJ T-Bird
Meet the people who are involved in putting the nights on-promoters and DJs alike. You can never know too many people, and understanding how they all fit into your scene is important. If you need help with something, you want to know who the “go-to” people are.
Step 3: Promote Your Event
To put on an amazing party, you must have great promotion, a good vibe, a good venue, and good music. Notice that music is last and promotion is first-the most important thing when it comes to parties is promotion. Promote constantly! I cannot stress this enough. If no one comes to your party, then it’s a flop by default. There’s no way around this one, you have got to have a good turnout.
Once your date & venue are set, even before you have flyers or other promotional material, let people know when and where you’re going to hold your event. People’s memories are short and even your best friends need notice and reminding.
If you don’t have a lot of friends, find people who do, and figure out how to get them excited about your event. You need them to tell their friends, and get those friends telling other people that you may not even know or have access to. It’s long been said that “word of mouth is the best advertising,” and it’s true. Keep the event, date, and venue fresh in people’s minds often enough to remind them, but know when to draw the line. It is possible to over-promote, and annoy people into non-attendance.
Once you’ve got promo under control, it’s time to start to focus on actually putting on a great event!
Author's biography:
DJ T-Bird is a native Californian now living in Barcelona and has been behind the decks since 1990. Through the years he has used various media from vinyl to cd to laptops. Although he still prefers turntables, T-Bird won't quibble about using top-of-the-line CDJs. He has a weekly radio show, "Something Else!" on WtnrRadio.com and has Djed all over the USA and in Europe in almost every type of venue or event a DJ could encounter. Along with Djing T-Bird also makes music and likes to go dancing.
