How to Become a DJ

How to Become a DJ in the U.S.

Are you a music freak with a passion for mixing and jamming music? If yes, then this how to become a DJ guide will serve your purpose well. If you want to become a popular face in this industry, you need not be the best but unique. To ensure that you get a respectable spot amongst the other gigs, you need to inherit some qualities that the industry demands in the recent times. Though the industry is vast and has a lot of empty spots to fill, the competition is higher as well. So, if you’ve just stepped into this field, this beginners’ guide will help you follow the right path.

If singing is more of your passion than mixing, read our blog on:-

How to Become a Singer 

What is a DJ?

A DJ is a disc jockey (also known as Deejay) who plays recorded music for a living or can take it up as a part time job. When you enter the world of mixing and jamming, you’ll find a lot of career options within it. Since there are a various types of DJs in the industry, you can find your passion for mixing in any of it. To name a few fields in which you can learn to become a professional DJ includes:-

Types of DJ Jobs

Club & Bar DJs

When is comes to categorising the different fields within the world of DJ, the club and bar DJs tops the list. These are the ones who play music in local bars and clubs and earn good sum for a living. They are the soul of the club and their task it to entrall the audience.

DJ Producers (Artists)

DJ producers are the ones who create their own music and play the mashup or mixing of their own tracks at their gigs. Since the audience in a gig pays full-attention to what the DJ’s playing so the major advantage of this field is that they get a chance to showcase self-made songs.

If you love to produce music, you can also follow our guide on:-

How to Become a Music Producer

Technical / Specialist DJs

Another field within becoming a DJ is pursuing a job as a technical DJs. These DJs are turntablists, which make use of decks and perform skills like scratching, cutting, and beat juggling.

Radio DJs

The work of a radio DJ is to mix music and focus on the curation of the playlists and song selection for a radio station. More so, to become radio DJ, you must also know how to attend interviewing the guests on the show, air banters, or in general mic skills.

What Does a Dj Do?

A dj plays a collection of recorded music at different places, such as bars, hotel bars, pubs, private parties, radio stations, clubs and many more. They might carry their personal recorded music CDs in case logic.

There are various categories in music, such as hip hop, rock, heavy metal, gangster rap, rhythm and blues, country western, jazz, electronic music, pop, classic etc. Some DJ’s only specialize in certain types of music that caters to a particular audience. When most DJs are performing they will accommodate personal requests from people to play a particular song, hence a DJ has to be well informed about all genres of music irrelevant of their personal liking.

How Much Time Does It Take to Become a DJ?

You should remember that it might take you a long time before you become a full fledged DJ, by which I mean; it might not take 10 to 15 years but it might not take cope of months either.  So you got to prepare yourself for this harsh reality. It would be best if you begin freelancing as a DJ ASAP. Freelancing as a DJ is though a low profile in the DJing industry, but all the popular faces set out as one in the beginning. So, to get the basic taste of the industry, freelancing is necessary.

By freelancer, it doesn’t mean to be in clubs, pubs or bars but at small local events such as the sweet 16’s, other birthday parties, house parties, weddings, bachelor parties, school dances etc. Although it might fall out of place with what you expect off your career, it is the only way up to being a DJ. But look at it this way; you get to cater to all kinds of crowd, which means you have to play different genres of music and you will learn to use your charisma to charm a young or an old person. Also, you get to learn how to gauge people’s moods by observing the crowd at these small events.

3 Steps to Become a DJ in the U.S.

It sure is fun being a DJ; especially the social life is great and exciting. Also as a DJ you get to play in different places and travel to play in different geographical locations. However, to get into DJing is tough even if you think you have the best DJing techniques and the personality to draw crowds. There is more competition in being a DJ than a Doctor. So you see there are lots of things that are attractive about DJing. To become a DJ there are just few fundamental information you need to embed in yourself, such as:

Step 1#

In the first step, you gotta learn how to be a DJ. I know it’s a common knowledge among every aspiring DJ that learning how to play your music is very important to keep your audience entertained from the time the party begins to the time of closing but is that all? No. How would you learn to play your music if you do not know how to operate the equipment that plays your music? Well, you have to practice on how to use turntables, notebook software, and CD players. These are the only three ways of playing your music, so you choose which one you are comfortable using and master it.

Step 2#

Next, you have to create your own style of music which you would mostly prefer playing because people will recognize you for your own style of music. At times there will be people requesting you to play music that is not your style but that’s fine because being a DJ is not about you, it’s about your audience although you will have your own niche crowd who will come to see you perform regularly.

A DJ is about playing the right kind of music, at the right time for the right people. So, when you play the right music at the right time, automatically you will develop the right niche crowd who would love your style of playing.

Step 3#

So  Finally, now that you know how to be a DJ and you have created your own niche crowd; it is that time where you have to take DJing to the next level and make it a serious profit earning profession.  How do you do that? Well to begin with, you must mix and record your own track from an already recorded track and burn it on a CD or whatever platform you wish to use. Once you are done recording your own track start promoting it at clubs, pubs, private parties etc; gradually you will build a network where clients will begin  approaching you to play at their business centers (bars, pubs, restaurants, clubs, hotels and private parties) for a particular amount.

In conclusion, DJing is fun but at the same time it can be a little stressful and frustrating so you have to handle your stress and frustration discreetly and not show it to your audience. Also, do not ever think you’re becoming too big for your shoes in just one or two big gigs because every minute there is a new DJ rising and you would be dropped like a hot potato so watch out on your attitude. Finally, always remain down to earth and calm; remember all those who helped you get where you are and don’t forget to help other aspiring DJ’s the same way you were helped.

 

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