Music is your life. You wake up and go to sleep listening, producing and DJing. You are ready to transition from your bedroom to the big stage but don't quit your day job yet.
I am an old school DJ who grew up in the 90s when things were a lot simpler. We made a mixtape, went to a party, gave it to some friends and a few promoters and the next thing you know, everyone was listening and copying your tape. Obviously, a lot has changed with the social media in full swing. I wanted to share some of the feedback and advice I got from friends in the industry and well-known DJs I spoke with recently since I decided to make my comeback as a DJ. All of these comments and advice is based on my personal experience. However, this is just as important as the music selection you choose to play.
1. Thank you for your support but don’t expect anything in return.
2. Posting your mix in 100s of groups is usually is a waste of time because that is all people do in it, just post.
3. Tagging your friends to Major Announcements like your "New Mix", is not as exciting to them as to you and after a while, you will be blocked.
4. Tagging other DJs and promoters to anything that is not related to them or their associations is a no no.
5. Do not post a link to your mix in any other threads. It is referred to as, hijacking the post.
6. Do not post your mix in other events. Promoters pay money to advertise and have their established following that took them time to build. Respect that!
7. The ratio of people commenting is astronomically low, so don’t expect a whole lot of comments on your mix. Consider yourself lucky if they even press like.
8. Unless you produce music, chances are you will not get noticed on an international level.
9. Clubs only care if you can bring a crowd of paying customers, but even that will not guarantee you a good spot. Most likely expect an opener set with no compensation.
10. With the amount of music and mixes coming out every day, not many people will have time to hear your entire mix. Even if your mix is amazing, unless your name is on the A-List, not many will pay attention.
As you can imagine, gaining exposure and new fans is challenging. Even with countless support to many promotional companies, getting a good gig is not easy. However, nothing happens overnight and always remind yourself why you want to do it in the first place.
Here is what I personally can advise you based on my experience thus far.
1. If you love music and enjoy djing, do it just for the love of it and have no expectations of making it as a full-time DJ.
2. Find a few groups where your friends interact, so they can see your post. Those who care will follow you and comment without asking for it.
3. Build authentic followers by shaking hands and having conversations at events. This may seem like a slow process but in the end, these are the fans you want to have on your side and eventually their friends will notice too.
4. Don’t waste your money on buying likes and plays. Fake numbers do not impress anyone and you only fooling yourself.
5. Find a few local DJs who share your vision and speak the same language. Start organizing smaller free events to help you build a real following.
6. Your level of commitment vs. the money you will get paid is a joke. Make sure you are ready to spend countless of hours in chasing your dream without getting any financial reward for it.
7. Don’t quit your day job. Treat it as a hobby, until you've already made it big and even then it’s not all that financially stable.
8. Continue your education. If you are serious about DJing as your career, there are many schools and even online courses that can get you where you want to be.
9. Discover your style and follow top producers and record labels in that genre. You always want to have the latest tracks when you get the opportunity to play live.
10. Be in contribution and volunteer at events with promoters where you would like to play some day. Building authentic relationships will go a long way.
This article is in no way to discourage you from becoming a DJ. Never give up on your dream but do have realistic expectations.
P.S. Feel free to comment below with more advice for up and coming DJs
With love,
Founder of Universal Love Tribe and Magic Recordings
