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Music selection is the most important factor in a set. Id say 70%. 30% is mixing. Keep yourself updated with new/old record labels to dig into. There is so much great music out there if you look hard enough. Club standard gear doesn't necessarily make you a better DJ (the above points makes you a better DJ).
- Step 1: Learning What DJs Do
- Step 2: Determining Your Goals
- Step 3: Exploring Dj Software
- Step 4: Learning Basic Dj Skills
- Step 5: Getting Dj Hardware
- Step 6: Recording A Mix
- Step 7: Building A Following
- Step 8: Getting Your First Dj Gigs
- Step 9: Honing Your Craft
- What to Do Now
A DJ, or disc jockey, is a person who hosts recorded music for an audience. Simple! But there are many different kinds of DJs, and many reasons for them to exist. Before we start yourjourney into DJing, let’s take a quick dive into what they actually do:
Do you have stars in your eyes? Want to start a business? Host your own podcast? Are you just doing this for fun? There are loads of reasons that you may wish to learn how to become a DJ. The most important thing is to be completely honest about what those reasons are. Let’s talk about some of them:
It’s time to see what DJing feels like! First, you’ll need to get some DJ software. There are 3 main platforms in the DJ industry:
There are a number of basic skills to consider when learning how to become a DJ: mixing, EQing, phrasing, beatmatching, and prep. We’re going to cover them briefly.
While it’s possible to begin DJing using only your laptop, you’re eventually going to want more control over what you’re doing. It’s time to look into some hardware! There are several types of DJ setups to consider:
Once you gain a bit of confidence in your mixing, it’s time to record yourself and analyze it. Let’s use the knowledge you’ve gained thus far, and see what you sound like!
It’s time to construct your support base, build an online presence, and show your worth. If you only want to DJ for personal enjoyment, and don’t care about growing an audience, you can skip this section. Otherwise… read on!
Finally! Now is the time to put yourself in front of some actual people. That’s what it’s all about! This is probably the most crucial step in the whole process: make yourself valuable to your scene or demographic.
So you learned some skills, curated a music library, and scored some gigs. Congratulations, you’re a DJ! But if you want to be a truly great DJ, you’ll never stop putting in work, so that you can become an expert at your craft. Unfortunately, many DJs get stuck in the comfort zone once they’re “good enough”.
There’s a lot to consider when deciding how to become a DJ. It can be intimidating to take all of this in. But, we’re here to help. On the Passionate DJ Podcast, we’re striving to become better DJs through passion and purpose. You can watch episodes on our YouTube channel, or listen on the go via your favorite Podcast app.
- Learn the basics of DJing. Got your eye on the latest speakers or headphones? Hold your horse. It's probably better to get a decent grasp of the fundamentals of DJing before forking out on a fancy new home studio setup.
- Invest in the right equipment. Basics ticked off. Now you need to pick out the right equipment. While professional setups can be expensive, there are loads of budget-friendly options for beginners.
- Build your music library. Your DJ career ultimately hinges on the quality of music you play and how well it goes down with your crowd. To cover your own back during potentially tricky sets, you’ll want to build up a diverse and extensive music library.
- Define your sound. Just as bands and solo artists need to nurture their own specific sound, DJs need to carve out their particular style and decide on the sound that they're going to build their career around.
- Preparing your DJ set. You should start preparing as soon as you know where you're going to play. Make a list of everything you'll need for this particular set.
- Keep an eye out for red lights on your mixer. I'm frequently greeted by red lights clipping on the mixer when I take over from another DJ to play my time slot.
- Learn harmonic mixing, or mixing in key. This is something that few DJs take into consideration. However, it is something that has the potential to completely change the sound of your mixes.
- Don't fiddle with the faders too much. Playing with the up faders and constantly pushing them up and down in time with the beat. And then cutting to the next track while the vocals are still playing.
- Future Music
- Use your cue points. Pretty much any modern DJ player or mixing software will let you add multiple cue points to your tracks. The primary use for these is pretty obvious: to mark the first beat of the track, the point that you’re most likely to start playing that track in order to drop it into a mix.
- Mix up your transitions. Certain types of music tend to lend themselves to certain styles of transition. Four-to-the-floor genres like house and techno work well with long, slow blends, while more rhythmically diverse styles like hip-hop or grime are better mixed using quick cuts.
- Watch your levels. The most obvious sign of an amateur DJ mix is wildly inconsistent volume level. Either the mix will get louder and louder as the DJ cranks the gain with each new track that comes in or else things will ramp up during the transitions – as two tracks are playing at once – only to drop in volume again as one track is mixed out.
- Push the tempo. The pitch faders on your DJ gear allow you to match it to the BPM of another track – but realistically, how far should you push that? In the days of vinyl, the rule was generally not to go beyond a 5% adjustment.
Of course, the songs you play depend on the kind of live venue you’re performing at and who you’re playing to. If we’re talking about a wedding or a birthday party, popular music dance songs will do. But, if it’s an event that’s more sewn to a genre-oriented crowd like a club venue, you need to know your material.
People also ask
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Feb 12, 2017 · Whether you’ve been playing your chosen instrument for years, or you’re just getting started, no one is perfect and everyone can improve. So if you’re hoping to take that next step towards playing like a pro, or looking for new ways to hone your skills, here are our tips to help you become a better musician.
