How do I get started on being a DJ? What do I need? Where should I go? These are some frequent questions we hear from our readers. So you want to be a DJ? You want to be centre stage and have all eyes on you. You want to be an artist, but don’t know where to start. We will not go too much into the details, mostly because this is a very personal journey, but we can help you get started and give you a few terms you should understand and abilities you’ll need to learn.
Before we start, let’s make one thing clear. This isn’t just a new adventure you are embarking on, it is a lifestyle change. According to this blog post, it doesn’t matter why you want to be a DJ since everyone has their own rationale. It is a devotion to music that few people can understand, let alone match. Becoming a DJ is not for the faint of heart or introverted. , taking the slings and arrows of haters and fakers who think you are trash or think they could do it better than you. You will need to manage some of the worst kinds of individuals who don’t see you as an artist, but as a tool to make them cash. If you can take all ofthat and still be yourself, you’ll find a career that is gratifying, challenging, exciting, and most of all fun.
Getting Started on Getting a DJ
First things first, what exactly does a DJ actually do? Basically, you’re the one who plays the music in any venue. That’s as simple as it gets, but there is much more. There is the turntable master, the club DJ, the radio DJ, and the mobile DJ. You may specialize in a single, but a good DJ has to have the ability to work a variety of these disciplines. If you decide that you just want to be a club DJ, that is fine. Just remember, this is your career. A basketball player that can take, but not be able to play defense, rebound, pass or dribble, is not going to make it onto any team. Becoming a DJ is just the same. If you can mix various kinds of music, and you can change your style on the fly, you may open up as many opportunities available to you as possible. You will also have to be proficient with blending and production program. This will be possibly the most difficult part. Get intimate with the program. Learn what resources the software offers, and how they work — it can help you get used to breaking down the music.
You don’t need to use software if you would like to go”old school”. Scratching the old vinyls to their inevitable destruction is an extremely respected form of the artwork, a lot of fun and the toughest to master. It requires a bit of talent and a ton of skill to be a pure scratch DJ, but everyone loves a good one. Software is available to help accelerate your workflow as an electronic DJ, but your cool factor might not go quite as high. Being a scratch DJ is also very expensive in both time and money, driving around the city searching for the few vinyl stores left is time-consuming, but worthwhile.
How to Find DJ Software
You can use a DJ notebook or desktop to control your gear. Mixing software is the electronic side of being a DJ. It will let you find the songs in a visual demonstration, break them down, put two songs together, and mix and match as you like. You may use a library or playlist stored on your computer to improve the mixing so you can seamlessly fit beats, EQ, control the gain and Stage. Most software has a hefty instruction manual, make sure to read it and get acquainted with the controls. You might need to experiment with some of these controls to find out what they can do and how they do it, but it is going to be worth it in the long run.
How the program works is basic in description, but in practice can find a bit confusing. The equalizer is really just a volume control for different sound frequencies, gain control works by adjusting the amount of each channel, and the crossfader is just what it sounds like. It fades from one channel to another. Beat matching allows you to adjust two unique songs to play at exactly the exact same tempo and”stage” them together. All in all, we recommend just going for a specific program (read our best DJ software guide for our picks), in particular the trial version to see how it is. It will take a while to learn and definitely will not be easy, but when you’re able to master or at leastlearn some ins and outs of software, you are already ahead.
Purchasing the Ideal DJ Equipment
You may go high-end if you like, but the equipment costs can very quickly add up. To start, all you actually need is just two turntables or CD players, software (if you would like to go digital), speakers, headphones, and a two channel mixer/controller. That’s the bare bones system you may need just to get started. Broken needles and mixer hooks will be a constant, and needles aren’t exactly cheap but the turntables should be bought new. Records will also make the list if you intend do go . If you decide to go digital, you still need turntables and a mixer, but you’ll also need the software and computer to go with it. The DJ turntables can be Vinyl or CD, but if you decide to go digital then consider going with a fully digital setup — this is the easiest way to go. The program can be cheap or expensive, so in the beginning, you should probably save your budget and find a trial to start.
Speakers are not going to be a huge problem early on, so it is fine to find cheap ones when you are just learning your skills. They’ll be the frame the people view your artwork through, so eventually you’ll want to find a good pair. Your DJ headphones ought to be the over-ear style. It’s best to get used to this style early because when you work a gig, the sound of the crowd, the music and people trying to talk to you while you work will allbe competing for your attention. You want to have the ability to block out that sound and focus on your mixing. After all, this is going to be your job. The controller is going to be your very best friend and should also be bought new if possible. Our beginners DJ gear guide may be of use here, as it goes into a lot more depth for equipment specifically for beginning DJ’s.
How to Learn How to Work Your DJ Equipment
The multitude of switches, buttons, sliders and dials can be somewhat intimidating at first but as soon as you get an understanding of what they give you, they will become like your paint brushes. Getting started with DJ’ing is all about refining your skills and in order to do that, you have to be comfortable with the controls. Let us start with the controller. An all-in-one DJ controller (read that guide for some good beginner picks) is probably one of the easiest on the market, although they can range from about $100 to above $3500. A DJ controller and a vinyl deck are essentially the same as much as how they operate, the distinction being that the vinyl deck actually uses records. You don’t need a $3500 controller off the bat, or everprobably. With a few hundred bucks you can get all you will need to get started mixing and recording songs. Nowadays, newer controllers come with a LAN connection that will allow you to connect to multiple devices simultaneously, which unites with software to allow you to access loops you’ve created, share music between the devices and sync them up. Slip mode lets you loop or scratch audio over another song and the jog dial (or wheel) will allow you to scratch and scrub the music.
Now on to the mixer, a DJ mixer is like an air traffic controller. It is responsible for taking in all ofthe inputs and directing the noise through the equalizer. You also don’t need a computer to run a CDJ mixer, which will come in handy if you decide to be a stall DJ. The downside is thatthey are expensive though, about $1000. It controls the volume and noise frequency levels for each device and passes that sound out to the speakers. All mixers have at leasttwo stations, but a club mixer has several. Each channel has a frequency control and fader that are allultimately controlled by a master output signal that controls everything. The headphones are how you sync and prepare another track before you shower the audience in greatness. Since only you can hear this output, it is going to give you some time to troubleshoot, locate your next recording and be sure everything is ready to go.
Ideas for How to Be a DJ
Becoming a DJ is really all about connections, connections to other DJ’s, the promoters, the audience and even yourself. Go out and watch other DJ’s work. Most don’t mind and some will answer questions if they know you are serious about the lifestyle. Watch how they use the gear, change the pace and interact with the audience. Watch their technique, each DJ has different controls and various ways they control them. Study them and go home and practice those techniques. Do not pull out your phone and try to film them though. It is a business, and with someone film you at work then put that movie up on their website so they can make money is a serious issue. Frequent the clubs that play the music you love first.
As your skills grow over time you may go to other clubs that play other music you like so you can diversify your choices and make yourself more employable. Mingle with the crowd and get a sense of the atmosphere, pace of their songs and music they like. Becoming a DJ means that you put on a lot of hats. Manager, promoter, technical advisor, social media manager, logistics manager and artist are just some of the jobs you’ll have. Being prepared when you meet a promoter is quite important. It is a job interview, and you want to put your best foot forward.
Work on your sales pitch and have it memorized because just like any job interview, you don’t want to wing it. Be confident and prepared to over deliver. The audience is the canvas, your own oxygen. It’s the reason you’re there. Know your audience before your initial recording is synced up. They are already in your corner and they will be your support. Be in the life, show your face in the club. Promoters would like to know that you’re in their club and you appreciate their audience.
Concluding Tips for Starting to Be a DJ
The way to become a DJ is a difficult question to ask and is an arduous trip. It’ll be full of disappointing rejection and elating opportunities. We say opportunity because in the long run, that is really all you need. Getting lucky is also a part of that. With so many DJ’s competing for just a few gigs, it is an uphill climb. If it was easy, everyone would do it. Create a presence on social networking and develop a following. It’s a great place to start.
Share your mixes on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat as well as YouTube. Let your friends share and help create a buzz for you. If you work hard and develop your abilities, you will enable your talent to actually shine. Be genuine. You don’t want to need to maintain a facade for your whole career. Individuals can usually spot a faker when they see one. Being yourself is the easiest way to live, and people gravitate towards the real.