Why Start Djing?
So you clicked on this post because you need some sort of motivation or inspiration to move your curiosity of becoming a DJ to the next level… Am I right? I was in your same position not that long ago! If it wasn’t for some very inspirational people in my life to show me the right way, I don’t know where I would be today.
So, what are 6 reasons you should start djing?
- Equipment is not a problem to afford
- You have a passion for music & want to learn more
- DJs make a lot of money
- Create memories for people
- Gain confidence & creativity
- Music doesn’t have to be expensive
If you have a passion for music and you can see yourself performing in front of A LOT of people then there is no reason why you shouldn’t become a DJ. I’m here to tell you that this journey isn’t as hard as you think it is as long as you have someone to push you further with knowledge. These 6 reasons will relieve you from your confusion and add some lightbulbs in that brilliant little brain of yours!
1. EQUIPMENT IS NOT A PROBLEM TO AFFORD
Not being able to afford equipment is usually the number one reason why people don’t pursue their DJ dreams, but not anymore. This was my very first concern when I first dipped my head into the realm of the DJ world. You go on Craigslist or Offerup trying to find a decent DJ setup for the best price, and you think you have it all figured out, until you DJ your first gig and your DJ controller shuts off while everyones dancing. Ohhhhh no! They sold me a broken piece of junk!
My stomach felt like it was crawling in the corner of my gut to die. Suddenly, the entire room turned on me and I found myself looking at my DJ controller with murder in my eyes. Do not make that mistake! I’ve bought 3 DJ controllers from local DJs in my area and every single one of them was broken in some way! I almost lost all hope…
What did you do DJ Brian Charles?
The universe works in mysterious ways my friend. Kind of like how it’s working right now in your favor. I read this advertisement on the web that was talking about Affordable DJ Equipment. In fact, This is the ad that got my attention:
I had HORRIBLE credit so I was skeptical when I read “NO CREDIT CHECK” on their site. It did ask me if it was ok to check my credit, so at that point, I lost hope. Regardless if they checked my credit or not, it worked! I wonder what deals they give to people with good credit!
I bought my DDJ SX2 for around $140 for my first payment and 8 payments of around $120/month:
Also, I bought my Chauvet DJ ColorStrip Mini. 4 payments of around $25!!:
A couple days ago, I bought BLUETOOTH JBL Speakers with stands and carrying cases. 12 payments of around $100 I’m so excited!!:
STILL NOT CONVINCED?
My friend DJ Nick Flash recently had a DDj SX2 controller brake on him so I told him about Zzounds and he couldn’t believe it. For the first monthly payment, DJ Nick Flash recently paid $120 for a new Roland 808 controller. About $108 a month for 12 months and he couldn’t be happier. He had it in 2 days! Zzounds is great for emergencies!
I highly recommend you see what kind of deals they have. You will not be disappointed!
NEW TO THE CRAFT?
If you want to practice how to DJ in the comfort of your own home and you’re not sure if becoming a DJ is something you want to pursue yet, then I recommend you look into a DJ Starter Kit to see if it’s right for you!
2. YOU HAVE A PASSION FOR MUSIC
Let me guess, you’ve always had a passion for music and you’re familiar with the current Top 40 songs of this year? Well, thats a start! You need to be versatile in this business if you want to make the big $$$$. If you only study one type of music then you’ll only stand out to that certain crowd of people, but if you do research and study the history of where music originated to where it is now, you can expand your skill set. Therefore standing out to a vast number of people who like different genres. Start investigating!
A mobile DJ will make most of their money performing birthdays, weddings, corporate events, & parties that have mixed crowds of people who like different genres. Any DJ that has been doing it for a while knows that pleasing everyone at the party can be very tricky. It takes a lot of trial and error, but if you organize your music and know when to play the right songs at the right time, you’ll be just fine. Here is a list of genres you should search for to find the best songs in each of them:
Rock, Hip Hop, Rap, Dubstep, Pop, Country, Reggae, Latin, Alternative, Disco, Funk, Dance, & Electro
Once you see your first packed dance floor, you will want to start djing every single night. Focus is the key! Juggling from your computer to the crowd to your decks simultaneously takes a lot of practice, especially when you’re thinking about why the couple who danced to the previous song are now leaving the dance floor, but 5 more couples are coming up to dance to this new song. You cannot please everyone at the same time, but you can throughout the night. I find it helpful to get on the mic every once and a while and say, “Wow, you guys all have different tastes of music but I love it”. This way, they know that I’m trying to please everyone.
A passion for music will get you on the road to start djing in no time. Do your research and make sure you have all the hit records from every genre and I promise you, there is nothing better than the feeling of an epic party that you made happen! Creating memories for people that last a life time is worth it to me, what about you? I thought so…
3. DJS MAKE A LOT OF MONEY
Money is another great reason you should start djing. The more you start djing, the more equipment you will need to invest in over time. You may end up braking even or end up making no profits in the first couple years of djing, especially if you buy used gear that always breaks on you! (invest smart and buy brand new). Equipment will put a dent in your profits but once you have everything you need, the money is pure profit.
The reason mobile disc jockeys get paid so much is because their equipment is not cheap, its heavy, and it takes a lot of skills to operate it the right way. As long as you practice beat matching and being creative, you will have no problems bringing in gigs.
I’ve worked many jobs in my lifetime where I bring home $350 for a whole week of back braking work. Then I made $400 for djing a 5 hour gig for the first time and I was shocked.
Four gigs like that a month and you can get so much done around your house as well as spend time with family and friends more. Possibly, you could use that extra free time to advertise yourself more as a DJ. MO MONEY MO MONEY!!
4. CREATE MEMORIES FOR PEOPLE
If you want to start djing then be prepared to be the center of attention. You are the life of the party that has to take those feelings of uncomfortableness and shyness, put them in a box, and smash it with a good stomp to the ground. It’s our jobs as DJs to create memories that will last forever. Of course, there is not a DJ in this world who has never disappointed someone at some point in time.
All it takes is that one person every now and again to come up and tell you how good of a job you’re doing and it adds to the motivation of becoming a better DJ.
In your first years of djing, you might embarrass yourself a time or two. In fact, I guarantee you will embarrass yourself in some shape or form, but let me explain to you a secret you must never forget!
OWN THAT SHHHHT!
I was djing a kids party just yesterday and I was playing the Cupid Shuffle. I walked out to the dance floor, prepared the kids to dance by telling them to face the same way as me, and right when the song started, “To the right, to the right, to the right”!….
I accidentally said on the mic, “To the left, to the left”…
I was embarrassed and ashamed of myself for not remembering such a simple detail, but I owned that SHHHHHTTTT!
I stopped and turned around towards the kids and said, “I’ve only played this song 100 times so please forgive me”. I proceeded to dance like a fool and be extra silly. My point is, whether you mess up or not, people are going to remember you for making them laugh.
When in doubt or in a state of embarrassment, MAKE FUN OF YOURSELF!! Call yourself out on those awkward moments. Once you get passed the fact that you may mess up, it will get much easier to create long lasting memories for people. They will respect you for your honesty, trust me!
5. GAIN CONFIDENCE AND CREATIVITY
The best DJs are the most confident. The more you practice crowd reading, song selection, beat matching, transitions, and special tricks & effects, the more confidence you will build over time. Patience is very important. When you start djing, it’s going to take a lot of time to learn the basics, but with repetition and a lot of practice, you will slowly start to memorize those buttons. It will come natural over time and that’s when you can add even more tricks to the trade!
Take a look at this guy on youtube. He has clearly passed the level of beginner and is far more advanced with creativity. This is what a lot of practice can accomplish:
See how confident this guy is with his mixing? As you become more confident with your performances, you will notice it becomes easier to be more creative behind the decks. It becomes so natural that you can start to add in extra tricks as time goes on. It’s kind of like driving a car! At first, you are terrified you will crash. Over time, you become more comfortable at performing simple tasks like parallel parking for example. By the way, I am the master at parallel parking!
6. MUSIC DOESN’T HAVE TO BE EXPENSIVE
Music can get very expensive if you are constantly purchasing from Itunes so make sure you look more into their payment plans because they do offer deals on their record pool. If you want to start djing and you are already having trouble affording equipment, then affording the music is going to brake your bank. They have many different record pools online that you may choose from. A record pool website lets you download the hottest the music for a monthly service charge. DJ City is a great record pool website (Keep in mind, I am not affiliated with this company):
WHAT ABOUT YOUTUBE?
They do have many program apps that you can download that will convert youtube videos into MP3 audio files. The difference between downloading youtube songs and buying songs from a music platform is the QUALITY… Oh and theres the fact that it’s considered illegal. I’ve never downloaded songs illegally from youtube to play at one of my events. I’m too scared that there is a secret F.B.I. agent spying on me in the crowd. He’s ready to take me down for playing copyrighted music that I didn’t pay for! The quality of a song is determined by it’s bit rate and some other factors. Downloading youtube videos is not like having the actual song.
THE DJ PRO SAYS “KEEP IT HIGH QUALITY BABY”!
Check out my other post where I explain How To Determine The Quality of a Song. I think you know now how you can find good music at an affordable price!
Conclusion
To sum it all up, these 6 reasons should make you want to start djing. I am pretty sure if you read this far, you must have been intrigued just a little right? I would love to know what kind of feedback you can give me! Can you give me a reason why you should start djing?
