How to become a DJ?

27 march 2022

You have a dream, a goal; You would like to become a DJ.

Big change you don’t know where to start and have a lot of questions. You’re not the only one! I will therefore give you eight tips that form the basis for your DJ career.

1. Choose what kind of DJ you want to become

Do you have a visual of how you see yourself, as a DJ, in the future? About what your specialism will be and what kind of music you would like to play? Would you rather focus on being someone who does DJ-ing as a hobby or do you have dreams to become a professional? Someone who works on their own tracks and shares it with the crowd? Also, what kind of music would you like to play and will you be playing in a club, a wedding or rather like to play on a large festival? Just some questions that answering them can give more guidance on which way you want to go. Choose what you want to specialise in and what you want to be known for.

2. Decide whether you want to work as a hobby or professionally

If your wish is to become a professional, there will be more work into it. As a professional DJ you will have to make your own tracks. It will also be important to be able to release tracks frequently to keep your followers engaged. Add a good impression to that, trough Marketing and Communication. You will have more contact with labels, you will have to be more involved in networking and you will have to put more time and money into your career. You have to dare to invest in order to be able to earn it back in the end.

Everything is possible, if you know what you want and you are well prepared for it.

3. Choose a DJ name

It is important to have an unique DJ name. One which suits you and your style. Having a strong and good DJ name right from the start is important for your promotion. This could be a twist of your own name or you can create a name, based on the kind of music you will be playing. Or did you perhaps have a cool nickname friends used to give you in the past which you would enjoy to continue using in the future?

Keep in mind that your DJ name can also limit you. For example, do not put ‘DJ’ in front of your artist name, because then it will not do your name justice if you start working as a producer in the future. And it also sounds a bit cliche, doesn’t it?

Unleash your creativity and don’t be afraid to dream big! If you also want to go international, it helps if your DJ name can also be pronounced for example by English speakers!

4. Buy your gear

If you want to learn how to DJ, you obviously need DJ decks. There are many different decks on the market. One bigger than the other. For starters, a DJ controller may be ideal. This are decks that you connect to your laptop and connect to Rekordbox. Later on you may want to go for a bigger DJ set. Which gear is the best to buy? Read more about it here.

5. Learn the basics

There is a lot to the basics, you perhaps do not know yet. Like, do you already know about the differences between music genre’s and what, that it is which makes these differences? Different tunes, beats and what creates the ambiance of the song? By learning this, you will make it easier to create a natural flow when mixing songs together. As a DJ, the most important thing is that you know the tracks that you have on your USB stick. Knowledge of that music is half the battle. It is also important to follow other DJ’s. Follow those that share the same taste of music as yours and see what you can personally learn from them. Every DJ has their own style and techniques which could inspire you.

Also, make sure to frequently visit this website as I will also be sharing tips & tricks in the future!

6. Set up your Social Media

Have you picked a name and is it clear for you in which direction you are headed? Then you can reach out trough Social Media. This will increase the odds of becoming succesful as you will be increasingly growing and found more by different kind of people. Do make sure though that your Social Media comes across as professional. Work on the feel and look and share only about your (future) career. Basically, don’t get side-tracked, know what your goal is and share towards it. As a starting DJ, looking to grow his or her name, it’s important to post consistently. This is how people build a relationship with you! There are many options these days to make it a lot easier to grow online. You will personally improve, you will gradually gain more followers, you will reach more people and thus become more succesful as you go.

7. Network and ask for help

Be smart, blunt and don’t be shy to take contact with those that can promote you. Contact clubs, also, other DJ’s! It can never hurt and it will show that you are out there. Adding to that, do come in contact with those that came before you. Everyone has their own growth process and we can learn from each other to prevent us all from making the same ‘mistakes’. Other DJ’s could perhaps point out things which would have never crossed your mind, simply because you do not know yet it exists.

Feel free to contact me if you can use the help with this and would like to go through a coaching package together.

8. Practice, practice, practice

Most of all, don’t forget that most full-time DJ’s have worked their butts of to get where they are at now. It does take a lot of time, a lot of practice and a lot of experience. So take all the time you have to learn more, to grow more, to create and learn how to make a track and .. don’t forget to have fun.

When you do what you do while having a blast, you will only be wanting to put more time in it and thus grown rapidly faster. Before you know it, you have achieved the thing you want most!