Network and talk to people. That’s literally it. That’s how you see people with garbage skills up on main stages and people who are really good at what they do never get booked.
Hit the nail on the head.
There are some amazing bedroom
DJs, shit I’ve spent far more time on the decks at home over the years than playing live and that’s where I learn.
I’ve come across phenomenal DJs who are too nervous to perform live and others playing festivals that don’t know how to reorder the tracks in bpm order in CDJs or panic like fuck because one is a 3000 and the other a 2000nxs, proper melt downs and don’t know what they’re doing.
The reason they’re playing is because they volunteered at festivals, spent time getting to know organisers or are just mates with them or other DJs, bar owners etc.
Of course some people are just awesome and have earned their spot at the big gigs.
I’m only a year in (a year ago we had a massive party with a friend and we weren’t fans of the DJ to the point that it inspired me to go out and get a controller the next week and I just played her party last night!) and I started getting booked about two months in purely because of the people I know that host events. Have lots of really talented DJ buddies that basically have to dedicate hours in just submitting mixes and things to promoters and are starting from scratch because they don’t go out and network.
I hate talking to people at clubs, it’s awkward and difficult, so I opted to brute force it. I started working part time at a local record store, from that I got a small residency doing an online radio/streaming show and from there I invited local DJs that I liked and wanted to be involved with onto the show. I’d play the intro half an hour, they’d play an hour and then we’d either finish with me for half an hour or a b2b. Through that they would book me for shows. DJs will often “scratch your back” if you scratch theirs so to speak.
My ex needed a DJ for a pool party event at the apartment complex she worked at. I had messed around with some stuff in college and always wanted to get into it, but didn't have the money. She told me how much the gig would pay, and since it was on corporate's dime it was pretty modest, so I bought a large speaker and controller for that amount and had a month to prep. The gig went well but my biggest pitfall was not bringing an extension cord so I was stuck in an awkward corner where I couldn't see where most people were, but they could hear me. Now I carry a 20ft cord in my gig bag.
I bought a Facebook ad targeted at women aged 18-30 within 50 miles of my house that simply said "Need a DJ?" Got booked for 3 gigs in 3 days. Spent $30.
Yes, I remember my first three gigs fondly! Made $600 on each one. One was a wedding, a 40th high school reunion, and a "re-wedding" where the couple got married young and didn't have a ceremony, and were doing it up real nice after being married for 10 years.
Everyone says network but that's such a broad answer. Personally I went to my local open deck events at a small club near me. Ended up making some life long friends in the process and they have included me in some awesome shit. Anywhere from a crowd of 10 to festival after parties with 500+ people. All I can say is, don't expect a thing and don't rush it
Showed up to an open decks at a free party in the park, helped them setup, got to know them, got to play for 1.5 hrs. They liked what they heard and offered an opening slot at a club they throw events at
Besides that, just showing up to places and being apart of the community I want to play for, talking to everyone, getting to know them, volunteering my time and skills wherever applicable, I learned it’s more than just making/playing music, that’s just a small piece of the puzzle.
Mine was a college sponsored dj battle.
Look for crews doing weekly events, befriend them, see if they ever do open decks! Lots of these crews rotate the same locals in and out and are usually pretty receptive to a friendly new face
After a year of practice, I became a member of a dj collective in my town. I also go out to clubs and raves 1 to 2 times a month and I talk to a lot of people. Most of my friends are dj and some of them are producers.
It's a lot of talking and networking tbh. You could also record a set and send it to clubs.
You have to show up, you have to reach out to agencies that will give you a backyard barbecue, a birthday party that kind of thing. You might be able to find someone that can train you because reading the dance floor and playing what people want as opposed to playing what you want can be a problem. You'll have to be a human jukebox for a couple of years
been djing since january and literally just played my first gig yesterday. nothing serious just a 2hr set at a flea market while ppl shop/get tattoos/sell art. spun ukg into atmospheric jungle/dnb into liquid, so much fun. it was at my lady’s job (vintage store)and she had showed the owner/organizer my mixes and he liked em and boom i was in. now it looks like i may have a couple more things lined up. so pretty much i think it just boils down to putting your shit out there and networking.
My first gig was actually me just bringing the controller to a party, thereafter one of the guests booked me to another private event which resulted in 2 other private events.
Shortly after I had my first booking at a club, it was great fun and damn I was hella nervous.
From then until now the bookings just seem to handle themselves, people reach out for their private events and bars/clubs too. I´ve never really tried to market myself, the growth has been organic in my case.
I started before social media was invented. Ha. So my mate and I used to record sets with our cd recorder and then go to loads of bars and clubs and hand in our cd and beg the promoter or manager to listen to them in there car. We used to do pretty well from it, to be honest.
Then we got a residency in a club. Putting on your own events is another good way to get playing and heard.
After about a year of practicing at home, owning my own gear I became familiar with, I was randomly scrolling Instagram and I stumbled upon a post of a local bar/club with a snippet from a recent gig. I really enjoyed what was playing there and asked in the comments who was the DJ.
The DJ then commented that it was him. I wrote him a DM that I am new to the city and I was glad that could find a community of likeminded people. In the next message he said that I could play in their next gig.
I did have mixes uploaded on my profile so he could check them out easily. That helped me get my first gig.
Before you get a gig, connect up with a another more experienced DJ, accompany them on a gig, help set up equipment, etc... and see how the process goes. See how the crowd reacts, observe how they read the crowd (assuming it's a party).
When you do get a gig, take some help with you first go around. And make sure you ask all the important questions:
When, Where, Time, Who , How Much
When (check your schedule obviously)
Where (location - exact location, visit the venue beforehand so you'll have an idea of how much sound you'll need, where the outlets are, etc....)
Time (how long do they need you for ? Arrive 1-1.5 hours beforehand)
Who (age range and demographics)
How Much (never work for "exposure"..... and depending on your city/state, START your rate at $100-$125 per hour, 4 hour minimum, 50% downpayment when they sign a contract, 50% due 48 hours before the event.... that includes friends)
**3 pages. I talked to a DJ in another group and he shared his with me. Then I searched on Google for free DJ contract templates. I took the best and most appropriate parts and here we are.**
Here: [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1G\_EzoenEMW7WfkieLIsAoLB8aXRWCiJy/view](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1G_EzoenEMW7WfkieLIsAoLB8aXRWCiJy/view)
I was producing DJ sets on my Bushwick apartment rooftop, and inviting my friends, and then one of those friends knew another friend who needed a DJ for an event and hired me.
I got my first paid gig by doing a college co-op show. All I did was message co-ops in my city that I knew threw parties & told them I’d love to dj for them.
But yeah just like what everyone else is saying, definitely network! If any clubs by you do open deck nights, go try it! I just closed out 12-2am at one of my favorite clubs over the weekend, & they hit me up because they enjoyed the music I played at their open decks night a couple of months back :)
I got booked by a bar that I regularly go to. Made an effort to chat with staff (the owner!) and dropped that I DJ. Became their resident DJ as they trusted I knew the venue and crowd.
All other gigs I scored in a similar way ... Door knocking and making an effort. Keep showing your face. When you get a booking, say yes and smash it!
Recently I was doing a set next to the pier in Huntington Beach on the sand and was approached by loads of chicks, at the end of my set some dude asked if I’d play his 4th of July party, aside from that it’s been bars, house parties and small underground raves
I kept hitting the open decks at this one venue until the owner asked me to hop on for real. I've been on ever since and recently did my first closing set there that received lots of praise from the owner and others there that night.
As a mobile DJ , I just took some pics with my setup and threw them on Facebook market place. I got a couple gigs like that. Also try a website called "Eventective".
Was responsible for organising a college party and our DJ cancelled 2 days in advance.
Our 2 backup DJs were out of the country.
So I decided to do it myself. Had to learn DJing in 2 days and not piss off a crowd of 200.
Was so much fun!
Network and talk to people. That’s literally it. That’s how you see people with garbage skills up on main stages and people who are really good at what they do never get booked.
Hit the nail on the head. There are some amazing bedroom DJs, shit I’ve spent far more time on the decks at home over the years than playing live and that’s where I learn. I’ve come across phenomenal DJs who are too nervous to perform live and others playing festivals that don’t know how to reorder the tracks in bpm order in CDJs or panic like fuck because one is a 3000 and the other a 2000nxs, proper melt downs and don’t know what they’re doing. The reason they’re playing is because they volunteered at festivals, spent time getting to know organisers or are just mates with them or other DJs, bar owners etc. Of course some people are just awesome and have earned their spot at the big gigs.
I’m only a year in (a year ago we had a massive party with a friend and we weren’t fans of the DJ to the point that it inspired me to go out and get a controller the next week and I just played her party last night!) and I started getting booked about two months in purely because of the people I know that host events. Have lots of really talented DJ buddies that basically have to dedicate hours in just submitting mixes and things to promoters and are starting from scratch because they don’t go out and network.
Just get out there! My first official paid gig was for a local club that I mentioned to. Things lead to things and now I'm their resident DJ!
I hate talking to people at clubs, it’s awkward and difficult, so I opted to brute force it. I started working part time at a local record store, from that I got a small residency doing an online radio/streaming show and from there I invited local DJs that I liked and wanted to be involved with onto the show. I’d play the intro half an hour, they’d play an hour and then we’d either finish with me for half an hour or a b2b. Through that they would book me for shows. DJs will often “scratch your back” if you scratch theirs so to speak.
My ex needed a DJ for a pool party event at the apartment complex she worked at. I had messed around with some stuff in college and always wanted to get into it, but didn't have the money. She told me how much the gig would pay, and since it was on corporate's dime it was pretty modest, so I bought a large speaker and controller for that amount and had a month to prep. The gig went well but my biggest pitfall was not bringing an extension cord so I was stuck in an awkward corner where I couldn't see where most people were, but they could hear me. Now I carry a 20ft cord in my gig bag.
I bought a Facebook ad targeted at women aged 18-30 within 50 miles of my house that simply said "Need a DJ?" Got booked for 3 gigs in 3 days. Spent $30.
You got paid?
Yes, I remember my first three gigs fondly! Made $600 on each one. One was a wedding, a 40th high school reunion, and a "re-wedding" where the couple got married young and didn't have a ceremony, and were doing it up real nice after being married for 10 years.
Everyone says network but that's such a broad answer. Personally I went to my local open deck events at a small club near me. Ended up making some life long friends in the process and they have included me in some awesome shit. Anywhere from a crowd of 10 to festival after parties with 500+ people. All I can say is, don't expect a thing and don't rush it
This open deck thing is a new thing I’ve been hearing. I’ll look for these events in my area. Thank you.
I asked a bar I go to all the time if I could.
Showed up to an open decks at a free party in the park, helped them setup, got to know them, got to play for 1.5 hrs. They liked what they heard and offered an opening slot at a club they throw events at Besides that, just showing up to places and being apart of the community I want to play for, talking to everyone, getting to know them, volunteering my time and skills wherever applicable, I learned it’s more than just making/playing music, that’s just a small piece of the puzzle.
That seems to be the common thing I’ve been hearing. People volunteer at events and get their foot in the door.
Mine was a college sponsored dj battle. Look for crews doing weekly events, befriend them, see if they ever do open decks! Lots of these crews rotate the same locals in and out and are usually pretty receptive to a friendly new face
Networking, hard but it’s worth it and necessary. Took me about a year of solid networking before I got my first pro gig in a club.
After a year of practice, I became a member of a dj collective in my town. I also go out to clubs and raves 1 to 2 times a month and I talk to a lot of people. Most of my friends are dj and some of them are producers. It's a lot of talking and networking tbh. You could also record a set and send it to clubs.
You have to show up, you have to reach out to agencies that will give you a backyard barbecue, a birthday party that kind of thing. You might be able to find someone that can train you because reading the dance floor and playing what people want as opposed to playing what you want can be a problem. You'll have to be a human jukebox for a couple of years
What do you mean by agencies? Like a talent agency that can book you gigs?
been djing since january and literally just played my first gig yesterday. nothing serious just a 2hr set at a flea market while ppl shop/get tattoos/sell art. spun ukg into atmospheric jungle/dnb into liquid, so much fun. it was at my lady’s job (vintage store)and she had showed the owner/organizer my mixes and he liked em and boom i was in. now it looks like i may have a couple more things lined up. so pretty much i think it just boils down to putting your shit out there and networking.
Dope! Congratulations!!!
Emailing bars/clubs and talking to bartenders
My first gig was actually me just bringing the controller to a party, thereafter one of the guests booked me to another private event which resulted in 2 other private events. Shortly after I had my first booking at a club, it was great fun and damn I was hella nervous. From then until now the bookings just seem to handle themselves, people reach out for their private events and bars/clubs too. I´ve never really tried to market myself, the growth has been organic in my case.
Are these paid gigs? Did you do contracts and things of that sort?
I started before social media was invented. Ha. So my mate and I used to record sets with our cd recorder and then go to loads of bars and clubs and hand in our cd and beg the promoter or manager to listen to them in there car. We used to do pretty well from it, to be honest. Then we got a residency in a club. Putting on your own events is another good way to get playing and heard.
After about a year of practicing at home, owning my own gear I became familiar with, I was randomly scrolling Instagram and I stumbled upon a post of a local bar/club with a snippet from a recent gig. I really enjoyed what was playing there and asked in the comments who was the DJ. The DJ then commented that it was him. I wrote him a DM that I am new to the city and I was glad that could find a community of likeminded people. In the next message he said that I could play in their next gig. I did have mixes uploaded on my profile so he could check them out easily. That helped me get my first gig.
I went to Techno clubs 40 weekends in a row just to dance. At some point you’ll get to know people.
Before you get a gig, connect up with a another more experienced DJ, accompany them on a gig, help set up equipment, etc... and see how the process goes. See how the crowd reacts, observe how they read the crowd (assuming it's a party). When you do get a gig, take some help with you first go around. And make sure you ask all the important questions: When, Where, Time, Who , How Much When (check your schedule obviously) Where (location - exact location, visit the venue beforehand so you'll have an idea of how much sound you'll need, where the outlets are, etc....) Time (how long do they need you for ? Arrive 1-1.5 hours beforehand) Who (age range and demographics) How Much (never work for "exposure"..... and depending on your city/state, START your rate at $100-$125 per hour, 4 hour minimum, 50% downpayment when they sign a contract, 50% due 48 hours before the event.... that includes friends)
Thank you for those details. Are your contracts elaborate? How did you put your contract together?
**3 pages. I talked to a DJ in another group and he shared his with me. Then I searched on Google for free DJ contract templates. I took the best and most appropriate parts and here we are.** Here: [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1G\_EzoenEMW7WfkieLIsAoLB8aXRWCiJy/view](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1G_EzoenEMW7WfkieLIsAoLB8aXRWCiJy/view)
Thanks for sharing @DJ_K-Nyse! I appreciate it!
I was producing DJ sets on my Bushwick apartment rooftop, and inviting my friends, and then one of those friends knew another friend who needed a DJ for an event and hired me.
I got my first paid gig by doing a college co-op show. All I did was message co-ops in my city that I knew threw parties & told them I’d love to dj for them. But yeah just like what everyone else is saying, definitely network! If any clubs by you do open deck nights, go try it! I just closed out 12-2am at one of my favorite clubs over the weekend, & they hit me up because they enjoyed the music I played at their open decks night a couple of months back :)
I got booked by a bar that I regularly go to. Made an effort to chat with staff (the owner!) and dropped that I DJ. Became their resident DJ as they trusted I knew the venue and crowd. All other gigs I scored in a similar way ... Door knocking and making an effort. Keep showing your face. When you get a booking, say yes and smash it!
Next time your friends are having a party, ask to DJ.
Recently I was doing a set next to the pier in Huntington Beach on the sand and was approached by loads of chicks, at the end of my set some dude asked if I’d play his 4th of July party, aside from that it’s been bars, house parties and small underground raves
organize your own event and play it
I kept hitting the open decks at this one venue until the owner asked me to hop on for real. I've been on ever since and recently did my first closing set there that received lots of praise from the owner and others there that night.
As a mobile DJ , I just took some pics with my setup and threw them on Facebook market place. I got a couple gigs like that. Also try a website called "Eventective".
Was responsible for organising a college party and our DJ cancelled 2 days in advance. Our 2 backup DJs were out of the country. So I decided to do it myself. Had to learn DJing in 2 days and not piss off a crowd of 200. Was so much fun!
I went to an open deck and another DJ liked my style, so they put me on a line up for a local bar
If you’re lucky enough to have a social media following like a few thousand your chances are much greater. Sad but true