Everyone has access to the same music. Everyone shops at the same online stores. Everyone is subscribed to promo lists which send them hot new tracks. Everyone digs around in crates. So how do you stand out as a career DJ? What actually impresses people? Let’s check out a few things that can set you apart.
Space
Warehouse parties were the crucible in which DJing was born. Why? Because people prefer scale. Having space to dance and distance for stage light to travel is impressive. If you’ve got enough small club and private events, your next aim should be joining a warehouse party lineup. Besides any kind or career move, it’s hella fun playing a big space!
Lights
Even a few small personal lights can be a fantastic way to brand yourself. Go out and get a couple of standard LED blades (or even fancier stuff like VDO Fatrons), stick them in front of your decks when you play and hey! You now stand out. You’re the DJ that spends cash on custom lighting. The smaller the venue, the more you’ll stand out. You just bought credibility, and your music taste now appears better to everyone than the DJs before and after you in the lineup. Seriously.
Sound
Ah, sound. The epicenter of the whole DJing world. You can’t always control it perfectly. The booker doesn’t always get it on time. The venue doesn’t always care. But you do. So honestly, put sound at the center of it all. Own a PA system and if you get booked for a public show with a bad system, bring your own. It’s a pain hauling extra gear. Nobody wants to. But ultimately, it’s about how your audience feels when you’re playing. It’s gonna be tough taking them to heaven if the highs are crunching and there’s no sub. Do the work. Own the sound.
So by the time you’re earning a couple hundred dollars a pop for your show, you’ll start to get competition at your heels. How do you level up? If the industrial revolution taught us anything, it’s this: you need to own the means of production. That means a stage setup that audiences want to post to Instagram and one that other DJs want to perform on. Professional DJing will always have a market, but remember that it’s not only about your taste in music. Invest whatever you have in stage, sound and lighting setup, and turn your next house party into a house party.
John Bartmann is a music producer and DJ