Make room for the ladies. For reasons that aren’t worth going into, DJing is still a male-dominated profession.  But having taste and working hard to build on your fanbase is obviously not an issue of gender. And yeah, the web is saturated with lists of female DJs best known for being easy on the eye. But we thought we’d have our say on who the real tastemakers are with this list of the top female DJs. 

Hannah Wants

Creative behind the decks, commanding a giant audience and busy as can be. Does this just about sum up Hannah Alicia Smith, one of the UK’s most prominent house DJs? Also used to be a soccer player. Her monthly mixtapes showcase a range of influences from tech and soul to disco. All hail Hannah Wants, who embodies the type of go-getter, fans-first attitude needed in the scene today. 

Monika Kruse 

A veritable force in her adopted city of Berlin, Monika Kruse has shared stages with some of the leading names in DJ history. Her style is distinctly inspired by hard techno. Besides being a classically trained pianist, Kruse is a regular at Time Warp, Melt Festival, 18 Hour Festival, Eastern Electrics UK and Ultra Music Festival Miami. “My aim is to help people forget whatever is going on in their life and have a little holiday,” she says. In 2000 she founded charity organization No Historical Backspin with a mission to fight racism and homophobia. 

Jazzy Joyce

Yeah, the name is as 90s as it sounds. If there was ever a DJ who epitomizes hip hop block parties, the Bronx and the devil-may-care approach towards social media numbers, it’s Jazzy Joyce. For the past 30 years, Joyce Spencer has been bringing both the beat and a great attitude to the people. "If you don't like the music, create your own," she says. This one might just be ready for a lifetime achievement award.

It is mildly disappointing that female DJs are most commonly marketed on the basis of their looks (or even on their history as an adult film actress). But whether you’re a guy or a girl, one thing is for sure: you’ll need to raise the bar if you’re going anywhere. Get cracking on your next step by checking out some of the courses offered by DJ Courses Online today.

John Bartmann is a music producer and DJ.