A few things have to be in place for a good night to happen. Sometimes one of them goes wrong. Sometimes all of them do. We’re always learning something new when learning to DJ. So check out a few tips about why your night out might have gone a little off plan.
Sound problems
The rig doesn’t have to be the ultimate. An epic party can start on a pair of cheap knockoff PA tops. But it does have to put out audio for the duration of your set without a crackle, hiss, buzz or pop. Sometimes you don’t have a choice. For every other time, insist on going the extra mile and haul your own gear if you have to. If it fails, they won’t look at the speakers, they’ll look at you.
Not knowing what to play next
Do your prep! The basics of every gig are a pre-event whip-through of your track selection and order. Getting to a gig and fumbling around between every song looking for the perfect next one aint helping. Rather be wrong than unsure. That’s how you learn what works. You wanna shine, so be even better than your last gig by doing your homework every time.
Beatmatching badly
Here’s the thing about dance DJing: most of the time, the crowd doesn’t really care what’s playing, as long as there’s a beat going. But mess up that beat and your floor will empty out quicker than a bottle of rum on Mardi Gras. If you need to hit the sync button, do it. If you need to practice for another 100 hours, do it. Just get the beatmatching thing right for every track.
Don’t worry. That’s the key thing. DJing is mostly about showing up with loud speakers, music and a smile. That’s what the crowd expects. That’s what the clients demand. Wherever you’re at in your DJ journey, keep the vibe positive and keep on learning how to do the thing. Check out which of the DJ courses offered by your favorite DJ academy suits you best.
John Bartmann is a music producer and DJ.