Basic DJ Transitions

DJing is all about playing music seamlessly. It’s about exercising complete control over the energy levels on the dance floor. Whether you need them to be high or low, one thing is consistent: you need to mix the songs smoothly. In mixing two (or more) tracks together, you curate a special, unique moment. No two mixes are ever the same. So get back to the basics of professional DJing and check out this reminder on the basics of DJ mixing. 

The humble crossfade

The most common mistake in crossfading is doing it too fast. For a standard mix between two house tracks running at 120bpm, you should take at least 15-20 seconds to make the transition. It can even take up to a few minutes. Zipping over in 5 seconds or less tends to disorient the listener. Our aim is to remove any friction from the mix. Also avoid dips in volume. The volume of the incoming track should be matched before, not during the transition. Use your headphones to cue the correct volumes, but take them off during the transition. You’ll want to hear what the crowd is hearing. 

The bass cut

A more interesting way to transition is the bass cut mix. The main advantage is that by cutting the bass during your transition, you avoid having two kicks play at once. Nothing wrong with that, but can lead to clipping and phasing. Not ideal. So first, cut the bass on your incoming track. Then start to fade it in. Leave both tracks playing together for a while. Then start fading down the bass on your current track while raising the bass on the incoming track. Control your bass!

The effect cut

Effects are a cool way to get from one track to another. Reverb allows you to create huge washes of sound. Slowly apply reverb to your current track while fading in the incoming track. It sounds like your track is disappearing into a hole, while something fresh and new replaces it. The results are awesome. But be careful with effects. Using them too much is a rookie error. Also cut the bass when using reverb. Reverb and bass aren’t best friends, and can make the whole mix sound muddy. 

Using filters, EQ, and effects are the most common ways to transition between tracks while DJing. If your aim is to get into any sort of professional DJing, you’ll want to have all of these mix tricks solidly in the bag. And don’t forget to check out some of the excellent DJ courses offered by the tutors at DJ Courses Online today. 

John Bartmann is a music producer and DJ.

DJing out of your comfort zone

As you become more known for your DJing ability, you start getting more inquiries. Sometimes it’s a proper proposal, but most often it’s a one-line Instagram message asking what you charge. DJing as a career is all about making more of these inquiries happen, but often you’ll be asked to do gigs that are way out of your comfort zone. Let’s take a look at how to approach that.

Keep talking

The important thing with inquiries for new types of events is to keep your potential clients on the hook by communicating clearly. Their expectations come first, your preferences come second. You might be being asked to simply bring a pair of speakers and push play. Or you could be expected to do a full-scale show. Make sure both parties are clear on the expectations. Blow them away with how open and honest you are. 

Music selection

Finding music to suit a niche scene can take time. Some typical niche requests might be music for a Christmas party, a gay party, for culturally themed events (Mexican and Irish are big) or tracks that are categorized by something other than genre, like Bond movie themes. Nobody has it all, and the algorithms streaming the tunes can’t be trusted to deliver good stuff automatically just yet. So make sure the client gives you a list, and give yourself time to find the tunes. If you can pull it off, they’ll call you up next year.  

Charge realistically

The more niche the event, the higher the fee. If you aren’t very familiar or don’t like playing the type of music you’re asked for, you should be charging more. Way more time is spent sitting in front of a computer preparing the event than actually playing. So have an estimated time and include it as a line item in your quote (eg ‘preparation 3 hours’). Always aim higher than you feel it’s worth, and be prepared to justify the expense. If you have a problem doing that, just remember all the travel time, gear packing and fake smiling you have to do. They might be getting in touch with you because it’s too much work for the others. Learning to DJ professionally means being realistic.

Anyone who has gotten anywhere in DJing has learned to do events outside of their comfort zone. It’s the business side of a fun career. If you’re serious, you need to play more unusual events with don’t necessarily suit you as a person. It’s OK. Might even be fun. Do what it takes to make it happen. Go pro with one of the DJ courses offered by DJ Courses Online.

John Bartmann is a music producer and DJ

The three stages of filling a dancefloor

There’s a method to creating a great night out for your audience. It all comes down to creating an environment where your audience can mix. Think of it like defrosting a chunk of ice. You’re the heat, and when you’re done, everyone should be feeling free to dance to new styles with new people. Be a better DJ by learning the tricks. Here’s a three-step approach towards creating a memorable night by filling the dancefloor. 

Break the ice

Getting the first few people on the floor is the hardest bit. A good general rule for the early stages of the evening is to play for the girls rather than the boys. (general guideline, not a declaration of gender identity war, thanks.) Women generally go out to dance, often in numbers. We all know why guys generally go out. General. Generally. So start out with the more familiar numbers to loosen them up. Forget everyone else hugging the wall. Play only for the small crowd on the floor. 

Please and tease

Using both track selection and volume, tease your small crowd like they’re fish on a line. If you hit it too hard with the classics too early, you burn the audience out too quickly. Right now it’s about not delivering everything hard and hot. It’s about keeping them on the floor with a balance of low-profile tunes and the occasional evergreen number (or a mashup thereof). Draw them in, then drop the volume a little and play less known numbers. It’s all a buildup to stage 3. Make them want that next dopamine hit by being a little restrictive.

Rotate groups

The same people aren’t gonna dance all night. Rotate your track choice to please one group, then pick songs that get the lurkers in the corner out of their safe zone. They’re all there to dance, so make sure you’ve done something for everyone at some point in the evening. Rotating also gives the dominant group a chance to get a drink, which means the venue is happy with you. By the end of the set, most of the audience has had a chance to dance, and now they’re feeling free to let go a little. 

The method behind filling the dancefloor involves getting people to mix. You’re the facilitator of social hookups. People who don’t normally dance to a certain style should be throwing their inhibitions out the window and going for it. To achieve this, you need your audience to trust you. You earn that trust by excluding as few people as possible, and by watching and reading the crowd constantly. Foot tapping, eye contact and body movement are your signals. Get better at DJing by signing up for a career DJ course today. 

John Bartmann is a music producer and DJ

Making your DJ set pop

DJing is one of the most fun things you can spend your weekend doing. But you know what’s even more fun? Making your DJ set your own. Seeing the lights in their eyes go on when they realize that there’s something cool going on in the booth. Here are a few ways to make your DJ set pop when DJing professionally.

Mashups

There’s a special place in the human brain for mashups. Crowds simply go banans when some retro 80s tune gets the trap beat treatment, or when Nirvana guitars suddenly launch their attack on a house mix. It’s just the right balance of nostalgic and new. Use this power! Get into using Traktor Stems or Remix Decks. Create interesting combinations of old and new that haven’t been heard before. People love it, and will remember a few good drops from the night.

Live performance

When you’re in a small space and people can see what you’re up to, go as live as you can. Hitting colorful flashing buttons works. Finger drumming works. Having an instrumentalist play along with your (or doing it yourself) definitely works. If there’s anything that sets you apart as a DJ, it’s when you do something more active than head-bobbing while waiting for the song to end. When appropriate, do what you can to stoke the atmosphere.

Original material

Playing your own stuff is risky. People are generally antagonistic towards new material. It’s true. Way more people want to hear what they already know. But here’s how you can win it: make music that sounds like your DJ set. Whether it’s future bass, trap, house or glitchy vaporwave, you can do it. Start slipping your own tracks in amongst the chaos. Pick a spot in your setlist that makes your track a bit of a feature. For example, after a few instrumental tunes, throw in your vocal one. Then read the crowd, learn, and continue making it better. 

There are few things as satisfying as putting on a good show and gaining the props to show for it. But getting there requires a plan. Read up on this stuff! Watch tons of tutorials. And definitely consider a structured learning environment like one of the courses offered by DJ Courses Online. 

John Bartmann is a music producer and DJ

Leveling up with DJ production value

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

Customizing your DJ setup

You probably aren’t rocking an Alan Walker setup just yet, but that shouldn’t stop you from improving on your stage or booth setup. There are a range of things to consider when setting up for a show, be it club, house concert or something more complex. Let’s check out a few of the basics to consider when getting a DJ residency or show in different venue types. 

Surface height

Why is this important? Because doing a 3 hr DJ set can take its toll on your back. If you haven’t experienced it yet, you will. The horizontal surface height of most club DJ booths isn’t adjustable. It’s usually a fixed podium or tabletop spot for your gear. Cool if you’re the average height. Sucks if you’re tall or short. First off, measure the distance from the floor to your belly button. That’s your ideal height for the top level of your controller or decks. Memorize it. Phone up event venues and ask them for the height of their surface. If it’s too low, pack a piece of lightweight foam cut to the size of your controller so you can elevate it. If the surface is too high, well...

Surface layout

One of the most common problems when DJing a custom setup is lack of surface space. Laptop DJs especially know what a pain it can be to move or remove the venue’s coffin containing a pair of Pioneers and a pair of turntables. Again, call up the venue and ask for their dimensions. Submit a tech rider so they’re aware of what to expect. Thankfully, there is a healthy industry manufacturing customizable laptop and MIDI controller stands to help you stay on form during your sets. 

Know your lineup

There’s a pro tip that so many DJs fail to follow, and it goes like this: call up the other DJs on the night before your set. Whether you know them or not, it’s a good move. It means you’re putting in the work of getting to know them a little and also getting a chance to chat about the tech requirements on the night. Ask them if they’ve played the venue and if there’s anything you should know. Or offer them advice if they’re new. Everyone likes to feel important, and having brief, professional conversations with your colleagues is a good omen. 

Many stage and club setup woes can be avoided by doing a little prep. Either pop into the venue or give them a call beforehand to pre-plan the evening. Think about what needs to be adjusted before you arrive to do your set. You wanna get somewhere as a DJ? Start by removing obstacles to your success. Start by learning the craft of DJing today.

John Bartmann is a music producer and DJ

Dancing is healthy, science shows

As you get older, you get less fit. If you somehow don’t believe this, ask your parents. But a new study published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience shows that physical exercise can reverse signs of aging in the brain. Of all the exercises that work, dancing works best. Dancing as a form of healthcare? Yeah, for real. Here’s how. 

No jokes

Tying together nightlife and healthcare might seem like a totally loony marketing move, but there’s always a tribe of people looking for something new. Something alternative to the typical message behind DJ festivals. You know, the one that screams ‘Buy your tickets now and get smashed while having your face melted by mostly generative audio! Do it today!’ Perhaps there’s space for another message.

People over 40 exist

And they have more money than the average festival goer. Sure, they’re harder to influence and they get grumpy over stuff like the sell-by date on milk. But they’re also open to things that make them feel young. Over the course of the study, it was shown that dancing was more responsible for counteracting age-related decline than other activity. The link between DJing and gymming just got tighter. Good news for those serious about finding more bread-and-butter gigs for their career.

DJing to the rescue

Healthcare has become more important to the average American in the past few decades. We’re all more concerned with the source of what we eat than ever before. The fist-pumping DJ stereotype which took off in the 90s is long due for an upgrade, and more people under 25 are conscious of the impact of our lifestyle than ever before. Tying in self-care with dancing might well be the next wave of interest in the events market.

You feel good after dancing. You feel good after DJing. It may not be the reason you do what you do, but health is a part of this. There’s a world of feel-good music out there designed to both raise your heart rate and leave you with a positive message. Like music, healthcare is timeless. Think about the health benefits of your audience when you’re putting together your next setlist. Get more into DJing with a membership with DJ Courses Online.

John Bartmann is a music producer and DJ

Small town DJing (3/3)

We’re constantly force-fed a diet of images of DJing success. Huge crowds at massive festivals, massive DJ names, world-class everything. But the reality is that we mostly live in smaller towns and cities, and hope for something to happen, even if it’s not going to make the front page of the internet. Here’s how to embrace a career in DJing by focusing on smaller, more personal events. 

Travel

One thing all small-towners crave is news from the big city. Getting out of town and returning is a great way to create scarcity with your act and raise your status as a performer. Small town events should be all about bringing the glitz and glam of bigger places to a local level. Spend more time in the nearest big city. Crash on friends’ couches if you need to. Do what it takes to join a lineup at an event night. It doesn’t even need to be very big or successful for your small-towners back home to take notice. It just has to be somewhere else. Use the city to make the money and the town to find the local fans.

Time your trends

Music and DJ  trends follow a fairly predictable diffusion pattern. When something big or newsworthy starts happening, it will take time for it to travel from the big cities to the small towns. For example, let’s say people in London start dressing up like strawberries at DJ festivals. People all over the world notice. A local business might start manufacturing strawberry accessories and consumes. Now’s the time to throw a strawberry party! If you’re too early, the costumes will cost too much. If you’re too late, the trend will have moved on. That’s how it works. Watch out for these patterns, and time your activity to hit the sweet spot. 

Keep it personal

The reality of small town DJs is that people know you, and each other. So if you’re trying to scoop up the handful of local clubbers, keep your dealings personal. People don’t want to buy pre-sale tickets online if they can just rather give you the cash on the day. People don’t want an arrogant attitude from someone they played with in the woods while growing up. Make it known to your small-town audience that you aren’t one of those DJs who thinks they’re superior just because they’re from a more happening place. 

So you’re from a small town and you’re into DJing. Cool. You’ll need all the help you can get. But you’ll also need to believe in yourself. Invite friends around to mess around with your cool new piece of gear. Keep people involved and active in your career as a DJ. Invite the village to join in your adventure. 

John Bartmann is a music producer and DJ

Small town DJing (2/3)

There’s a lot of love and loyalty in smaller towns. DJing is about finding the people that matter and making events for them. In this short series, we’re looking at some of the advantages of being in a small town, while also keeping realistic expectations in mind. Learning to DJ is really about learning what your community wants.

Numbers game

It’s a small town, not Tomorrowland. So do the math. If you’re charging $10 a ticket and 20 people rock up and pay, you’re gambling with $200. Whatever you do, don’t spend too much promoting your own parties at first. First, you need to learn the actual behavior of paying clientele. Often, only about 20% of the people who ‘commit’ to being at a public paid event verbally or on Facebook will actually arrive and pay. Money lost is actually spent buying realistic expectations. Money gained gets reinvested into the next party. Profit comes after the audience, venue and other DJs (if any) are happy. You laugh last, and longest.

Adapt to the audience

Here’s an idea: instead of having a door person, leave the door open and have a person collecting money inside the venue. Issue bright armbands to everyone who has paid. Some people will get away with not paying, but that will make their night even more enjoyable. Most people will whip out the cash when confronted. Having the door open is great psychology in small towns, where people aren’t used to paying for anything related to entertainment. Don’t just copy-paste strategies that work in the city onto your event. Know your audience, and adapt to what they actually want. 

It’s just entertainment

A night out dancing is actually way down the list of most people’s needs. So don’t take it too seriously. Your choice of music isn’t the product. Cool DJ gear is the product. The status boost from having a close buddy rocking the stage is the product. Interesting lighting is the product. Don’t get too hung up on your tracklist. Don’t think they’re all there to see you. They’re not. They’re there to shout gossip at each other over a drinks special. And maybe get a selfie with you somewhere in the background. If you’re looking hot. People will pay for these products.

In big cities and small towns alike, running a successful event is ultimately about providing an alternative to people’s worklife. It’s about causing people to forget their troubles, without them necessarily approving up front. It’s about taking them for a ride. So what does the negative image of work life look like? Provide that space and allow people to forget their worries for a night. Get with the program and check out some of the DJ courses offered by DJ Courses Online today. 

John Bartmann is a music producer and DJ

Small town DJing (1/3)

You’re probably not located in one of the most happening spots in the world, are you? You might be used to feeling that there’s no real dance music scene where you are, and that DJs only ever get hired for weddings and kids parties. So where’s the action? If you’re hungry to up your game and become more of a professional small-town DJ, here’s what you need to do.

Find the others

It’s no use trying to change the behavior of the local couch potatoes. People who aren’t into nightlife simply won’t be persuaded to start clubbing. So when it comes to finding the crowd, avoid trying to get your lazy and boring friends to come along. Look elsewhere. Go to the evening events that are happening, even if they’re not dance-related. Invite those people to your event. There are party people in every town. Maybe they’re bored sitting around the same bar. Find out what they want. 

Pay your dues

Yep, you’ll probably do the first few events for free. Until you’re capable of drawing the 50-100 people you need as leverage for the local venue, you’ll need to take the hit on money and outside help. Nobody ever wants to hear that, because we’re all led to expect quick career success. But you know those DJs who have their own following? They paid their dues. The long game involves finding people who are into you and your style, not just whatever is in vogue at the time. 

Cooperate

Lone rangers don’t get very far in the career-building game. You need to cooperate with others and have a business approach towards your dealings with venues and other DJs. Convince your friends that there are party people in town. Avoid the talkers and run with those who actually deliver what they say they will. You’ll never be short of people who want to hang out and just be cool without offering anything in return. A small, committed group of reliable hard workers is better than a whole bunch of free-riders.

Small towns have one advantage over cities: people are more hungry for entertainment because it’s more scarce. Find out what’s working in your nearest big city and adapt it to a smaller (and probably less pretentious) audience. Career DJing gets better and easier with time. It does get easier as you learn how things work. Go for it! 

John Bartmann is a music producer and DJ

Boiler Room mines brand loyalty

Payola is the age-old tactic of paying radio DJs to get your stuff heard. It’s straight up unfair. When all it takes is money to secure playlisting, the quality of the music suffers. Good stuff by upcoming producers and even professional DJs gets buried. The tastes of a handful of people dictate what’s being heard, rather than the ears of the people. Recently, DJ event brand leader Boiler Room has been coming under fire for their attempts to monetize their brand presence in a similar way. 

Sellout show?

The current feeling is that branded parties are selling out culture. Recently, a post by a Pittsburgh promoter went viral. In it, the ubiquitous Boiler Room requested that his local scene pay the brand in order to use their name on an independent event being organized by his team. Some consider this to be the equivalent of Uber-esque corporate franchising of regional pockets of culture. 

The B-side

But Boiler Room IS clearly cool enough to warrant this manoeuvre. Association with the brand results in more ticket sales. It results in nightlife attendance in smaller towns. It’s undoubtedly part of their long-term strategy to capitalize at this time on the branding they have done and the positive associations they have built. So what’s wrong with that?

Keep it rare

The reason that many DJs and promoters are reacting so negatively to the availability of the Boiler Room brand is because they feel that the brand names behind the event should be in some way invested. If the name of Boiler Room simply starts to become available for a fee, however small, it runs the risk of starting to represent the flood of undiscerning, commodified dance music. Pretty soon, there’s a Boiler Room party on every corner. It starts to lose scarcity and meaning.

Boiler Room has built an amazing brand. By capturing live video streaming they’ve brought the party into our living rooms. They’ve done some stinkers, but on the whole, they’ve contributed to our DJ culture. But how is that culture going to go forward if the majority of promoters and DJs are reacting negatively to this new ploy of earning on brand association alone? Payola always ends up killing musical independence. By watching how Boiler Room reacts to this community backlash in the coming months, we’ll know with more clarity where their loyalties lie. Get more into the DJ world. Head over to see the DJ programs and classes at DJ Courses Online.

John Bartmann is a music producer and DJ

General tips for track shopping

How do you go about shopping for your new tracks? Like many professional DJs, it might be a case of responding to what the client wants. But if you’re doing your own thing and have an opportunity to showcase your style, there are ways to be smarter about your haul. Finding that banging track that nobody else has is worth the effort. Let’s check out a few ways to shop better.

Avoid the hype (sometimes)

Some tracks belong in the crate because they’re the happening thing. Better grab a few of those. But when you’re done utility shopping, it’s time to start exploring. Just because everyone else is spinning it, doesn’t mean that you’re obliged to. Get away from the ‘most played’ section and head down the charts. The aim is not always to find what the people want. The aim is also to find you.

Browse multiple sources

Browse different sites when shopping. Beatport will only get you so far. Spotify is great when the playlists are put together by tasteful humans. You can win on Soundcloud if you find the rare underground talent looking for more spins by DJs like you. While Traxsource and Juno only allow limited play time per track, they’re good places to find vintage reissues. The key is to avoid getting locked into one source of music and buying only what everyone else appears to be buying. This journey requires your own personality. 

Plan your timeline

Have an idea of exactly how many tracks you’re shopping for. Give yourself enough time to find good stuff before the event date. Always have a shortlist and a longer list of candidates. Both of these should be dynamic and in a state of being constantly refreshed. That way you don’t have to start from scratch each time. Listen to the tracks on repeat and make sure they give you some kind of kick, even after repeat listening. That way, you’ll enjoy them when you play live, and the audience will pick up on that energy. 

The most valuable thing the online stores offer you is the chart section. There you’ll have a bird’s eye view of what’s trending over time. Some see shopping as a chore, while others love it. Over time, you’ll develop a strategy for getting the tracks you need without wasting time on the duds. Remember to enjoy the journey - it’s not all about the glamor of stage time. Get in the zone with a membership with DJ Courses Online and succeed as a career DJ. 

John Bartmann is a music producer and DJ

Native Instruments begins costly 2020 restructure

Most of us are familiar with Native Instruments, the German music software and hardware behemoth responsible for beloved products like Traktor, Maschine and some of the best film scoring tools available. The big news is that Native Instruments is restructuring, and has already confirmed that 20% of their staff has been laid off. Here’s an overview of the damage and what professional DJs can expect going forward. 

Going mono

Native Instruments is the global leader in computer music production. So why are they restructuring? According to their press release, Native claims that “customers today are expecting a seamlessly integrated experience when consuming and accessing creative goods and services.” The aim, then, is overall consolidation of the user experience. This means that users will depend more heavily on their allegiance to Native Instruments, which will result in higher switching costs to other services. In all probability, Native Instruments will come to resemble a closed standard vendor lock-in. In other words, greater market loyalty to the brand by customers will be required. 

What does this mean?

While Native Instruments does provide an endless waterfall of software instruments and samples to us, the end-of-the-line result of this type of lock-in is a certain conformity in the sound. Those who continue to ride the Native Instruments train will produce work that sounds a little more like everyone else using Native Instruments. The toolkits made available to DJs will likely be ever more homogenized. In other words, it will become increasingly easy to identify the samples and sounds populating hit songs and increasingly demanding on DJs competing for attention who look elsewhere for their unique sound. 

Boomtown for DJs

But that’s a long-term dystopia. Native Instruments is equipping itself to capitalize on its market leadership by creating one of those ‘walled gardens’ we’ve been hearing about. This time, one that owns and licenses music tools in the same way that iTunes owns the MP3 sales and distribution model. Yeah, it’s closed off unless you have the buy-in cost. But what a party once you’re in. Imagine a monolithic German music creation powerhouse at your back. 

It’s an emotional time indeed for the employees who got laid off, and Native claims to be finding other opportunities for them. But in the long run, it’s an inevitable step for a company to remain in business. Customer behaviors are changing worldwide. Native’s ultimate aim appears to be one of building a unified platform, one that would create an expandable commercial and technological stage for growth in the future of digital music production. Get savvy to the changing times by registering for a DJ course on with DJ Courses Online.

John Bartmann is a music producer and DJ

What does the 2019 DJ market want?

It’s tough to keep up with any market in an environment of rapid change. Hardware and software manufacturers know that catering to DJs is like herding cats. Everyone has a different set of priorities and needs, ranging from hardware-only techno sets to iPad wedding gigs. On average, what do career DJs in 2019 want? It may not be consensus, but here’s what some of the people are saying.

Rent-to-own subscription models 

The general reaction towards software rental is on the negative side. Most DJs are more interested in owning their own sounds and software than paying a monthly fee for access. This is totally understandable. Who wants to get locked out of software they need for their work just because a tree falls on their house? Rent-to-own software models like Splice, on the other hand, allows users to pay a monthly fee to rent but ultimately own the software. The general impression is that software should be more affordable to the masses based on some as-yet-unnamed criteria.

Actual hardware solutions

It’s hard to hear the music over the endless wail of demands for cross-integration between the flood of hardware and software options. Many users have to dig deep to find solutions allowing even the most popular platforms and devices to play nicely. Using Traktor software and Ableton hardware like Push, for example, is one example of a pair of unnecessarily complex playmates. Even fully integrating Maschine and Traktor, the two flagship Native Instruments products, is more tricky than it should be. VJ software like Resolume is another obvious contender for compatibility with Traktor, but it appears there will always be a lag between demand for awesomeness and supply. 

Streaming capability

Yep. Stream jockeying is here. Nope, not everyone’s cup of tea. Because if everyone can always stream everything, then you might as well be hiring a portable jukebox for the event, right? The scarcity around possessing exclusive copies of hot tracks is very much the lifeblood of career DJs. On the other hand, paying clients are often not very clear and discerning when it comes to the music selection on their special day. Having instant access to a world of options might be what the industry ultimately wants. So, will ‘offline’ events eventually go the way of film photography, becoming a scarcity on their own? Perhaps. But let’s first fix the wi-fi at the venue...

DJing in 2019 is facing the same challenges that many careers are facing. A growing reliance on technology in order to deliver on the job levels the playing field. Will the gap between human selectors and algorithms eventually disappear? Or will the role of the DJ evolve into something else? Get thinking about DJing as a career and consider one of the DJ courses offered by DJ Courses Online today. 

John Bartmann is a DJ and music producer

Streaming changes all DJs should know

Streaming is obviously how everyone listens to music now. If it’s not on YouTube, it’s probably not worth listening to, right? But things are changing pretty quickly for career DJs. Here are a few recent developments happening in the world of music publishing.

Beatport removes the clutter

There’s way more music being released than listened to. Huge catalogs of yesterday’s vinyl, cassette and CD are being uploaded to YouTube every minute. There’s an overabundance of material. And now, Beatport has announced a new “yearly storage clean-up procedure” that will remove certain tracks that have never sold. The de-cluttering of their back catalog will begin in 2019, removing all tracks that have enjoyed zero sales before January 1, 2019. 

Mixcloud announces paid tier

Similarly, Mixcloud has announced that going forward, the platform will allow fewer freedoms for free listeners while also lifting restrictions on paid subscribers. Free users of the platform will still be able to listen for free and share links, but will only be able to skip forwards while listening to a show, not backwards. A show will only be available to a free listener 3 times every two weeks. Furthermore, free listeners will be unable to hear shows with 4 tracks by the same artist or more than 3 tracks from an album. Check out more info on Mixcloud’s subscription tiers. 

Why is this important for DJs?

Most professional and semi-professional DJs eventually end up producing their own material. It’s just a smart move to own intellectual property in order to supplement performance fees with streaming revenue and possible sync license deals. With the announcement that two major platforms are essentially becoming more restrictive, the hope for DJs and producers is that more people pay more for the incredible value held by online streaming. 

The culture of paying to stream music needs to be more prevalent. And at this stage, any content creator aiming to avoid a nightmarishly homogenous pool of musical averageness should be the champions of any other cause than major streaming platforms. 

John Bartmann is a music producer and DJ.

Deadmau5 2019 Cube V3 Tour

The demand to have one’s mind blown seems to be an unending one. The festival experience has only gone from loud to louder and bright to brighter. And the more digital it gets, the greater the level of control. The results are truly sophisticated feats of engineering with the sole purpose of melting your face. Let’s check out one of the more happening rigs right now, the Cube V3.

Audio visual

The Cube V3 is an audio-visual concert rig based on - you guessed it - a giant cube capable of projecting perspective-adjusted visuals. The results are something like we saw the mind-melting Box video a few years back. The rig was road-tested at Ultra in 2019 will be going on tour in August 2019. The results have been generally well received online, and a number of upcoming dates are sold out. Hype.

The rig is designed for the DJ to sit inside the cube structure and be visible. But they can also be completely shrouded by the visuals, allowing for the human-to-visuals ratio to be tweaked over time. It’s assumed that the fans aren’t only interested in a show, that some sort of human agency is required for us to truly connect. But who knows? Perhaps this level of attention-focusing will have unexpected effects on the crowds and be a launchpad for completely automated shows. 

Community app

Deadmau5 has also launched an iOS and Android app for his community of fans. At the moment, it’s nothing more than a glorified subreddit, but it’s an indication of the direction in which things are going. The trend amongst DJs with global appeal will have to be in line with this approach if they plant to continue thriving in a digital world. The app is presently designed to increase traffic to the website of the Cube V3, which seems to be the current cornerstone of the Deadmau5 franchise.

Want to be more involved as a DJ? Check out a selection of courses on DJ Courses Online for furthering your skills, earning your place in the scene and getting your DJ career started!

John Bartmann is a music producer and DJ.

How much do DJs earn?

Unlike many other professions, the salary of a pro DJ depends entirely on their popularity. An architect can be supremely unpopular but still command a huge salary due to the quality of their work. The quality of a DJ’s work, however, is how many people are on the dancefloor. So let’s break down the total range of a DJ’s income. 

The big, short answer 

DJs can earn from $0 - $500,000 for an event. That is based on a booking company’s 2014 estimates, so it may be a little unreliable. But at least it gives us a ballpark to work with. Music is an inescapably subjective experience, really leaving us only with booking fees and social media likes to quantify the magnitude of an artist’s awesomeness. The fact that both metrics can easily be forged or fudged doesn’t often enter the discussion. 

The average answer

This reference site features a DJ who just looks like she’s happy to be there. It also claims that in 2010, the average DJs salary was $26,850 (according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics). The top 10 percent of DJs made more than $72,500 annually. DJ Nick Thayer wrote a worthwhile blog post in 2014 outlining his Beatport earnings with some welcome transparency. 

The reality-adjusted answer

The entertainment industry is a bunch of smoke and mirrors. Never forget that, son. It’s in the interests of big booking agents to suggest that they’re paying out a lot more than they are. Because booking a $50,000 artist is obviously better than booking a $30,000 artist. Reality says that it’s safer to assume that these huge sums aren’t all going directly into the pockets of the DJs themselves. 

It’s weird thinking of DJing in terms of a salaried job. But as you progress you’ll come to realize the administrative nature that accompanies all professional work. There are payslips and there are taxes. In other words, there’s a world of business to professional DJing. Get smart now by enrolling in the DJ Career Tips course on DJ Courses Online today.

John Bartmann is a music producer and DJ.

Is DJing meant to be a show?

We’ve seen DJs jumping on the tables. We’ve seen them in ridiculous costumes. We’ve seen outrage at the actual inclusion of DJ Colonel Sanders on the Ultra Festival Miami lineup. The question sort of hangs in the air: Is someone having a laugh? Let’s check out a few reasons that the music industry seems to be getting more and more whack for DJs.

Anonymity

The pressure of fame can be tough. A number of high-profile DJs go into the game with their privacy in mind. In wearing masks, artists like Marshmello manage to retain some of their privacy while also operating at the highest level. While Deadmau5 might have begun wearing the mouse head for the same reason, his ubiquity at festivals and in his (often useful) Twitch streams have sort of destroyed any remnants of privacy. Price you pay for the life you choose. 

The paycheck

We all understand the fact that anyone will do almost anything for the amount that big name DJs get paid. The latest list circulating suggests that the top names are earning up to $50 million per year in performance fees and endorsements. It’s a short leap in logic to understand why DJs are compelled to behave more and more like 80s glam rock stars rehearsing for their 2020 heritage tour. 

Oversupply

There’s an oversupply of talent and an undersupply of spots. Even if you know how to DJ really well, how do you stand out? Not by hanging around behind a desk. In a way, the theatrics behind big DJ events in recent years are keeping the format alive for new generations of less impressed people. Younger audiences have seen it all before, and attention spans are shrinking. So maybe it takes even more than a string of incredible online productions and n-dimensional lighting rig to be a hit dealmaker in 2019. 

Trends have the ability to influence people in the short run. But as a DJ or a producer, your game should be longer than just what’s happening right now. There’s no shortage of unscrupulous operators waiting to capitalize of those desperate for attention in the music industry. Whatever you learn, make it last. Whatever you make, make it good. Get better today by checking out what courses are offered by DJCoursesOnline. 

John Bartmann is a music producer and DJ.

3 more DJ mix podcasts to check out

So much new music, but so little of it worth checking out! If only there was a way for career DJs to get a handle on what’s currently on the radar. Enter the mighty podcast. Check out a careful selection of new tracks, research current trends and find out what the DJ tribe is up to. Following on from last week’s piece, here are three more of the best podcast mix shows. 

Keeping The Rave Alive

• Hosted by: DJ Kutski

• How often: Weekly

• Format: Radio show

It’s been nearly 8 years since the first release of KTRA. The lovable DJ Kutski has been plugging away at showcasing the harder styles of dance music every week for a dedicated audience. It’s quite possible that hardstyle, jumpstyle, hardcore, happy hardcore and other fringe electronic music styles wouldn’t be as prevalent today if it weren’t for the influence of this British powerhouse. Radio show format with occasional speaking and some pretty funny DJ name dropping. 

Deep House Amsterdam

• Hosted by: Deep House Amsterdam Magazine

• How often: Weekly

• Format: Guest DJ mix

Like most other DJ podcasts, Deep House Amsterdam began as an online magazine. Their approach includes mostly new and underground dance music weekly. DHA hosts a single mix by a selected DJ. A great source for those cuts that only exist deep in the underground!

Find, Share, Rewind

• Host: DJ Shadow

• How often: First Saturday of every month

• Format: Radio show

The name DJ Shadow is synonymous with electronic music and Find, Share, Rewind is where you get his selection. It’s a carefully curated take on a limitless range of music, not just dance music. Given that his mix is also part of the terrestrial public radio station KCRW, we’re only treated to it once a month. The single most unique aspect of this show? It plays stuff from previous decades. A good place to find some of  the more obscure music. 

Having platforms through which you can expose yourself to new music is the way forward for any career DJ. When you’ve made your selection of new tracks, brush up on your skills in the DJ Courses Online programs and learn to DJ better. 

John Bartmann is a music producer and DJ

Why mobile, streaming and metadata matter to DJs

The move toward the future is always upon us. More DJs than ever are adopting tablets, phones and hardware alternatives to the laptop than ever. Track streaming is eating into the territory previously owned by CDs and digital downloads. So what does this all mean for the DJs of tomorrow?

DJing is going mobile

In a recent roundtable discussion facilitated by DJ Tech Tools, a few high-ranking DJs agreed that the advance in tech is pioneering ahead as usual. And DJing is no exception to its effects. Like many professions, DJing is becoming freer than ever of the previous limitations of CPU and pesky power, signal and network cables. Tablets are becoming ever more DJ-friendly while lowering the complexity of use for those learning to DJ and pros alike. Wi-fi is increasingly present. And if not, mobile data costs are falling anyway.

Streaming is the future

It’s unanimously agreed that owning digital music files media is becoming old-fashioned. Younger generations have progressed. Jack Bridges, a Soundcloud representative, states that mobile use is very high and that fewer people are interested in finding the download button. Perhaps Beatport’s Heiko Hoffman says it best: “I think there will be a future where we look back at DJs using USB sticks like we look back at DJs using CD-Rs”. 

The answer is metadata

But streaming music pays producers nothing, or close to it. Even hundreds of thousands of plays across streaming services amount to less than a living wage for artists. Spotify-integrated tablet software packages like DJay would  arguably be doing the original producers a disservice by becoming the new norm. So where does the money come from? The simple answer is metadata. By effectively claiming all the unpaid playback royalties for streams or plays on every public event across the world. This currently isn’t happening. If festivals are paying DJs top dollar, they should be paying the original artists whose tracks are being spun. 

There are always those stalwarts that will view the move away from CDJs as the next technocalypse, but the data is clear: DJing is going mobile. But we all know that (for the time being, at least), AIs are only good for mimicry. But regardless of the advances to come, one thing will never change: good taste. Sign up for a DJ course today and join the DJ Courses Online community.

John Bartmann is a music producer and DJ