3 ways to DJ better

It’s your gig. You organized it. You attracted your followers to the venue. You aligned the stars. Now it’s time to be good. To give them what they want, and some of what you want too. Each event you play should make you a little better than the last. But only if you’re taking it all in and learning to DJ while you do. Here are a few ways to get better at DJing faster. 

Mix like a pro

Many first-time DJs import a bunch of summer hits into their software and just start mixing without really knowing what’s coming next. You need to know the tracks you play. Where are the builds and drops? What’s the overall flavor? Is it universally mixable, or is it a little different? Analyze your songs. Filter out the ones you don’t really care for, and find more to fill their place. When you know them really well, you’ll notice your mixing get better fast. 

Connect with the crowd

People need a flow. To get into a track or a set, they need to place their trust in the DJ and their track choice and skills. It’s a process that gets built up over the night. So watch their movement. If feet are tapping, and people are moving more, you’re doing something right. Make eye contact, smile, talk to people and get into the groove yourself. All basic advice, but often overlooked by DJs who focus too much on the technical side. 

Learn from your mistakes

Each gig is different. Even holding a residency will place different demands on you on different nights. Conditions at outdoor events can wreak havoc while DJing. Touring takes this to the next level. Sound rigs can be unpredictable, management and venue owners can be jerks, crowds can be boring. Think of the whole journey as adding entries to a database of knowledge that only you have. You want that book to be fuller every time. Remember what goes right (and wrong) and learn from each new DJ event you play. 

A million DJs, a million ways to get the job done. But everyone is subject to the same game. You want the crowd to get going. You want to be recognized for all your organizing and your taste. You want to have fun for real. Get better faster by signing up for a course with DJ Courses Online today. 

John Bartmann is a music producer and DJ.

3 things DJs do wrong

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.

The musical body math of DJing

Music is a type of math. Or rather, it’s the opposite on the boredom scale, but having a mathematical approach is a useful way to understand what you’re doing as a DJ. Have you heard of the circle of fifths? It’s the way that song keys are classified. And you can use it to your advantage when selecting tracks by key. Get into the flow of learning to DJ by checking out a few basic principles behind the effect of sound on the human body. 

Step to the right

Our biology controls us. That’s why we can predict that when you raise or lower the key between one track and another in your set by a fifth (seven piano semitones), a ‘brightening’ or ‘darkening’ effect happens. It’s true. According to the music theory that we all respond to unconsciously, going from a track in C Major up a fifth to a track in G Major has a more uplifting effect than going down two ‘steps’ to a track in Bb. Here’s the circle of fifths diagram that helps explain it better. Step to the right and you raise the energy. To the left and you darken it. That’s biology, folks. 

Body tempo

Your heart rate is the main reason that we love music at 120bpm and find 250bpm a little fast. A normal resting heart rate is around 60-80pm. Once you start dancing, you raise that up to 120-150. Higher than this range and your body starts to feel overwhelmed. A whole lot of music theory is structured around this principle. Nothing mysterious, just common sense and basic workout science. 

Frequency magic

You know all that stuff about 432Hz having mysterious healing power? Mostly baloney, and most evidence of sound frequencies being healing is underproven. But we all know what happens when we cut the lows! Be aware that low frequencies allow your crowd to catch their breath. A dip in the mid frequencies allows them to talk more easily, while boosting them emphasizes the melody and harmony of the track. And high frequencies are best used to remove the excitement so that you can drop it back in. One, two, three, bingo!

You obviously don’t need a biology degree to DJ. It does help seeing yourself as more than just a playback machine, and having an in-depth sound knowledge will raise your chances of working on bigger and more complex rigs. Don’t be intimidated by the science. Be fascinated by it. Learning psychoacoustics is a good place to start. Use these principles in your mix by signing up for a DJ course by DJ Courses Online. 

John Bartmann is a music producer and DJ.

4 types of DJ business model

Imagine there was an article listing a whole bunch of business models for a mobile DJ. Hey, here’s one! The ever-popular bedroom DJ is overpopulating the planet. Maybe you wanna stand out a bit and, you know, actually have a plan about how to level up. Get smarter by learning the business side of DJing. Here are the business models being practiced by the pro DJs. 

 The solo player

Booking yourself out to parties, bars and clubs. You start with family and friends, then put the word out. Good as a side-hustle for those who have day jobs. This is also the phase during which you need to acquire your own gear, music collection, and stuff like liability insurance. A fun, low-pressure environment to test the waters of professional DJing. 

The team player

Working at an existing DJ entertainment booking company as an employee. These companies typically have a catalog of DJs, MCs, dancers and performers. They’re in charge of finances and you don’t have to invest in gear. Work is stead and less pressure than running the admin yourself. But you’re kinda locked in, and can’t really work for yourself on the side. Pay can be a little lower than doing your own thing, but more reliable. 

The sub-contractor

Booking both yourself and others out for gigs. Independent sub-contractors have the advantage of being both more free than an exclusive operation and in charge of your business. You’re able to take a cut of bookings for other DJs, but also accept the reputational impact of their performance. If you recommend them and they suck, you suck. And vice versa. Good option if you’re more into the entertainment angle than the business angle. 

The boss

Booking out sub-contracters and employees under a formal company banner. This is where you’re in charge of them all. The Sauron of Serato. You’re tax compliant, legally liable and in charge of all finances. You’re marketing other smaller companies under your banner and you have a large stake in the company. 

DJing isn’t just about spinning records. It can be, but if you’re hungry for more, you’ll need to level up by embracing one of these models. Could take some time, but hey, if you’re serious about sharing good music with good people, you’ll see the value. Get into the game with a course by DJ Courses Online today.

John Bartmann is a music producer and DJ.

The psychology of DJing

Every gig you play is going to contain a few predictables. People are pretty much the same everywhere when it comes to music they know being played at party volume. Pick up a few tips for learning to DJ in the headspace. Here are a few things you can use to your advantage when prepping your next set. 

The leader group

When you’re playing a set, there are often 1-3 people in the crowd or hanging around the dance floor that will lead the way for the rest of the audience. Their actions set the mood of the night. Remember, people tend to do what other people are doing, and that always starts with a (brave) group of leaders. Identify them early and play for them. If they’re enjoying your selection keep going, or find something that they’re into. Soon, they’ll be the ones to break open the dance floor, and the rest will follow. Works like a charm. 

Delayed gratification

If you’re doing your job, the crowd will soon be loving the tunes and you’ll have a group on the dance floor. This is where you want to keep them. When you reach this moment, delay their gratification for a while before playing your A-list of hits. You see, once you’re done with your A-list, that’s it. There’s no coming back from it. Don’t burn the crowd out too early. It will mean resisting temptation, but always save the bangers for the end of your set, even if it means that you don’t get to every one. Rather not allow them to drift off before you’re done. End your set with them cheering for more. 

It’s not about you

DJing has had such a huge profile boost in the last couple of decades that it’s tempting to believe the hype. But always remember that this is about providing a space for the audience. Having a DJ steal try to the limelight is lame. Saying no to the same request three times is lame. This is about your audience. If you’re not too hot on playing what they want to hear, you’re in the wrong profession. Or maybe just at the wrong gig. Either way, change what you need to so your supply matches the crowd’s demand, not the other way around. 

DJing is a bit more psychological than playing in a band or producing music on your own. It requires getting inside the heads of your audience. The aim is to be constantly reading body language and interpreting signals from those present. There are certain things you can’t learn by reading, so consider satisfying your hunger for DJ knowledge with a course by DJ Courses Online.

John Bartmann is a music producer and DJ.

Bring your DJing to life with effects

Something as simple as a drum loop can be brought to life using effects. Stuff like reverb, delay, chorus, flanging and phasing. They’re all send effects which duplicate your dry (unaffected) signal and then play it back into itself, altering the sound in some way. Let’s check out a few practical uses of these built-in effects. 

Effect the background

Veteran DJs don’t use a lot of effects on their main mix. Too much reverb or chorus can kinda steal the energy from the floor and make it seem like you can’t wait for the next track to play. And it can sound a little tacky. You do want to be enthusiastic, but you don’t really want to be this guy. So if you’re dying to use effects, use them on backing drum loops and samples instead of your main mix. Using Traktor’s Remix Decks or Ableton Live’s session view, you can run multiple clips at once. If you’re playing something that sounds good on its own, limit the effects work to the backing loop instead. 

Keep it simple

Some of the effects bundled in to DJ software can be pretty sophisticated. Parameters on a standard reverb effect might include Dry/Wet, Size, Highpass, Lowpass and Freeze. A good rule of thumb? Stick to two parameters per effect. Don’t try to cram too much creativity into your playback. It’s cool to play around with them while you create a signature style, but over time you’ll want your ‘effect moments’ to resemble one-trick ponies. The further away you take the people from the original sound of the track, the more attention you’ll lose. Keep it simple. 

Sparse works better

Effects generally work better when applied to sparse moments in your set. Experiment with extending your mix out and allow a moment for only the beat drum loops to run. Then, apply different effects and compare the results with applying them during the main part of the song. Sounds better when there’s less going on, doesn’t it? Generally, effects should be thought of as auxiliary moments, and don’t often work well during the main hook or drop of a song. Especially if it’s a really well known number. 

To sum up, you’ll want to use your DJ effects sparingly and at the right moments in your set. If you’re only doing 64 bars of total flanging an hour, that’s OK. Reverb is a great one for building tension, and delay often works well when timed to ¾ time. Find your inner effects guru by signing up for the Advanced DJ Techniques and Tips DJ course with DJ Courses Online.

John Bartmann is a music producer and DJ.

Comment tagging your DJ library

Every new event you play as a DJ has its own requirements. Unless you have a residency at an established venue and play the same tracks every week, you’ll need a way to find and pull up tracks on the fly. That means being a librarian and having an efficient way to find your tracks by something other than title or artist. Genre and BPM are the next best things. But there’s an even better way: tagging. Check out the professional DJ Courses Online version of library organization.

Away from playlists

Imagine creating a new playlist for every event you did from scratch. Yikes. Playlists are great for when you’re completely in charge and don’t expect any requests, but how often does that happen? Nope. Being able to find music one the fly is better. That means going off-script. DJing a constant supply of new music also wreaks havoc when you’re trying to ‘lock things down’ because you’re constantly refreshing your set. The solution is to move away from order and towards spontaneity. Yes, use playlists as a springboard for your set. But if you’re aiming to level up, begin moving away from them. 

Towards tagging

As you build your collection, get to know the comments field of your metadata. It’s a good tool to input short little phrases that are specific to you and how you think. For example, you might have a phrase that reminds you of a song you know really well to describe all other songs that mix well with it. So, for example, labelling a song ‘drinking in la’ for mid-tempo 90s electronica. It doesn’t have to be genre-based. It could refer to songs with identifying backbeats or weird time signatures. Or tracks that are really lofi and old in their production quality. Whatever categorization strategy (and comment phrase) you use, it should act as a mnemonic. That is, to remind you of other songs like it, making finding similar songs way easier.

Universal language

Why use ID3 tags at all? Software like Traktor, Rekordbox and Beatport Pro already have this functionality in the form of crates, which are simply personalized collections categorized by a tag field instead of a by a sequential playlist file (m3u file). Well, using ID3 comment tags ensures that your all the hard work that went into labelling your personal collection isn’t wiped out when you want to switch software one day. Forced compliance and planned obsolescence are standard operating procedure with many software manufacturers. Cover yourself and own your data! 

There are loads more tips on how to go about tagging your work. Use phrases you’re likely to remember. Avoid special symbols (!@#$%^&*), which can fail to display. Group tracks together in little packages that work well together. Use numbers in your tagging (eg ‘major trap 1’) to allow you to filter the comment column to sort results into an order. The key thing is to show your personality through your selection and rise above searching only by BPM or genre. That’s the trick to building a name for yourself. Go deeper into DJing with a course by DJ Courses Online today. 

John Bartmann is a music producer and DJ

Three types of cue points

Know thy software. DJs need to have a relationship with both their hardware and software. There’s always some feature you didn’t know about or some way of hacking it to your advantage. One way to take the stress out of professional DJing events is to set your cue points before the event. Let’s check out the three types of cue points found in Traktor and other software like it. 

The downbeat load marker

The downbeat load cue point is the point at which your track will begin playback. Even if you’re using something other than Traktor or Ableton, you should have some marker that represents the ‘first cue point’. It might not be at the start of the actual file. Many tracks have instrumental or atmospheric introductions. The most obvious downbeat marker is the very first kick that plays in the track.

Mix out marker

The mix out marker is simply a good place in your track to begin the mix out process. This is most often at the start of a breakdown, so that as the kick from track A ends, the kick from track B can begin. Pre-deciding these mix out markers means that at a glance, you can see where the track’s mix out begins, which is a visual signal. But it also means that you can quickly load to that point should you want to re-trigger and restart your mix out rather than restarting the track from the beginning. Bear in mind that your countdown warning will not apply to this marker, only to the end of the track. You’ll need to be watching your track A carefully if you want to begin mixing halfway through! 

Ending loop marker

Sometimes you want to extend the outro of your song while bringing in the next track. Outro loops are the way to go! Somewhere towards the end of your track, select a nice 8- or 16-bar section and loop it. Then, simply take your time bringing in your next track. Again, having the marker in place beforehand is the best way to save time and energy and avoid common errors while mixing. The last thing you want is to be trying to make admin decisions when you’re meant to be enjoying and feeling the music. 

Preparation is key to the enjoyment of your music! But let’s be real, there are often times when you have to play tracks you haven’t planned. It’s best to understand the power of mix point markers. Get to know your controller shortcuts for setting mix points on the fly. Rely on your ability to read the waveform and anticipate the downbeat, break and drop. Get advanced with your mixing ability by signing up for the DJ Techniques II Course with DJ Courses Online today.

John Bartmann is a music producer and DJ

What could DJs do better?

Like all of us, DJs often make the mistake of thinking that their success is someone else’s responsibility. The reality is that the music industry is a super competitive place. To succeed, you’ll need to do something that demonstrates your allegiance to one thing: yourself. Get enrolled with the DJ Courses Online Career Tips class for deeper insight. Here are a few things about the industry that we have the power to fix. 

It’s not all about getting paid

You know that phrase ‘it’s just business?’ Well, it can be hard to hear when you’ve shared insane emotional highs with your ‘business partners’. Music is a lot more personal than other business. People are truly invested in each other and nobody likes the idea that music is only business. This is why there’s never been a sponsored ‘Coca Cola song’ that worked (this one isn’t sponsored and doesn’t count). Humans draw the line when it comes to their music. It’s almost sacred! So align yourself with those humans who aren’t following music made for any industry, but rather music made for others who share their taste. 

Be careful what you sign

DJs often sign to one label or agency. One of the more common complaints you’ll hear is that labels and agencies aren’t taking responsibility for developing their DJs. There might be good reasons for that, but DJs can feel trapped in a contract and powerless to create their own business. It a super-important thing to remember in an atmosphere where ‘getting signed’ is spoken of as a magic cure-all for escaping obscurity. Be careful what you sign. 

Align with the sound

The barrier to entry for DJing is floor level. This has enabled a vast majority to self-publish and has opened the floodgates for music that, frankly, sounds entry level. We tend to reward people not for their taste in music but the volume of their voice on social media. One thing we could do better is to take personal responsibility for not allowing bad music messaging to even enter into our lifestyles. This is harder than it sounds. A friend wants you to comment on his/her socials. A bad mix is playing in the background when you have the power to change it. Take a stand for better music and allow the public image of the DJ to matter less than the sound coming out of the speakers.

Music is timeless and the industry keeps shifting to keep up, much like trying to harpoon a whale. Remember that. At the end of the day, commerce is racing to keep up with the people’s enjoyment of music, not the other way around. As a DJ, the best thing you can do for your audience is to be more selective about what you stand for outside of personal glory and success. That way, you’ll find the people who you’re truly doing business with. Sign up for membership by DJ Courses Online and take the next step in your DJ journey. 

John Bartmann is a music producer and DJ

Three common challenges for DJs

DJing is one of the most fun things you can do with your weekend. Whether it’s having a group of besties over or heading out to play a party somewhere, it’s a great use of energy. But there are some things can stress you out about being a hobby or career DJ. Let’s check out a few things that you might need to fix to move away from stressful nights. 

Lack of preparation

The number one source of stress is lack of preparation. Dumping your tracks onto a flash drive isn’t good enough! You have to spend the time curating your set like a garden. Setting cue points can require massive amounts of time. Cue points are the point in the track where your software will start playback. But some tracks have instrumental or atmospheric intros which need to be skipped. Make sure your cue points are set for every track so that you don’t end up mousing around the on the night. That way, you’ll be able to spend less time doing admin and your set will flow. 

People control

Most people at parties are drinking, which is, like, what makes it a party. Drinking means fun. Fun means irresponsibility. And that means people barging into your booth, demanding requests, knocking things over. People can be total hazards. Set your boundaries early, while they’re sober. Hey, requests are fine, but a DJ is in charge of the music on the night. It’s better to turn requests down than become the target for other people’s nostalgia and personal taste. You’re there for the crowd. Behave like a pro. Act like a pro. The venue or event booker should be on your side. 

Wondering if you’re doing a good job

DJs sometimes find it difficult to talk about this, because we’re the ones who people look to for their taste. Doubt is a part of the job. It’s totally normal to spend half the night wondering if anyone is actually enjoying the music you’re selecting for them! Even the playlist from the client might not be the right selection. So remember a few things: you’re never going to please every person there. You are constantly scanning for feedback like eye contact, tapping feet, dancing. And if it’s a corporate or wedding event, always remember: hey man, you just work here. 

Being on top of your DJing game makes things awesome. Nobody needs stress, especially if you’re the one setting the atmosphere for others to loosen up. So put your relaxation and confidence at the center of the job and do your preparation! Learn more DJing tips by signing up for the DJ Techniques Level 1 course with DJ Courses Online today. 

John Bartmann is a music producer and DJ

DJing beyond track selection

There will probably come a time in your DJing career when you want to expand on your skills as a selector. As fun as it is keeping the room alive, there’s so much more to DJing than track playback. Let’s check out three different ways of going beyond standard DJ practices to create more of a performance. 

Live instruments

You’d be surprised how many people are still so impressed by a DJ who plays percussion along with their beats. Let’s face it, there often isn’t much else to do while waiting for the track to time out. So get a pair of bongos or some shakers, set up one extra mic and show the people you mean positive energy! If your set is planned out in advance, you could also invite a separate instrumentalist to join you at your next event. That’s an evening out worth sharing with your friends. 

Controllerism

Controllerism is the art of using hardware MIDI controllers as instruments. If you’re already using stems or remix decks in your set, you’re halfway to being a controllerist. Hardcore controllerists tend to avoid any kind of continuous file playback. They prefer instead to think of their MPCs, Launchpads and APCs as pianos or drums that stop sounding when the note is released. This obviously makes for a far more difficult DJ set, but when people notice that you’re actually playing live, it changes the energy in the room. Not for everyone, but certainly a rewarding journey if you love it as much as these guys. 

Mashups

Mashups are tracks or stems that blend together two or more complementary tracks to create a synthesis. One track might be the acapella from a hip hop vocal, and the other an instrumental from a pop song. The point is to blow the audience’s minds by playing two familiar but separate tracks together. Doing live mashups requires an advanced knowledge of stems or remix decks and plenty of preparation. But the results can be insane. If you’re interested in performing mashups, start with Find your own https://thehighestproducers.com/acapellas/

There’s room for everyone to develop their skills as a DJ. And generally speaking, those who have made it have succeeded by devoting time to being really good. That means being at least familiar with some of the practices. Getting good costs you time, so get busy. Go beyond track selection with the Advanced DJ Techniques course offered by DJ Courses Online today.

Planning the night

There’s a way that people are. Zoom out of any human culture a little and you’ll notice how strongly we adhere to rituals. It’s a good thing to remember when planning a DJ night. At events, people generally behave in small  groups and crowds. As upcoming DJs, we can use this predictability to our advantage. Here are a few ways to better recognize your audience’s behavior at the next event. 

DJ the playbook

Once you’ve done one wedding, one 50th birthday, one corporate bash, one festival and one bar mitzvah, you’ve learned most of what DJs are expected to know. The format doesn’t differ much between these categories. Weddings and birthdays are ultimately about picking popular music from the past. Corporate events are about behaving like a big name rock star and picking music that out-of-touch people think is happening right now. Festivals are about expressing your taste for whatever the crowd is into. Bar mitzvahs (and rituals like it) are about honoring tradition. There’s a playbook for every different type of DJ event. Learn it, then DJ it.

Plan for chaos

No matter how much prep work you’ve done, someone will inevitably ask you to do something that you’re not prepared for. This might be spinning a track you don’t have, switching up genres completely, making a housekeeping announcement, clearing the dancefloor, starting the dancefloor, moving some furniture, etc. The list goes on. Your role is often a weird fusion of playlist curator, sound engineer and roadie. Be helpful. Don’t brickwall people when they ask for simple stuff, even if it’s not technically your job. Expect unexpected things to happen, and roll with them. Check out the career tips course from DJ Courses Online. 

Curating vs creating

DJing is mostly about vibe curation. This means two things: that you’re in charge of keeping things uplifting, and that you’re not always creating a vibe. There’s a difference between creation and curation. Curating a vibe is directing the mood of the room in response to what’s expected of you. This might involve very little action on your part. It’s not illegal to put on a 1 hour mix and simply groove away while acting busy. In fact, it’s a very easy way to make money. Creating a vibe, on the other hand, is about controlling or even forcing the mood to be a certain way. It’s a statement, one which reflects and showcases your taste more obviously. Depending on what you’re hoping to achieve, you should consider yourself a vibe curator or creator on any given evening. 

Getting better at DJing yet? It’s all about practice, preparation and people. Make your own path a bit clearer by learning from the pros. Get in on a DJ course by DJ Courses Online today and make the next step in your DJ adventure. 

John Bartmann is a music producer and DJ

Encouragement for DJs

There’s a lot more to DJing than people make out. It’s part euphoria, part chaos. There’s an emotional impact to being in the spotlight, taking requests, and often delivering on a wide range of unexpected moments. All while keeping a smile going. So here’s some encouragement for DJs of all levels, courtesy of the DJ professionals behind DJ Courses Online! 

You’re doing a good job

Reading a crowd takes some getting used to. But ultimately, it’s the reason that the client isn’t hiring a Spotify playlist. DJ for long enough and you can sometimes start to feel like nothing more than a mindless button-pusher. The job does involve a lot of waiting for tracks to end, after all. But believe me, the vibe is better off because you’re there. There’s nothing more vibe-destroying than autoplay drifting off into bad music territory while your party host is running amok. People with taste are still required. Be comforted by the knowledge that you’re doing a job that the crowd appreciates, even if they don’t know it. 

Don’t take it personally

You want people to hear your mixes and tracks so much. You want to see yourself going viral. You want production value, exposure, paychecks and ongoing performance inquiries from event bookers. But why? Is your identity really so dependent on popularity? Are you genuinely so helplessly addicted to these images of success? Don’t take it personally. This is not about you. It’s about the audience you are trying to serve. Relax. The DJs who make a name for themselves are generally too business-minded to be having any much fun any more, which isn’t a path for everyone. Nobody makes a long-standing career out of actually believing that they are what their brand promises. Be cool. 

It’s about fun

So much of the professional events scene involves bidding wars and egos. So much good music is sacrificed in the name of a nepotistic, strategic, statistical approach, often at the expense of the fun. It’s meant to be a laugh, not a chest-beating contest. So have a laugh every so often. If the people are open to it, play a silly song or sample in your set. Throwing in a trap remix of your favorite childhood TV show theme tune does a lot for your sense of freedom,  and the crowd might love it. Every so often, you have to forget the career moves and image. Try spending one night imagining being not just a DJ, but just someone with two decks, a mixer, a PA system and the ability to use them. Not everyone can. 

DJing is a fusion of technical ability, pure taste and the willpower to show up, time after time. It’s more than the hype reel. You honestly have to just keep doing the work that lazier DJs don’t want to do. You have to earn your reputation. But through it all, remember that you’re in this for the long haul. With that approach, the art of DJing will be something that brings you joy for the rest of your life. So go ahead and get into it today by signing up for one of the DJ courses offered by DJ Courses Online.

John Bartmann is a music producer and DJ.

Playing your first gig

Ready to shine? You’ve been working on collecting the sickest tracks. You’ve been practicing your beat matching. And now a buddy has asked you to handle the music at a house party. Time to take this thing to the streets. Don’t worry. You got this. Here are a few things to remember about first-time DJing. 

Your gear

Let me guess: you don’t have the money for the gear you want right now? Here’s the thing: you’ll always have your eye on something new and flashier. There is always going to be someone with more dope gear than you. But stick with what you need. Here’s why. You don’t want to be carrying around anything you don’t use. You often end up playing on venue or event rigs, and don’t bring your gear anyway. You aren’t trying to impress other DJs with fancy stuff, you’re trying to impress strangers with your taste. Keep it simple: two sources of music, and a device to mix them together. 

File prep

There’s a world of work to be done before a gig. Don’t do it all on the day! Keep curating your music collection by making sure that you have a solid, easily readable collection of tunes. MP3s can contain bad metadata, garbled text formatting and corrupt data. And having a spanner in the works like a track that doesn’t play on time is one way to kill the whole vibe. So do your prep work by testing playback on every song in your set. If you have a pair of CDJs at home, do the same for the file display window and make sure your tracks behave like they should every time. And always take a second copy of your music selection on a backup USB!

The boring stuff

Admin, admin, admin. It’s what separates the pros from the hobbyists. Make sure you’re totally on top of it. That’s how your build your reputation as a pro. Being drinking buddies with the event organizers will only take you so far. If DJing professionally is a long-term vision, you’ll need to make friends with spreadsheets and invoicing software. Most often, paying clients want you to act like a businessperson offstage and a rock star on stage. You’ll know when it’s time to level up. When you do, remember this advice. Get good at the admin. 

Chances are nobody will notice all the mistakes, nerves and fumbling at your first gig. Give yourself a break! The important thing is that you keep doing it. You’ll learn something new every time, even if it feels like you’re never where you want to be. DJing like a pro is like doing anything else like a pro. You earn it. But help yourself out by learning from the pros with one of the DJ courses from DJ Courses Online, and shorten your walk to awesomeness. 

John Bartmann is a music producer and DJ.

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