3 things...

[Shaun]

We always see a steady stream of new DJs here on the forum. Hopefully this thread can be useful for them picking up tips and tricks from the seasoned professionals.

Looking back through the years you've been DJ'ing, if you could go back and give yourself 3 pieces of advice on how to improve your business or better yourself as a performer ...what would they be?

[dmckaraoke]

1 - Buy what you cant afford (most important tip!!!!)

2 - Always talk to your client before a gig and i dont mean 2 mins before you start.

3 - Dont buy cheap lights from so called dj stores like..(edited) there all rubbish (Sorry thats my opinion)

[spin mobile disco]

1- Buy quaility and shop around. You will save more money in the long run by buying stuff that will last.

2- Plan ahead for every booking, check out venue talk with clients look for those questions people dont want you to ask.

3- Don't think just because you see others with something you don't have or doing something you don't. It doesn't mean they are right or any better / worse than you are.

[Danno13]

1 - Don't buy cheap brands new, when you can spend the same and get premium stuff second hand.

2 - Don't cut your prices to get bookings, if they don't want to pay.. move on, as someone else will pay!

3 - Be organised - liase with clients, venues, other suppliers with plenty of time and if possible visit venues so you know what to expect.

[Ryu]

1: Don't chance it musically. Anyone can play party hits off a cd, but learning about a style of music is the difference between going through the motions, and really connecting with the audience your playing too. Use DJing as a reason to stay young, by keeping up with current trends and not allowing yourself to get into a rut, musically speaking

2: Buy a good amp. Its the heart of your set up.

3: Always give your best, regardless of the response. You'll be suprised how many good comments I've had from nights were few people danced!

[Tom]

1. Always be keen to learn to new things.

2. Lots of pratice. I myself spend 30 minutes a day (minimum) playing around with my mixing and trying out new effects.

3. Try and get the best speakers you can spend your money on. It's better to get better brand 2nd hand speakers than cheap new speakers. This also applys to amps if you decide to go down the passive setup route.

[rob1963]

1) Get a good website.

2) Carry spare equipment.

3) Join a forum.

:D

[Jaggiebunnett]

1- Buy quaility and shop around. You will save more money in the long run by buying stuff that will last.

2- Plan ahead for every booking, check out venue talk with clients look for those questions people dont want you to ask.

3- Don't think just because you see others with something you don't have or doing something you don't. It doesn't mean they are right or any better / worse than you are.

Very wise thoughts for such a whippersnapper.:D :D :D


1. Always be keen to learn to new things.

2. Lots of pratice. I myself spend 30 minutes a day (minimum) playing around with my mixing and trying out new effects.

3. Try and get the best speakers you can spend your money on. It's better to get better brand 2nd hand speakers than cheap new speakers. This also applys to AMPS if you decide to go down the passive setup route.
Although I have heard the Behringer europower amps are an awsome buy.
Enough so when WHEN one of my Mackie 14001's goes out
I will be in the market for a 1500 or a 2500:D :D

[Vectis]

Well as everyone's already stated the bleedin' obvious here's a few different ones:

1. When choosing a name, google is your friend. Choose something that's meaningful but not in common use. Then you don't need to go SEO crazy and you'll naturally find your business name in the search engine above-the-fold results.

2. Cover yourself. PLI - absolute must. PAT - you really should to avoid negating PLI through negligence. H&S - think about it, you know you must. Taxman - don't chance it. Legal music sources - oh yes!

3. Don't undercut every local disco just to get work. You'll end up in a bucket that will be difficult to escape. And you'll get resentful and probably wish you'd never started. Be realistic. Work out your true costs and pay yourself a decent hourly rate. Think about how much prep and post-event time you'll be adding to that timesheet. Charge accordingly. The work will come.

[flatliners]

1 go an watch rob, vectis , and steve and pic up tips
2 dont take on a gig that dont think you can handle
3 dont rash buy equipment sit down and work things out set a budget of 70% for sound ( cds mixer speakers amp ect ) and 30% on lighting

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

1. A top website

2. Be open minded and take on board new ideas.

3. Plan ahead

[mark@pegasus]

1/ buy the best you can afford

2/ offer to roadie for other local DJ's

3/ when you start DJ'ing for money only take a long break until the enthusiasm returns

[rob1963]

1. A top website

Are you thinking of getting one then?

:boxer2:

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

3/ when you start DJ'ing for money only take a long break until the enthusiasm returns

You obviously don't DJ for a living then?

[mark@pegasus]

Nope, how did you guess :D

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Nope, how did you guess :D

My top intuition. ;) :D

[Vectis]

1 go an watch rob, vectis , and steve and pic up tips


Want to PM me your postal address to send that £20 to? :D

Seriously... good point is to go and watch the competition play - learn what's good and not-so-good about their technique and apply it.

[theoloyla]

1. Like people and entertaining them
2. Know your stuff - music, equipment, law, business ethics and recognise that you will never know it all.
3. Watch other dj's, bands, cabaret acts etc work and learn from them.

[ppentertainments]

1. Don't try and compete with equipment. Buy what you need but make sure it is decent equipment that will last.
2. Treat your discos as a proffessional business. PLI, PAT etc etc and also maintain a professional approach from taking the enquiry to packing away at the end of the night.
3. Don't believe everything you hear. You will hear stories of dj's who are too busy / quiet, Charge £xxxx when in fact only charge £xx (or the other way around). Gain good relationships with other dj's you can trust (using forums are a great way to get peoples views !!!) but at the end of the day make your own desicions.

[PropellerHeadCase]

As VV mentioned lots of (one would hope) obvious stuff being mentioned and then repeated every few posts or so, which is actually good as it means that near every one on here could probably agree on a top five or ten most important things which really gives one hope for the industry as a whole...

That said:


1 - Buy what you cant afford (most important tip!!!!)

What? You are kidding right? If you can't afford something you probably also won't be able to afford to fix it when/if it goes wrong, either. Far better to start with something reasonable that you can afford, and upgrade later.

Anyway...

My top three (though each might be three all rolled into one):

1) Clients are your greatest asset and your biggest hindrance - discuss everything you can with them, preferably face to face, but failing that, in a series of emails/phone calls. If you can see a potential problem with something they want to do, be it timing, playlist, whatever, solve the problems BEFORE they occur. If they don't want to change something that you believe might be a mistake at least you've given them the option and hopefully come away with a 'Plan B' if they at least agree that there might be potential for failure. If you perceive there may be a major problem (like seven breaks in the dance for "performances") get their confirmation of their decision in writing!

2) Possibly more important than back-up equipment is safety for your main gear - a good power conditioner for your delicate electronics (CD players, lap-tops, HD-controllers, etc.) at a minimum (got mine for 69 quid), possibly a basic UPS, too. Surge-protection for your amps can't hurt, either (if it's not in-built), also physical protection for your lap-tops and mixers (from stray drinks) and waterproofing for any standalone subs.

3) Make your gear work for you and get the most value out of it:
a) If you can afford an amp and speaker set that is a bit too big for what you think you'll need get it, better to have spare power and not use it than vice versa, and do use power sparingly) - ocasionally gigs (and venues) are bigger than you've been led to believe.
b) If you think you only need a two-channel mixer, get a four-channel mixer, you never know when one channel will go down or a new play-out device gets added to your rig.
c) If you are using a crossover still buy a bass amp that has a passive through-put cross-over just in case (see also what I said about extra power above - if you have two subs running at 1/3 and one dies...).


Having just re-read the above and the thread itself, isn't it interesting how few (relatively speaking) of the points relate to music?

[wensleydale]

less is more.
price is not the only factor a customer considers.
think of the disco as more than the 4 hours when you are playing music.

[DazzyD]

1. Go to as many family parties as you can - this will help you to see what people dance to.

2. Be bold. Try playing that new track you like that no-one knows yet. It might just work. Also goes for the old ones that no-one's heard for years.

3. Learn some sales skills. You'll need them for when the enquiries come in.