DJ Diaries: Have you restarted your Mac?

By Amber Cavasos

Going through a DJ dry spell where you aren’t booking as many gigs as you think you should be? Something may be amiss, but you might not see it. Hopefully this week’s blog can help pinpoint the issue so you can go back to performing like the DJ god you are!

Update your press kit

You might need to tweak your press kit. Press kits are super important and yours might need a little work. Be sure to add any new events or large venues that you have performed at.

Your sound

DJing is an art. You can’t just expect people to hire you if you aren’t making music. At the very least, you should be toying around with different techniques. You don’t want all of your sets to sound exactly the same. Sure, you can have your signature sound, but that doesn’t mean you get a pass from making your set good.

Your set could also be a big issue for some clients/promoters. If you are just standing up there, barely moving while DJing, you might as well be a human iPod. When someone hires a DJ, they don’t just hire someone to play music. They are paying you to fuel the crowd and create a certain vibe. You have to animated and living it up while you’re DJing.

Maybe there’s some issues in transitioning or when to play songs in your sets. It’s really important to make sure that your sets are helping a crowd vibe out. Even though it’s your set, the focus is on the crowd, not you.

Online Persona

If you don’t have an Instagram or SoundCloud, do you even exist?  Potential clients will always scope you out on the internet before hiring you. Treat your social media as precious gems that increase your value without too much extra effort.

You need to keep posting things on social media to stay relevant. This industry moves really quickly and is unforgiving if you slack off.

If you choose to take a break from social media, someone else will jump at that opportunity and take your spotlight while you’re gone.

How driven are you?

In order to make it in this industry, you have to want it. If you don’t want this more that you want (and need) air to breathe, just quit now. This is a business that will consume your life. If you’re completely in it, it will so worth it.

If you want this DJing thing to be a side job, then you might want to reevaluate how you feel about not booking gigs. If this is your hobby, don’t expect to get many bookings. When you perform, people will be able to tell whether or not how devoted you are and that will definitely change the whole vibe on the dance floor. When you’re passionate about something, it shows.

There is always going to be someone out there who wants it more than you and if you are fine with not competing for the #1 spot, then you’re not meant for this.

If you seem to be having an issue with one or more of the above suggestions, then that’s probably why you aren’t getting as many bookings. At the end of the day, you have to make sure that you stay relevant in the industry and are continuously updating your sound.