How To Get A Dj Set In A Club

I of the most asked questions past beginner DJs is "how practice I get more DJ gigs!?"

While in that location are no straightforward or 1-size-fits-all answers to this question, there are 2 distinct ways that DJs will typically find gigs.

You either chase them down yourself, or they come to you. While every DJs goal should exist for the latter, that'due south only going to happen once y'all've established a name for yourself in the manufacture. Even and then, the bigger DJs will always have managers and booking agents that are out in that location sourcing the gigs for them.

If you're but starting out as a DJ, then yous're going to have to put in the piece of work! Thankfully, we've put together 20 fast means you tin can implement to assist get yourself more than and more than DJ gigs!

If you're reading this nether lockdown and thinking these things are pointless because of the lack of parties and clubs right now, think again!

Chances are you lot're going to have an extra chunk of fourth dimension on your easily, then you need to be using information technology in lodge to maximise your opportunities once things become back to normal. Or at least whatever the new normal will get!

Networking
Outset your ain night!
Play for complimentary
Build your brand (website, logo)
Social Media (insta, fb, youtube – content)
Follow Trends (tiktok video, live streaming)
Start a podcast (guest DJs)
Get professional press shots
Produce your ain music
Make Mashups
Remixes
Reply to comments
Engage with other artists, DJs and promoters
Become a mobile DJ for parties & events
Approach Gyms & Restaurants
Beginning a DJ Duo
Enter competitions like Your Shot
Go a Manager/Amanuensis
Have a plan and stick to it
Exist the hardest worker in the room

DJ GIG PARTY NIGHTCLUB

Networking

Information technology's the most tried and true method for getting business organization in any industry, and information technology's still but equally constructive today equally information technology's ever been. It probably comes at no surprise but promoters are always going to favour the DJs they accept good relationships with and that back up their night. So information technology'southward of import to build connections and develop relationships with the people in the scene you're trying to pause into! As well as regularly attend the clubs and venues y'all're aspiring to play at.

Annotation, networking doesn't mean rocking upwardly to the club and shoving your mixtape in the face of the organizers. Nor does it mean getting so far gone that they're picking you up off the floor at the end of the night. The key is to make sure yous're seen equally an nugget, rather than an annoyance!

Beginning Your Own Nighttime

Maybe there are no decent club nights in your area, or maybe y'all just don't become forth with the organizers running them. Simple, offset your own nighttime! It's a perfect style to launch your DJ career and y'all're sure to have a heap of fun doing and so. All while making a trivial bit of extra cash mind yous!

Get-go by contacting some local venues that you call back might be interested in a few extra customers. Then pitch your thought for a night in which you'll have a percentage of the bar. You won't need to driblet a huge corporeality of cash up forepart to get something similar this going, so you'll accept more money in your pocket when it comes to hiring photographers, graphic designers for promo, and of course, the DJs!

Not to mention you're ever going to have that spot every bit the resident DJ which can only benefit your career in the long run.

Play DJ Gigs for Complimentary

If you're an experienced DJ who's been doing this for a while, I don't recommend playing gigs for costless.

However, if you're just trying to get your foot in the door, your main focus should be getting experience playing in front end of a crowd and building your reputation.

If you're hitting upwards promoters and trying to get paid gigs, in that location'due south a good chance you're going to get turned away if noone knows who yous are and noones seen you play. Offering your services for complimentary or at least a cheaper rate presents a much smaller risk for the social club promoters while giving you lot a chance to prove off your skills and potentially observe paid work in the future.

Build Your Make

In the digital era we live in today, building and maintaining your personal brand is more of import than ever.

A good identify to showtime is by investing the money into getting yourself a professional logo, and a website to lucifer. Considering the more professional you look and the more y'all build your brand, the more valuable yous'll become to promoters when yous're trying to go booked for more DJ gigs.

All you need to do is take 1 look at the headliners on whatever clubs promo flyers. None of those guys will be using a photo of them passed out with a goon handbag. Nor will they be using glittery clipart image of some headphones every bit their logo.

Social Media

Post-obit on with the theme of personal brand, you want to make sure you lot're active on all the big social media platforms. Because promoters are known to check how many followers you accept before considering booking you for an event!

Then at the very to the lowest degree, you'll desire to have an active business relationship on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube and be posting regularly on each of them. Every bit the saying goes, content is rex when it comes to online marketing!

If yous're non sure what to mail service, it's definitely a good idea to cheque out what other DJs are doing online. So, prepare your ain social media strategy from that. Simply for a few ideas to become yous started y'all should be posting photos and videos from your past gigs, videos of home mixes and mashups, the ideas are countless. It's likewise worth trying to cross-promote with other DJs, Artists, Promoters and related brands.

Follow Trends

Every bit a DJ looking for more gigs, you need to exist upwards on all the current trends of the minute. With half the country in lockdown over the past few months, 2 of the biggest trends that have sprung to the forefront of the manufacture are live streaming and TikTok videos!

While clubs and parties are on hiatus, the next all-time way to get in front end of your audience is virtually. We've already written countless articles on the benefits of live streaming which you tin notice below. Just TikTok is another trend that probably deserves its ain commodity birthday.

10 Mistakes to Avoid During Your Side by side Live Stream DJ Set
Ultimate Guide to DJ Live Streaming
Fugitive Copyright Bug On Your DJ Live Streams!
How to Multistream: Alive Streaming to Multiple Platforms
How to Stream with OBS or Streamlabs: Live Streaming on Youtube or Twitch

Information technology's no fluke the hashtag #DJathome was trending for then long on the platform. DJs have taken to posting live mixes & mashups as well as just sharing new songs for people to enjoy similar the i below! With a much higher charge per unit of discovery than platforms such every bit Instagram and Facebook, this is a great place to push out your content and increase your chances of discovery.

@djkylemckay
Songs to VIBE to 🤩 Ep 3 ##VIBE ##dj ##mixing ##mashup ##alive ##vibes ##dualipa ##dontstartnow ##onemoretime ##deepend

♬ original audio – djkylemckay

Offset A Podcast

On the topic of creating content, starting a podcast is another peachy manner to go your name in front end of the people who can assistance you get more DJ gigs!

Podcasts are most commonly used equally a platform for conversation and interviews. However, many DJ's have too taken to podcasting in the form of mixtapes and mix shows. A style to showcase your talents as a DJ while giving the listener a variety of music to listen to. In turn, too creating a nice attainable portfolio to help state you more gigs, while increasing your followers at the same time.

Furthermore, you'll often run into podcasts where the host DJ performs a mix for the outset half of the show. Then the second half is a invitee mix past another DJ. This is a great idea considering not simply is it forcing yous to network with other DJs to get them to feature on your podcast. But they're probable going to assistance with promotion. And then you're going to get the listeners who came for you, as well equally the listeners who came for your invitee DJ. Expanding the reach of your mixes and opening yourself upwardly to more than and more fans and potential to get hired for more gigs!

Professional Printing Shots

Adding to the importance of your personal make & paradigm, investing in professional person press shots is only another manner to assistance you sell yourself every bit a DJ.

It doesn't take a genius to know with some high-quality imagery, yous're going to add together another element of professionalism to your brand. Not only will this impress the promoters and organisers that are booking you, simply information technology helps build an fifty-fifty stronger connection between yourself, your followers, and your fans. People desire to know what you lot await similar, and press photos help to prove an authentic representation of yourself and your personality and can be much more than memorable than your logo.

Produce your ain music

It's not as like shooting fish in a barrel as it sounds, merely producing your ain music can be the best route to make it as a total-time touring DJ/Creative person. Make a hit rail that gets traction across the industry and you'll accept gigs coming at y'all left right and eye. If you haven't already dabbled in music production, you're going to have to dedicate a fair flake of time. Only with applied science today, all you need is a Digital Audio Workstation and a Laptop, perchance a MIDI Keyboard to make things easier.

You're non going to smash out a number one hit overnight, but producing music is something I remember every DJ should know the basics of! Check out our how-to guide for beginners below to get yourself sorted!

How to make music

Make Mashups

Another mode to get your name out there and increment your chances of landing DJ Gigs is to produce mashups! Especially if you have no experience with music product, mashups are the perfect fashion to ease yourself into production before you become started on your ain originals.

If you don't know what a mashup is; essentially, a mashup is a musical creation created by combining two or more than pre-recorded songs together to create an original limerick. Often as simple every bit overlaying the vocal or acapella rail of one song seamlessly over the instrumental track of another. If you lot've never fabricated a mashup earlier, now'southward the time to learn. Thankfully, we've already written a complete guide that'll have you making banging mashups in no time!

How to mashup songs

Remixes

Similar to producing originals and making mashups; remixing the latest tracks of the minute is another way to show of your skills.

If you're producing a remix or homemade of a popular song, and then chances are yous'll have heaps of people searching for that particular runway. Therefore, there'south an even better chance of new listeners stumbling across your music.

This is particularly truthful if it'due south a brand new song. Your remix is going to stand up a much amend chance of getting found rather than being hidden under a plethora of remixes y'all'll find on already established songs.

Reply to comments

This is a big one! So many people brand the mistake of undervaluing the comments left online across their social media. Whether it's someone commenting on your latest Soundcloud mix, your photograph on Instagram, or even when you lot share a post on your Facebook page.

It's important to engage with your audience online as much as possible as it gives you only another avenue to strengthen your brand as well as your relationship with your audition. You lot also don't (ever) know who'southward behind the comments. For all you know it could be the organizer of ane of the biggest clubs in your metropolis and replying to them could be the beginning of a human relationship that propels your career!

Appoint with other artists, DJs, and Promoters

Only every bit you should exist replying to the comments you go on your posts. You should besides be actively engaging and commenting on other artists, DJs and Promoters pages. Again, this serves as just another method of networking with those in the industry and opens upwards more than possibilities to build relationships with the right people.

Information technology doesn't accept much effort while yous're scrolling downwards your feed to driblet a few comments and messages of support either!

Take Mobile DJ Gigs

It might not exist every bit glamourous or enjoyable equally headlining a club, festival, or large consequence, merely it can sometimes be even better pay! So it's no surprise that many DJs supplement their main stage gigs by offering their services for parties, events, and weddings. Past doing both clubs and events, you're giving yourself the best opportunity to make enough money to pay the bills solely from doing what you lot honey.

If y'all don't want to pollute your chief social club DJ make, you tin can always set upward a 2nd Mobile DJ company under a different name. So you can still earn money from DJing while getting more than experience playing to different crowds with dissimilar genres of music.
F45 GYM

Gyms & Restaurants

While nosotros're talking almost mobile DJing, yous should also be hitting up gyms and restaurants when you're looking for DJ Gigs!

Now it goes without proverb, not all restaurants and gyms are going to exist looking for, or even want to entertain the thought of having a DJ at their venue.

However, it is a growing trend and more than and more than places such as F45 are jumping on lath. Plus, given the fact that DJs in these type of venues is yet in the infant stages, there'southward no better opportunity than at present to reach out to these local businesses that might want your services!
Mashd N Kutcher

Offset a duo!

As the proverb goes, 2 heads are better than one. Forming a DJ Duo with a shut (and talented) mate is another way you can work your way upward the ranks. Splitting the workload gives you both extra time to focus on a number of specific things on this listing which can help yous progress fifty-fifty quicker. It can also exist more fun and helpful when yous have a second brain to bounciness ideas off of!

You will have to split the pay, but if you find the right person to bring together forces with, yous might have even more fun doing it!

There's heaps of examples of quality Australian DJ Duos who have constitute success in a pair. For instance, Mashd Due north Kutcher (Pictured), NERVO, The Stafford Brothers, Slice northward Dice, the list goes on.

Enter Competitions

DJ competitions such equally Your Shot Australia poise equally the perfect opportunity to take yous from unknown to the big stage! Just look at DJs such as Tigerlilly and J-Play tricks who have made a name for themselves and skyrocketed to the top of the ranks thank you to this competition!

It volition likewise give you the opportunity to network and meet so many other DJs and people in the manufacture. If yous're serious about DJing, this is a must!

Become yourself a managing director/amanuensis

We mentioned it in the first paragraph. The only time y'all'll finish actively searching for new gigs is when you have a managing director or agent to do it for you.

While information technology'due south probably not worth your money if yous're just getting started, once you have a name for yourself having a managing director tin can have a lot of the weight off your shoulders and allows you lot to focus more on perfecting your mixes and producing new sounds!

Take a plan and stick to it!

Y'all probably had a few ideas or tricks up your sleeve already, but hopefully, this article has even farther boosted your arsenal of ways to get more DJ gigs! What'south next? Y'all have to have a plan!

It's worth sitting down and fine-tuning a programme that yous'll go along to execute each calendar week. Stay consequent, and you're guaranteed to see results and growth in your DJ career. And then, after a few weeks or months working hard, if you lot aren't seeing results, maybe its time to upward the ante with your plan and switch things up a little!

Be the hardest worker in the room!

Unless you've been living under a stone, you've probably heard this quote past The Rock. Always be the hardest worker in the room! Regardless of how much talent you already take, making sure you're working harder than everybody else is going to pave the mode for you to excel in your career as a professional DJ.

KEEP READING: 10 Mistakes to Avoid During Your Next Live Stream DJ Set