We all have weaknesses, we all make mistakes, but do your best to be the one who is prepared and can help others.  Don’t be the person who always needs help from the organizer or needs another DJ to help them connect to the mixer or who needs to borrow cables or a laptop stand etc.  Be the DJ that the organizer can depend on and won’t worry about.

Preparation

Know how to use your equipment- computer, controller, external soundcard, whatever you are using.  Practice using it at home.

Know how to connect to a mixer and gain stage (set the volume correctly) by yourself

Have your own cables and adapters so you can connect by RCA or 6.3mm.When you go to a gig, bring all the equipment you need- don’t forget your charger, your cables, your adapters, etc!

Unless you know 100% for sure, don’t assume the venue has *anything* besides a mixer to plug into.

Software/Library
Back up your music and DJ database to the cloud regularly

Find a way that works for you to collect music- intense listening sessions, passively listening and shazaming, playing music while you work and saving songs you like, etc

Only download/stream high quality music files

Sort your music in a way that you can find what you are looking for easily

If you are mixing, prepare your songs with hot cues and saved loops to use them more easily

Promotion/Finding Gigs

Record and upload some sets to Mixcloud so organizers and dancers can listen and get an idea of your DJing

Make yourself easy to find on social media (IG)

Respond promptly and professionally if someone contacts you to play

Only accept gigs that you think you can play reasonably well and that you can bring good energy to.  Don’t take gigs that you won’t enjoy, don’t bring negative energy to a party.Come up with a DJ name (optional but good)

Make a DJ drop sample to let people know who’s playing

Have a few good quality pictures to send to organizers for flyers

Gigs

Before

Check the event information before- date/time/vibe/ratio/any performances or something special

Prepare music that is suitable and that the people at the party will actually want to dance to, not just what you like

Ask the organizer *early* if anything is unclear- what is expected, whether you need to play music for a performance, what you are getting paid, etc

If you are supposed to play the music for a performance, find that out early and get the music from the performers early

Arrive early- at least an hour before to see the vibe of the party.  Don’t make the organizer worry and message you to see where you are!

Listen to the sound around the venue to notice any issues, such as the sound being too loud in one part of the room and too quiet in another.  Share any info with the other DJs.

Set up your equipment early so you have plenty of time to make sure you have everything you need and everything is working.  If there is a workshop first, set up *during the workshops*.

Gainstage correctly (set input/output volume correctly for good sound quality) and set your levels correctly before your set starts so you only need to adjust your controller’s master output or the mixer channel fader when you start

Playing

Be READY to play as soon as it’s your time- when the party starts, when the other DJ hands off to you, when the MC finishes speaking, etc

Check the sound throughout the room when you start playing to make sure it’s comfortable everywhere and adjust as necessary

Keep the vibe of the party going- no unnecessary silences!  No silence before you start, no awkward silences in between songs.  Any silence must be clearly purposeful.

If you’re in some kind of transition between a workshop and party and there is chaos and you can’t talk to the organizer, use your judgement.  If it seems like there should be music, start playing some and watch for the organizer.

Solve problems and improve situations by yourself.  This makes you valuable!

Pay attention to the energy of the party- heat things up or cool them down according to how people are reacting

Don’t make people too tired!  Make them comfortable to keep dancing the whole time

Play music the average dancer in the party can enjoy- don’t play for only a small, more experienced or senior group.  Play something special for them, but don’t only play songs they like if other dancers won’t enjoy it

Project a purposeful image from the DJ booth and interact with the crowd- make eye contact, dance, vibe, talk to people

Stand up!  Unless you are really exhausted or the DJ table is too low so you can only sit comfortably, stand up.  You are there to keep the energy of the party flowing.

Don’t dance too much, if at all, during your set- if you are dancing too much, it doesn’t really look like you are doing anything as a DJ.

If you are handing off to another DJ, coordinate the time with them and ensure a smooth handoff.  Be prepared to continue if they have a problem.  Don’t leave the area until the handoff is COMPLETE, meaning the next DJ is playing.

Don’t stop the party to announce who just played or who is playing next unless the organizer wants to do that.  Otherwise just keep the vibe going.

Be prepared to finish on time, but if the vibe is realllllly good/high and it seems likely that the organizer will want to continue the party, ask them first- don’t just stop the music.

Announce very loudly and clearly when you are playing the last few songs of the party, and have a few extra songs ready in case the crowd and organizer wants a few more

Tell everyone loudly and clearly when the party is finished and thank everyone!!!  This makes everyone feel good at the end of the party.  As in many things in life, the last impression is the strongest impression