Where To Go As a Beginner DJ?

DaveyDave

I've been mixing for the past 3 months now, I haven't done much because I haven't got a hardware controller yet and I don't really like using my mouse for mixing, but I've done a few mixes, most ranging around the 10 minute mark for YouTube (I've since given up uploading there) and I've gotten decent enough comments on the mixes.

I get around 75-100 listens per week which is pretty good considering I'm not known and the only exposure I get is posting my mixes here and on another small forum.

I'm basically wondering where to go right now? I'd like to do something other than monthly mixes to put on the internet. I've got no experience in the industry, but I can mix and know how to use Pioneer equipment, despite this I'm doubting any club will take me seriously and I don't DJ indie, electro or hip-hop which seems to be the only genres out there. I suppose this is what I get for being me and not following trends like everyone else.

It's probably not even worth the effort. Emailed a few clubs about hiring them out for an event and didn't even get a reply.

I had the idea of renting a function room and equipment to hold my own event but the cost is a bit much to do myself. I don't mind taking a small loss and DJing for free as I enjoy it and want others to have fun, one of the reasons I got into DJing was because the last 5 or so DJs I've heard at parties sucked, sure when I was at Antics at Craw Daddy one night the mixing was off in a lot of places.

Any thoughts?

Zangetsu

DaveyDave wrote: »

I've been mixing for the past 3 months now, I haven't done much because I haven't got a hardware controller yet and I don't really like using my mouse for mixing.

Don't want sound harsh man but if DJing is something you really want to get into and take seriously this shouldn't stop you. A hardware controller is a convenience and nothing more!

The more mixing you do, the better you get and the more experience you gain not to mention having more sets to show potential promoters!

I get around 75-100 listens per week which is pretty good considering I'm not known and the only exposure I get is posting my mixes here and on another small forum.

Blog blog blog blog <

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Set up your own, post on others, theres a huge community out there, get involved, google is your friend!

www.soundcloud.com <---- Another great community, free storage and sharing for your music. Again get involved, don't just post your tracks and hope for people to stumble upon them. Go to others pages, have a listen, make a comment and they will return the favor.

I'm basically wondering where to go right now? I'd like to do something other than monthly mixes to put on the internet. I've got no experience in the industry, but I can mix and know how to use Pioneer equipment, despite this I'm doubting any club will take me seriously and I don't DJ indie, electro or hip-hop which seems to be the only genres out there.

What style of music are you playing? Have you done any research into who and where plays your favorite genres? Why is it you doubt you'll be taken seriously? Have you tried?

It's probably not even worth the effort. Emailed a few clubs about hiring them out for an event and didn't even get a reply.

Its DEFINITELY worth the effort if its something you want to do. Although you only get out of it what you put in.

Emails are easy to ignore, phone calls are much harder to dodge Better still go out to the venues/nights that play the type of music you like and talk to the promoters face to face!

I had the idea of renting a function room and equipment to hold my own event but the cost is a bit much to do myself. I don't mind taking a small loss and DJing for free as I enjoy it and want others to have fun, one of the reasons I got into DJing was because the last 5 or so DJs I've heard at parties sucked, sure when I was at Antics at Craw Daddy one night the mixing was off in a lot of places.

Any thoughts?

Treat it like a business, a loss isn't good. Playing for cheap/free until you have enough experience to move further is a great idea. Setting up your own night is a little harder and more involved, I wouldn't go near it until you at least a little established in the industry.


I'm not a DJ myself but these are some of the things you should look at, hopefully some of the more experienced people around here can give you better idea of whats involved but its a start none the less!

Klim

No offence mate, but you're not really mixing at all. I've listened to a couple of your youtube mixes (I presume they're yours, I clicked on the link in your sig), and you're just fading one track into another. No beat matching whatsoever. You just seem to bring in the new track as it peaks, with no thought to what the track playing is doing.

I'm afraid until you think about it a little more, and master the basics, you'll find it very, very hard. There are people who've been dj'ing for many years, and are technically and musically superb, who can't get a look in club wise.

Not having a go, just giving you my opinion.

Executive Steve

With three months experience I had a hard time getting my dog to listen to me.

Practice.

Don't expect a gig until you're three years deep, and don't go looking for a gig until you're at least two years deep.

DaveyDave

Zangetsu wrote: »

Don't want sound harsh man but if DJing is something you really want to get into and take seriously this shouldn't stop you. A hardware controller is a convenience and nothing more!

The more mixing you do, the better you get and the more experience you gain not to mention having more sets to show potential promoters!

Using a mouse won't stop me from mixing, it's just not really fun mixing with a mouse, the hardware controller will make everything much better. Using a mouse is essentially DJing with 1 hand, I can only do 1 thing at a time, a hardware controller will give me much more freedom and because it won't be as boring, I'll want to mix more, therefor more experience.

Blog blog blog blog <

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Set up your own, post on others, theres a huge community out there, get involved, google is your friend!

www.soundcloud.com <---- Another great community, free storage and sharing for your music. Again get involved, don't just post your tracks and hope for people to stumble upon them. Go to others pages, have a listen, make a comment and they will return the favor.

I think I'll post more around the internet on relative sites/blogs, not sure about starting my own one yet. I'm on SoundCloud though, that's a good site. I already have followers after a week and have gotten requests for download links. I just need to organize getting a paid account for more upload time.

What style of music are you playing? Have you done any research into who and where plays your favorite genres? Why is it you doubt you'll be taken seriously? Have you tried?

I mix hardstyle (sub genre of hard dance) and hardcore techno. Haven't done too much research into it over here, it's most popular in the Netherlands, and is popular in most of Europe and quite popular in the UK and Northern Ireland, not too popular here, hence me doubting about clubs. The most promising club so far is The Vaults, though their site says they play hardcore dance which I don't think exists, but they've had D-Block & S-Te-Fan play there and they're one of the more popular hardstyle producers from the Netherlands, and Showtek, another popular hardstyle duo played at Andrew's Lane in August.

There is an audience for it, you always see Irish lads at the big events in the Netherlands (Upwards of 30,000 people, 10 hour all night events and so on)

Its DEFINITELY worth the effort if its something you want to do. Although you only get out of it what you put in.

Emails are easy to ignore, phone calls are much harder to dodge Better still go out to the venues/nights that play the type of music you like and talk to the promoters face to face!

I haven't tried contacting clubs yet as I don't even have equipment (except DJ headphones and CD-Rs ) I think I'll wait until summer and take it from there.

Treat it like a business, a loss isn't good. Playing for cheap/free until you have enough experience to move further is a great idea. Setting up your own night is a little harder and more involved, I wouldn't go near it until you at least a little established in the industry.

Yeah, as much as I'd like to set up my own event it's a bit out my league as I don't know much about event organizing. I'd definatley play for free for gigs starting out though, eventually I'd have to charge because travel etc. isn't cheap.

Klim wrote: »

No offence mate, but you're not really mixing at all. I've listened to a couple of your youtube mixes (I presume they're yours, I clicked on the link in your sig), and you're just fading one track into another. No beat matching whatsoever. You just seem to bring in the new track as it peaks, with no thought to what the track playing is doing.

I'm afraid until you think about it a little more, and master the basics, you'll find it very, very hard. There are people who've been dj'ing for many years, and are technically and musically superb, who can't get a look in club wise.

Not having a go, just giving you my opinion.

My mixes aren't that great, and they're kinda "rushed" to fit songs into the 10 minute YouTube limit, but I do beat match (bar a few mistakes at some points). I've made less than 20 mixes so far so I haven't had that much practice. But that's one of the ways hardstyle is mixed, as a song is ending you bring in the highs and mids of the second song then mix over the bass on the beat when it comes in on the second song. Any fading is because I can only adjust 1 volume fader at a time, with hardware you can adjust both at the same time, I can't with VirtualDJ.

Executive Steve wrote: »

With three months experience I had a hard time getting my dog to listen to me.

Practice.

Don't expect a gig until you're three years deep, and don't go looking for a gig until you're at least two years deep.

Well I'm not expecting any gigs at all, I'll try after awhile but all I ever see most clubs play is indie, electro and hip-hop.

I'd like to see something like this here (obviously on a smaller scale)

cranky bollix

:eek: WTF! even though if I was 14 again id probably want to be there aswell

DaveyDave

cranky bollix wrote: »

:eek: WTF! even though if I was 14 again id probably want to be there aswell

Yeah it is a bit crazy, if I had some extra cash lying around I'd buy 2 lasers and a hazer and have some mad gaf parties