How to Become a DJ

If you're a music fan who enjoys spinning records or playing CDs for a live audience, you may want to consider pursuing a career as a professional DJ. However, there is more to it than just the music; you will need to multi-task, become a master at using the DJ equipment, and above all, learn how to keep your audience entertained. Mahalo's guide on how to become a DJ will provide you with an introduction to the skills, equipment and techniques you will need to become a successful DJ.
Becoming a DJ Tips
1. Keep up with the latest music trends
2. Observe and network with other DJs
3. Build up a large selection of music from which to draw
4. Before spending a lot of money on your own equipment, practice DJing using someone else's equipment
5. Get in lots of practice to familiarize yourself with the equipment and perfect your technique
6. Learn how to seamlessly transition from one song to the next
7. Once you have mastered the basic skills, consider DJing at your own or a friend's party to practice playing before a live audience
8. Once you've booked your first gig, get out there and promote yourself!

Introduction
- If you love listening to music, keeping up with the latest music trends, and playing pre-recorded music before a live audience, becoming a professional DJ may be the perfect career for you. However, DJing involves much more than just simply playing records, CDs or MP3s for a group of people. You must learn how to effectively use DJ equipment and master the skill of seamlessly transitioning from one song to the next. Above all, you should be able to keep your crowd engaged, entertained, and most importantly, dancing.
Basic Skills
First of all, to become a successful DJ you must have a love for and interest in music.Learn2DJ: Starting out You should enjoy listening to, learning more about, and constantly building your music collection. You will also need to keep up with the latest releases and music trends. Find a local music shop with knowledgeable staff and visit regularly. Join online DJing and music forums. Keep up to date with new releases and trends by reading music publications, either online or by buying magazine subscriptions.Beginner DJ: How to Find out About Music (December 3, 2008) Seek out and befriend other DJs in your area; if you can, try to build a network of like-minded individuals with whom you can share ideas, tips and tricks of the trade.

Visit local clubs and observe other DJs at work. Either through observation or conversation (although it's not a good idea to try to pick a DJ's brain during his set), figure out what he's doing and why. Observe how he mixes music and interacts with the crowd.Disc Jockey 101: Mixing Tips
Personality
In addition to being a music lover, you must also have the right type of personality to become a successful DJ. This requires a unique balance of extroverted and introverted qualities. You must be outgoing to promote yourself and interact effectively with a wide group of people, but must also be able to withstand and enjoy the solitude of working alone for long hours in the DJ booth.DJ Advantage: What does it Take to Become a DJ?
You should also be able to efficiently perform several tasks at once. Without interrupting your set, you may need to speak with audience or club staff members who approach you to chat or make requests.
One of the key aspects of becoming a successful DJ is learning how to read the crowd. Although you must always have at least one ear and eye on the music you are playing, you must also be aware of your audience at all times. Watch how they respond to what you're playing, and always be prepared to switch it up if they don't seem to be enjoying what you're playing.
Long Hours
- Keep in mind that DJs do not work regular nine-to-five hours. Being a professional DJ will require that you work mostly evenings and weekends, and your job will often keep you up and away from home into the late night and early morning hours.
Equipment
To begin DJing, you will need at least four basic pieces of equipment:
1. Headphones
2. Mixer
3. Dual audio player: Either turntables, variable speed CD players/mixers, or MP3 players
4. A large selection of music: Depending on what type of player you'll be using, either records, CDs, or MP3s
These four pieces of equipment will get you set up to practice your skills, but once you begin DJing professionally, you will also have to purchase speakers, an amplifier, and, if you choose, a microphone.DJ Advantage: Basic Equipment needed to DJ
Practice Makes Perfect
- Because DJ equipment can be expensive, if you haven't done any DJing before, it's a good idea try it out and get some practice before spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on your own equipment. If you have a friend with DJ equipment, ask if you can practice using his equipment. You may also be able to use the equipment at a local bar or club during off hours if you have a good rapport with the owner or manager.DJ Advantage: Learning to DJ Learn2DJ: Starting out
- Once you have access to equipment, practice as much as you can. The players and mixer will have several different functions, such as cross-faders, gain, volume, pitch, and so forth. Practice playing around with the different controls to experience what they do and learn how to manipulate them to get different effects. Practice switching back and forth between songs and alternating between your two players since this is arguably the most important skill a DJ must possess. Deliberately make mistakes so that when you make errors during a live performance, you are more likely to know how to fix the problem and less apt to lose your cool.DJ Advantage: How to DJ
The Basics

At its core, DJing is all about mixing music and keeping your audience entertained. Regardless of whether you're playing at a wedding or a huge rave, the basics remain the same: You want to create an enjoyable stream of music for your audience, keeping them entertained and, in most cases, dancing.DJ Advantage: What it takes to be a Pro DJ
If you're an aspiring club DJ, one of the key aspects you'll have to learn is beatmixing (sometimes called beat matching). Beatmixing refers to matching the bass beats of two songs so that the transition between the two tracks is seamless.Recess.co.uk: The Point of DJing Perfecting this skill may take a great deal of practice, but doing so will further familiarize you with your equipment and controls.
Once you have learned the basics, continue to experiment and learn more advanced skills, such as scratching and backspinning.DJ Advantage: What does it Take to Become a DJ?
Early Performances
- For your first few gigs, consider hosting your own free party or DJing at a friend's house. That way, you will be able to practice your skills in front of a sympathetic audience and will likely be less nervous than if you were DJing for a large group of strangers. Also, since you aren't getting paid you'll have nothing to lose if you make mistakes. After your set, ask friends for feedback—figure out what the attendees did and didn't enjoy and use this information to perfect your style and technique. Once you have learned the basic skills, you may be able to practice and hone your skills at a small local or college radio station.
Getting Your First Gig
Once you feel you're ready to pursue DJing professionally, go out and promote yourself. To start with, it's a good idea to create a website with basic information where people can go to find out more about you if they are interested. Also consider printing some leaflets or business cards that you can distribute to interested parties.
Check out upcoming events to see if there are any fairs or expos at which you can rent booth space for further exposure.

If you're interested in DJing at clubs, visit clubs in your area and introduce yourself to the manager or owner. It's possible that you may luck out and find a club that happens to be in need of a DJ, but if not, be sure to leave a good impression and a business card behind so they can contact you if they need your services in the future. If you live in a large city, it may also be possible to forge an affiliation with a management or booking agency that will help you find gigs, although you may have to pay a registration or finder's fee.
The most important thing is to talk to everyone you can who is involved in the industry, from club owners to other DJs. Volunteer at local radio stations to get experience and exposure. Get your name out there and network with others in your industry.
Conclusion

Becoming a professional DJ can be a highly rewarding career for those who enjoy playing music for a live audience. As a DJ, part of your job will be following the latest music trends, constantly expanding your music collection and keeping up with the latest industry technology. There are always new skills and techniques to learn, practice and perfect, meaning that you will be constantly learning and developing.