• 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.

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

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.

• 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.

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

• 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
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• 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

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?

• 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.

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.