Adjust yourself

We have all heard about the power of positive thinking, and the benefits of having good thoughts to help us achieve different goals and ambitions. Positive thinking groups and seminars have become a multi-million- dollar industry involving books, videos, boot camps, and the more.

Each year thousands of people spend their hard-earned money in the hope that the information and skills they receive will be the one thing that they need to make them succeed over all of the others. Many times this information is extremely valuable, and can give someone that extra advantage to overcome various hurdles. However, more often than not, this very expensive information goes unused or is neglected due to various other important aspects of our lives. Simply put, there is a lot of excitement at first in starting something new, but no positive action is ever taken. If it is taken, a failure to keep a continued effort brings a less than desired result.

Is there anything that can help us to keep going and not give up on a better path or routine, and really take the necessary action that is needed? Absolutely! It is something that is often overlooked but is most important in helping us take positive action. It is making a positive mental adjustment. This means not just keeping positive thoughts in our minds, but consciously making the necessary adjustments to keep us moving forward.

This is not an easy thing to do because, quite frankly, there are a lot of negative things happening in our lives and in the world right now that can actually affect the way we do business and the way we view each day. If we want to succeed, we need to examine our own thoughts and speech— the words we use every day. Have you heard someone say, “Oh, its good enough” or “It doesn’t matter. This will do?” These are not really positive expressions when it comes to our line of work, are they? Wouldn’t “No matter how many times I have done this, I will do it right!” or “I will do my best to make this gig exciting and do exactly what my client wants!” be more positive views to take?

Don’t simply do what you have to do to get by, but work hard to be your very best, each and every time. How we think about ourselves and how we speak will have a tremendous impact on what we actually do. By examining ourselves truthfully, we can root out any weaknesses, flaws and negative qualities that we may have that are holding us back, keeping us from being excellent.

Positive mental adjustment is not something that we can just turn off and on depending upon the situation. This is an ongoing process in which we work hard to evolve in every aspect of our lives. It means constantly taking some time out of our busy schedules to look at ourselves in the figurative mirror to find those weak and negative aspects of our thinking that impede our ability to do our very best in every area of our lives. Change “I can’t!” to “I will!” Change “I don’t think I can” to “I know I can.” Acknowledge any bad habits you may have that are holding you back, and then change them.

The only way that you can make progress is to first acknowledge the problem. Begin with simple things, such as getting enough sleep, healthy eating, or just making one more sale than usual this month. This works better if you begin to practice this method in all aspects of your life. Evaluate your own personal viewpoints on life, and then look at your business and your performance aspects. That way, your whole outlook on life is moving ahead with positive momentum. By doing this, you are not hindering your progress in any one area, but you will smoothly move ahead in all directions. It will also help you to grow to your best potential in the shortest amount of time.

Of course, it’s easy to read this and say, “Yes, I will do this!” The hardest part is to actually implement this program to move ahead and make these positive mental adjustments. Why not start looking for some of the smaller changes that you can begin right away?

Selling to and without emotion

In the sales world, I hear salespeople utilize “wants and needs” like they are the same thing. Nothing could be farther from the truth. It is true that all sales are based on wants and needs, but they are different from each other and before you can be a successful sales person, you must know the differences and what is the driving factor, particularly in the events business.

For weddings and events needs can be physical (food, location, transportation, rentals) or emotional (pretty, smooth, fun). Wants, however, are almost always emotional. Whenever we purchase something, it’s because the purchase satisfies a want. It may or may not satisfy an actual need.

Let’s face it, when someone decides to get married, they only NEED, a marriage license and an official to execute it. Literally everything else is a WANT when it comes to the formal ceremony and reception party.

Whenever a want conflicts with a need, the want always wins. Always!

Which means if you’re selling something based on need or perceived need and your prospect wants to avoid spending that much money right now, there’s not likely going to be a sale. Unless you can show the value and develop an emotional connection for the prospect that makes the purchase of your product or service a strong WANT.

So as you’re talking with your prospect, ask about all their wants and needs, not just the obvious ones. The more emotional wants you can uncover, the greater your chances of making the sale. But remember, want or need, the PURCHASE will be driven by emotion. If it is a need, they will justify the price logically, if it is something that they REALLY WANT, the price becomes insignificant.

Science defines emotions as brief multi-component responses to challenges or opportunities that are important to the individual’s goals, particularly social ones.

Take time to know, and to take notice…

Core values

Core Values establish your mission statement for you and your company.

“Our goal isn’t to make money. Our goal absolutely at Apple is not to make money. This may sound a little flippant, but it’s the truth. Our goal and what gets us excited is to try to make great products. We trust that if we are successful people will like them, and if we are operationally competent we will make revenue, but we are very clear about our goal.”Sir Jonathan Paul “Jony” Ive, Senior Designer Apple,Inc.

At our events company our mission statement and goal is: “To create amazing, memorable, stress free events by connecting in a personalized manner to understand unique wants and needs. To do the little things that others don’t, won’t or can’t. To achieve unforgettable results!”

What are your core values? What is your true mission statement?  Is it only to make money, or to deliver outstanding events and amazing weddings?  If you change your focus, you may just change your income dramatically.

Stop wasting time

Time is a constant, we are allotted a certain amount of time everyday for the things that we must accomplish. If we waste our time, we can never get it back. Managing your time and accomplishing your goals, is what time management is all about. Make the most of what you have. One of the easiest ways to have more time is to get out of bed earlier!  Limit your online time on Facebook and other social media, have set business hours.   It is easy to put off things and waste time when we are self employed.

“Man, alone, has the power to transform his thoughts into physical reality; man, alone, can dream and make his dreams come true. Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success.”   Napoleon Hill

Before you can sell yourself successfully to others-and thus sell your ideas, your wishes, your needs, your ambitions, your skills, your experience, your products and services-you must be absolutely sold on yourself: 100 percent.  You must believe in yourself, have faith in yourself and have confidence in yourself. In short, you must be totally aware of your own self-worth.  You cannot sell yourself at a premium price unless YOU unequivocally believe you are worth that price and more!

NO ONE IS A BORN SALESMAN, EVERYTHING ABOUT SELLING MUST BE LEARNED.

Music for mobile DJ

Typically, mobile DJs play for a wide variety of people of different ages, backgrounds and different musical tastes. This means that in most cases, you'll need A LOT of different types of music (big band, jazz, swing, top-40, country, oldies, R&B, rock, Motown, modern rock, old school, classic rock, alternative, disco, techno, rap, Spanish, etc...). 

How do you know what to buy? When you're first starting out, your best bet is to get all of the standards or "catch" songs. These are the most popular and recognizable hits that everyone knows and loves. If you don't have them, you'll be in trouble. These are songs like Old Time Rock and Roll, Twist and Shout, In the Mood, YMCA, Love Shack, Mony Mony, etc... Luckily, a lot of these can now be purchased on compilation CDs so you won't have to buy a CD for just one song which can get expensive quickly. Another nice thing about the hits from such styles as oldies, big band, classic rock, old school, disco and Motown is that once you have these songs, you'll rarely have to purchase another song from that style of music. Think about it, when was the last time you heard a new oldie but goodie? 

For the newer songs, there are services that you can subscribe to that provide the latest releases. In many cases, these songs are available about the same time you might start hearing them on the radio. This also means that they may or may not be hits.

Some DJs brag about how many CDs or songs they have with some collections being upwards of 50,000 songs which is really quite an impressive number. Seriously, though how many songs are they going to play in a night? Today, the average song is about 5 minutes. If you look at some of the older songs, they averaged 3 minutes in length. There are 60 minutes in an hour and the average party is about 4 hours. This means that the average DJ is playing 50 to 60 songs a night and that's if they don't stop the music to talk occasionally. Hopefully, these guys with the big collections have gone digital and have all of this music on a hard drive somewhere. Can you imagine dragging all of these CDs or record albums from gig to gig? 

More important than the number of songs in your collection is that you have the music that your audience wants to hear. This is where those standards come into play. Who cares if you have a bunch of songs that nobody has ever heard of or wants to hear? On the other hand, if you don't have the songs they want, you'll hear about it. The key is to have the right songs.

Do not rule out

Don’t Rule Out the Macarena, YMCA, Cha-Cha Slide or Other Participation Dances

We have all been there…doing those “cheesy” dance routines to songs that get played at nearly every wedding reception across America.  But before you reject those so-called “cheesy” group participation dances like the Chicken Dance, Love Shack, or the Hokey Pokey, I ask you to consider what is written in the rest of this article.  These dances may be the only opportunity some of your guests will have in order to get on the dance floor and have some fun; especially, those that are timid to dancing in public.

Most people are wary to get out on the dance floor when the dancing fun is starting. Only those that feel extremely confident (or don’t care what others think) will go out to get the dancing started. These participation dances might be the key to many of your guests remembering your wedding day as being one where they had a great evening of fun!

You don’t have to do the Hokey Pokey right after your first dance but let your DJ keep some options open. These group dance songs are frequently requested by your guests and often create reception high-lights and priceless photo opportunities for your photographer and videographer. People having even a little bit of fun for a few short dances will remember your reception as being a LOT of fun.

DJ hire pays off

If you want a great party you will most definitely need great music. You could be in to all sorts of music, or maybe a certain genre which might be Old Skool dance, R ‘n’ B, cheese or maybe just whatever is on the radio at the time. There are a lot of entertainment agencies out there that can help you out and specialise in DJ hire of any party or event. One of the best ways to entertain the guests is to hire a DJ who can play for anyone and any occasion whether it be a large or small event. 

A DJ will bring fun, good music and energy to the party and you can be sure that anyone who is there will be dancing to the beat. If you have a list of songs that you want to be played your DJ will be happy to take this from you. They should then be able to work out the best time to play the appropriate song and work out what song mixing well in to the next one on your play-list. In-between songs that you have asked for the DJ will be able to fill in the gaps by taking requests and looking and making good judgment as to what sort of music fits in well with the audience. If the party is themed the DJ needs to know about this before the party to get prepared. 

DJ’s are versatile can adapt to more than one occasion, from weddings to Birthdays or dinner balls to charity events and lots more. An Old Skool DJ before would have just needed a couple of speakers, some basic lights and a box full of records, however it is much more full on these days. Nowadays a professional DJ needs to have a good understanding about various lighting setups, internet marketing including social media, sound systems, various controllers, knowledge of computers and much more. The main job for the DJ is to set the right mood to ensure a good delivery. There must be a variety of good music for all to enjoy and of course, to get the dance-floor busy and rocking! Whilst guests are arriving low level music should be played, or maybe easy listening as people know it. Loud and floorfilla type music may annoy people early on if they’re trying to talk. 

You hire a DJ to read the crowd and play the right and best possible music to fit the mood. Very experienced DJ’s are experts in reading the dance-floor and can judge when the music should change and be more up-beat music. A DJ who loves their job and shows true passion will be moving around and really getting involved and engaging with the audience. A good party needs a professional DJ for it to take off and that is a fact.

Must be Inconsistent

Consistently means in the same manner, without variation. While I believe that some of the business practices you use, must be consistent, such as management skills for a multi-op, or showing up for all weddings and events on time, or being consistent in pursuing your goals. However, too much consistency in your performance will make you average and mundane.

I am not advocating rapid and constant change, what I am saying is that a statement in your marketing materials that says “Fifteen Years Experience” can mean two totally different things. I can mean that you have been constantly evolving, learning and changing your business for the better, or it can mean that you have one year of experience, repeated fifteen times. The sad part is that the clients have no idea which description is actually correct for you. If you want to be known as an outstanding DJ/Entertainer and to be able to get paid a living wage for your services, you must be willing to try new things, learn ways to be different and unique and take knowledge you obtain and make it uniquely yours. Failing to change is the death of a participant in an evolving industry. If you fail to change, you will simply fail!

As a wedding DJ/Entertainer, I have learned through the years some things that have made me different than the other DJs in the markets where I have worked. I will share some of those concepts with you. First, your primary goal for your wedding clients is to make sure that their special day is stress free, romantic, fun, classy and memorable.

You must be able to exude respect, sincerity and trust. You must be able to create emotion and elegance throughout the wedding day. You must be interested and prepared to listen without judgment so that you can translate the vision of the clients into a meaningful reality. You must be as enthusiastic about their celebration as they are. You must love your clients and respect and protect them from the pitfalls that can come up during wedding planning and on wedding day. The final thing is to deliver far more than their expectations, doing the extra things that are not really in your job description.

Follow these simple rules and you will be pointed in the right direction.

Pricing for mobile DJ

Have all of your packages and prices predetermined and WRITTEN DOWN. You can have different price levels for different types of parties, but have this predetermined and in advance. Combine popular items into packages rather than selling them ala-carte. Have packages for different combinations of service (say one price point for a Bar/Bat Mitzvah reception with a DJ, and an MC). Make additional options available as “upgrades” (such as party dancers, party motivators, props, lighting, etc.), which you should try to sell according to your feel for what the prospect wants. 

Sell in packages that increase in services and dollars. A good package name is essential. Don’t use stereotypical names (gold, silver, bronze). DO use “party package”, “performance package”, etc. Keep package discounts realistic. Have a wide range of packages. 

Charge MORE for overtime added on at the party. Rationale: they’re having a good time, and they want you. You’re worth it. Charge more for bigger affairs (such as weddings, Bar & Bat Mitzvahs, proms, etc.) than for smaller affairs. If you’re not losing some jobs because of price, then you’re not charging enough. You might want to charge higher prices for weekend/peak times then during the week. Charge more for proms than for a regular dance. Charge a premium for proms from mid May to mid June (especially since this is a time that is also popular for weddings). DON’T charge more for a last minute/emergency booking than you would have charged for that same booking if you got it many months in advance—the customer might pay what you ask, but will probably not give you any repeat business. 

When you are turning away a lot of business because you are already booked, then it is time to raise your prices and get more money. Charging top dollar is also the best way of differentiating yourself from your less experienced or under-priced competition. The way to fight bottom-feeders isn’t to sink down into the mud with them, but to stay on top where you belong. Charging more will automatically elevate you up to the better sites, and away from those low-budget photographers and caterers whose unprofessional antics and shortcomings drive you crazy. August 1996 DJ Times—TCB Column by Karen Roy
 

If you want to market a new (for you) service/feature/option (which you eventually intend to be able to sell as an upgrade), try giving it away for free at a few of your key parties. Make sure you tell those clients that this is something you’re giving them for free because its new, and that it will eventually be an extra-cost add-on (so their friends won’t expect to get it for free). Choose which parties to do this for so as to expose it to referrals that will want to pay for the option. 

Offer “dark time” (early setup but not playing) at half price (never for free).

To be A Pro DJ

DJing is art. To be a DJ means that you are on top of the music scene. To be a REALLY good DJ means that you are on top of all the other DJs around you. That is simple logic.

So what makes a good DJ? We believe, first and foremost, playing for the crowd. If the crowd is jumpin' n screamin' to your cuts, then you know that you are rocking the party.

These days, everyone wants to hear the latest and hottest tracks. This responsibility lies upon the DJ. Exclusiveness has certainly brought about the success of some of the top DJs out there today.

In today's club scene however, being able to play the tracks the crowd wants is not simply enough. You need to hype the crowd up by being able to pull 'stunts' on the decks that no other DJ can. We all know of one such way, and that is turntablism. The problem with scratching is though, unless done to perfection, the crowd is not going to respond to it.

Technology is great these days, and due to this, DJing has come a very, very long way. Still, no DJ can do the things a remix can, live on stage. Well perhaps, but not on every single track. It will take planning and a lot of pre-work. Why go through all that when most of the crowd will think that you're playing a remix anyway? The only real thing you should be doing is be able to switch tracks to fit the mood of the crowd, or be able to change the mood of the crowd by selecting the tracks you choose to play.

Playing DJ remixes is the answer to that problem. We have remixes in the DJ industry today, simply because they are effective in what we want to achieve, and that is, dance floor hype.

The only set back is, most of the remixes that you have that are not done by you, the next DJ to jump on the decks will probably have. In fact, it will probably be on the net for the whole dance floor to download anyway. Not very 'exclusive' is it?

So, if you can play what the crowd wants, which is essentially the latest material mixed up with old crowd favorites, and you can deliver it in a such a way that the crowd is dazzled, and nobody else can do what you can do, then Mr. DJ, put the record on, because you are going to be the latest craze in the club scene. 

DJing economy profession

At this point I go into detail to let them know that not only am I paid well, but I don’t have to necessarily worry about the local or national economy.  Sure the economy affects everyone in different ways but dj’s have the safety net of the “good times/bad times” rule. The rule is simple … in good times or bad, people will celebrate birthdays, holidays, anniversaries,  and even get hitched. Bars and clubs are always full of patrons on both ends of this spectrum.  Step into a nightclub and the dim lights combined with sexual tension, can provide a temporary hiatus from reality.  The dj plays a vital role in this see-saw. The music and adult beverages provide a cloak in which to hide temporarily. Notice how many local restaurant bars are now having theme nights and even karaoke?  These specialized nights are geared towards making the venue more money. Why not hire a band? Well, they can be very expensive, they take frequent breaks, and play only a limited amount of tunes.  A smart dj can even market yourself to a band to make extra money! How? Two different ways come to mind. (1) team up with a band and provide the tunes for their clients while the band breaks. (2) Make music mixes that they themselves can play at a event. Mixed dj sets keep the flow going until they return from hitting on every skirt in the room.

So to my dj brothers and sisters,  don’t worry about going down in flames in the current climate. You have more control over the money you make than ever before. The internet via blogs, Twitter and Facebook, is a free window in which you can shout out to the world “I’m open for business!”

What Radio Station??

Have you always wanted to be a disc jockey (DJ) at a popular radio station? Do you want to know what radio stations consider when searching for an on-air personality? Being a sought-after DJ takes more than just a great voice; it takes knowledge of how the radio industry operates while expressing diversity in his or her music choices. Below is a list of what you’ll need to break into the competitive radio broadcasting business, as well as what qualities radio executives or program directors may look for in aspiring radio personalities.

A dynamic personality – This is probably the most important quality that radio stations look for in a DJ. If a DJ doesn’t have a good on-air personality, he or she won’t be able to interact with the audience well. A DJ’s personality must be on target to the demographic and station’s other on-air talent. DJs represent a radio station and radio executives look for professionals who can mesh well with the station’s format and are comfortable behind the microphone. 

The ability to think on your feet – Quick thinking is a good quality to have in the radio industry. It shows you are able to respond fast in any situation. It’s essential in live radio, as there’s no time for mistakes or awkward pauses. 

Know how to operate a soundboard and other industry equipment – Radio station executives expect you to know how to operate the equipment on Day One. Training is sometimes provided for the right candidate or if the station receives new equipment, but a DJ should be fully trained in this area before stepping into the studio. 

Be available to work at any hour – DJs should be willing to work the afternoon shift or the overnight shift. Oftentimes, radio stations hold special events or promotions requiring DJs to be present. These events could take place on the weekends or at night, usually opposite of the DJs scheduled air time. DJs may often be asked to record spots or commercials before, during or after a shift. Having a flexible schedule can help to make a real impact in the radio industry. 

Stay updated on current events – News, weather and sports are a large part of radio, even if you work with just music. It’s good to always keep up on the latest events; you never know when you’ll be talking about it on the air. A successful DJ will discuss topical events with audience participation through phone calls, email and text messages. 

Be willing to adjust to a format – A newly trained DJ should choose a genre to specialize in, whether it is Rock, R&B, Hot Adult Contemporary, Country or Top 40 Hits. This gives DJs experience in that specific format, allowing for further growth in a larger market. A DJ should also be open to switching formats. Versatility is key because your first or second choice is not always hiring. 

An impressive audio resume tape – Audio resumes, sound clips or demos are often short snippets of a DJ’s best work. DJs will often send their work to various radio stations for consideration when a station is hiring. 

Experience – If you’re just starting out, use your experience from radio broadcasting school to help find a position. Starting off in a small market can provide enough experience to allow you to move into a bigger radio market after a few years. 

Wedding songlist

Here's a list of typical wedding songs for key moments. May be handy for some beginners.. and pro's alike.

Walk In Songs, Waltz And First Dance

Walk in Songs

A New Day - Celine Dion
One in a million – Boston
I’m a believer – Monkees
My African Dream – Vicky Samson
It had to be you – Harry Connick Jnr
Beautiful Day – U2
Love is in the air – John Paul Young
Kiss me – Sixpence none the richer
Love & Marriage – Frank Sinatra
From this moment – Shania Twain
O’ Fortuna – Spiritual Project
I swear - All 4 One
I say a prayer – Aretha Franklin
Slave to Love – Bryan Ferry
The Mission – Gabriels Oboe
Conquest of Paradise – Vangelis
You sexy thing – Hot Chocolate
Butterfly Kisses – Bob Carlisle
I do I do – ABBA
You the 1st the last – Barry White
Pasgetroud – Anton Goosen
Someday – M.L to Rock
Dreams – Cranberries
I finally found – Barbara Streisand & Brian Adams
Have I told you lately – Van Morrison
Whats a Woman – Vaya Con Dios
500 Miles – Proclaimers 4th
Rendezvous – Jeanne Michel Jarre
One Love – Bob Marley
Life is Life – Opus
Forever Young – Rob Stewart
I feel good – James Brown
Love Changes Everything – Andrew Lloyd Webber
Let your love Flow – Bellamy Brothers
Every Breath you take – Alice
Simply the Best – Tina Turner

WaltzBe Mine – Helmut Lotti
Strauss Waltz
Love is a beautiful song
To really love a woman - Bryan Adams
We’ve only just begun – Carpenters
True Love – Elton John & Kiki

Opening DanceI knew I loved you – Savage Garden
Unbreakable - West Life
I’m alive – Celine Dion
Unchained Melody – Gareth Gates
Evergreen – Will Young
Dancing Queen – ABBA
Angel – Lionel Richie
Angel Eyes – M.L. To Rock
Breathless – Corrs
Amazed – Lonestar
Cloud No. 9 – Bryan Adams
True Companion – Marc Cohn
When you tell me that – Julio and Dolly
When you say Nothing – Ronan Keating
Dreams made to Last – Dana Winner
Beautiful in my Eyes - Joshua Kadison
Dance me to the end – Leonard Cohen
My Only – Colesky
I don’t wanna miss a thing – Aerosmith
Truly Madly Deeply – Savage Garden
Because it’s love – Kelly Family
Endless Love – Lionel Richie and Diana Ross
You’re the Inspiration – Chicago
Baby I love your way – Big Mountain
Paint my Love – Michael L to R
More & More – Joe Dolan
Wind beneath my Wings – Bette Midler
Power of Love – Celine Dion
Nothing's gonna stop us – Starship
Wonderful tonight – Eric Clapton
Queen of Hearts – Bad Boys Blue
Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong
You're my 1st Love – New Romance
Unforgettable – Nat King Cole
Words – FR Davids
Love is all around – Wet Wet Wet

New Chart of mixing key

The new way of mixing with keys

just use the flow

the real calculation using this calculation

OK – original key
——————————-
+1: (OK + 7 x 1) mod 12
+2: (OK + 7 x 2) mod 12
…
+X: (OK + 7 x X) mod 12
——————————-
-1: (OK + 5 x 1) mod 12
-2: (OK + 5 x 2) mod 12
…
-X: (OK + 7 x X) mod 12
——————————-

Emergency DJ Pack

Container

1pc Dollar store Tackle box (any small one with separate compartments will do)

Adapters

2pcs 1/8” female to 1/4” male jack
2pcs RCA female to 1/4” male mono jack
1pc 1/4” female jack to 1/8” male jack (you never know)
2pcs RCA female to female (for extending cables)
1pc RCA female pair to 1/4” male stereo jack

Cables

1pc 1/8” male to 1/8” female cable (you’ll use these when you least expect it)
1pc 1/8” female to RCA pair male (for plugging in consumer sources like an iPhone to your mixer)

Video DJ specific

1pc DVI to HDMI adapter (super important if you’re a VJ. Don’t leave home without one!)
1pc VGA to DVI adapter (again, you really don’t know)

Miscellaneous

1 pair of earplugs
1pc USB key with mixes and personal top40 / most played tunes, just in case it takes you longer to set up, as well as:

• Copy of Traktor/Serato/Mixvibes/Virtual DJ/Rekordbox. Put in a text file with your serial number on it for good measure/last minute activating
• Copy of CD timecode files. Bring a pair of blank CDs with you always in case you need to burn right before the show…
• Copy of your Traktor mapping and other controller related files like drivers and updates

Making tempo changing

1. Use the 50% rule… – This one is pretty simple, and it states that if you’re beatmixing, say, a 120BPM tune into a 126BPM tune, the best place to do that mix is at 123BPM – 50% of the way between the two. That way, the first tune is only speeded up a small amount, and likewise the second is only slowed down a small amount. Fewer people are likely to notice when a tune is “off” its original BPM when you try to stay close to the original BPMs in this way
2. …and the 5% rule – This one states that you should only deviate by 5% up or down, maximum, when beatmixing (I usually prefer 4% personally). So if you’re mixing a 100BPM tune, 5% down is 95BPM and 5% up is 105BPM – so you’re looking for your next tune to be within that range. If all this talk of percentages muddles your head, just choosing 5BPM up or down (or a 10BPM range) is a simpler, if slightly less accurate, way of remembering this rule
3. Use key lock… but beware – Keylock, or master tempo, is the control on CDJs and DJ controllers/software that stops the pitch of a tune altering when you change the tempo. It can be highly useful when executing BPM changes in a beatmix, because it stops tunes sounding ridiculously low or high when you slow them down or speed them up outside of a subtle change. However, deviate too far from true tempo (or sometimes, any distance at all) and the sound can reduce in quality with keylock on, so trust your ears. A good rule too is to try to return to the true tempo for the incoming tune once you’ve finished your mix, and then turn key lock off once you have (say, within the first minute of the tune playing), by making slow BPM adjustments that hopefully your audience won’t notice
4. Make those BPM adjustments randomly/off the beat – It’s fine to adjust the BPM of the tune that’s playing as I just described – indeed, it’s the only way you’re going to move between the BPMs if you also want to carry on beatmatching. But doing this in slow increments over a couple of minutes is the best way, as hopefully your audience won’t notice. Another tip is to make these small adjustments randomly or off the beat. The reason is that because most adjustments we make in DJing are on obvious “1” beats; so if you do this in totally random places in the song, there’s nothing musical about it (ie the audience isn’t expecting anything to change) thus you’ll get away with it better
5. Try the double/half trick – If your set speeds up to a high BPM (say 155+), you can mix in a tune that’s exactly half the BPM of the playing tune and the beats will line up (so from 156, you could mix into a 78BPM tune) – great for hopping from dubstep to hip hop or vice versa
6. Ditch beatmixing totally – It ain’t all about beatmixing, folks. A couple of the best tricks up any DJ’s sleeve are surprise and silence. Surprise the audience by radically changing genre and BPM at just the right time by just throwing a new tune on right at its biggest hook or drop. Or, kill the music totally before dropping in to, say, an acapella at a different BPM, then a beat finally to bring the music back, again at the new BPM. Or you could cut from the beat of one track at one BPM to a beatless break of another at a different BPM. Sure, you’ve got to practise such techniques (and sometimes, you’ve got to have the balls to practise them in front of a real audience) – but these are all bonafide tricks for moving between the BPMs without needing to religiously rely on beatmatching
7. Trust your ears! – we have three full sections of videos on mixing, we have an example mix where I demonstrate going from a full-on house tune to a laconic lazy reggae song in one mix – while still beatmatching! This particular mix breaks pretty much all the rules above, but it still works… so the important takeaway here is to trust your ears and if you experiment and something sounds good that shouldn’t (or if try as you might, a mix that ought to work really just doesn’t) – believe what you’re hearing. There’s art as well as science in mixing, and never more so than when boldly chopping around genre and tempo ranges

Playing warm up set

1. Leave your ego at the door – This is a job, and the job is to set the mood, create the vibe, and prepare the club and the dancefloor for the main DJ. It isn’t about showing off, making a name for yourself, or grabbing the limelight. If you want to get booked again, don’t try and do any of these things. Your time will come…
2. The big tunes are off-bounds – Filling a dancefloor is easy. Just play all the big tunes of the moment. Thing is, that is absolutely not an avenue open to you as a warm-up DJ. Your job, instead, is to get the dancefloor full by the time the main DJ comes on, without playing any of the big tunes. Suddenly sounds a bit harder, right? So let’s look at some ways of making it easier…
3. Focus on the person or people most likely to start the dancing – It may be just one girl. A group of two girls and two lads. It won’t be a whole bunch of people at first, for sure. But somewhere in that slowly filling-up club will be someone who can’t wait to get going. They’ll be on the edge of the floor, probably. Watch them. Play to them. The dancefloor is like a seesaw: Once you get few people on it, it “tips”… and the night has started. So concentrate on your first people – hard
4. Don’t be scared to change genres – DJing more about programming and music than mixing, and never more so than when you’re warming up. You’re setting a mood, and trying different things (within the realms of what’s expected in the venue you’re playing in, of course) is part of the job – indeed, it’s essential. This is no time to stick to a pre-planned, perfect mix that just isn’t getting the right results – and as no two warm-ups are the same, you must be prepared to switch things up
5. Be friendly, especially to the staff – Dan says this is actually the best piece of advice he has for DJs! DJing is all about atmosphere, and the right atmosphere spreads from you, and from the people who are there from the off… that means the staff! So if you’re humble and friendly with everyone – doormen, bar staff, manager, promoter, other DJs, early attendees – you’re starting to set the fun and happy vibe right from the off. How simple that you can begin to get your work done before you play the first tune! But so many warm-up DJs are moody, insolent or unfriendly, “heads down”-type characters, who then wonder why the club has a bad vibe for their whole set. Always remember, the party starts with you

Good DJ Organization

1. Separate your DJ music from your non-DJ music – You do not – I repeat, DO NOT – want to be spending even nanoseconds quickly scrolling past that Phil Collins album that you’ve got in iTunes, ahem, for your mum, in the heat of a DJ gig. OK, so you may have a bit, some or a damned lot of non-DJ music on your iTunes or whatever – and that’s cool, families share computers, some of us do have a musical life outside of DJing, you know (although I draw the line at Phil Collins – then again, “Coming In The Air Tonight” is pretty cool…) – but seriously, just tag all the dancey stuff “DJ” and only work from that lot. Or just keep it somewhere separate
2. Use genres that make sense to you – People get awfully respectful around genres. Let me tell you something: Half the people making, selling and distributing the music you buy digitally – the very same people adding the “genre” tags to the music – don’t have a damned clue about genre either. From the laughably vague (Dance/RnB) to the ridiculously specialist (“Nintendocore”? “Nerd Core Hip Hop”?), genres mean nothing unless they mean something to YOU. So use house, disco, pop, hip hop etc (pick a few and stick to ‘em) and retag everything that comes into your library with just a few genres that make sense to you. This will help you immensely when DJing to lump together everything that sounds roughly the same in YOUR eyes (or ears)
3. Make playlists – Make playlists for individual gigs. Make playlists for mixtapes. Make monthly playlists. Make sad ones. Happy ones. Just make ‘em. And tuck them into a folder called “playlists” if having them there, in full view, offends you. You’ll come back to them, I promise you. Playlists are our way of doing what we want to do by nature – slice, dice, organise. They help us to look forward creatively. They may be only 2 or 3 songs or they may be 100s, but they don’t have to be perfect, they don’t even have to mean much – they could just be a few tunes that mix well together. But make ‘em and keep ‘em. One of the great things about digital is that the same song can appear in all different places in your library – so take advantage of that
4. Keep your set history – All DJ software will allow you to save the history – what you’ve played. As with playlists, just do it! It’ll help you out in all types of ways, from remembering what you played last New Year’s Eve (trust me, it never changes that much year-on-year – you’d be surprised) to remembering what you played for the last two hours last night because, ahem, you were “in the spirit of things”. It costs nothing to do it, so just do it
5. Back the hell up! – A reader and a friend, Jake, told me the other day that he was really, really happy, because his hard drives with all of his music on were NOT destroyed in the fire that destroyed pretty much everything else he owned, and which nearly killed him, a couple of months back. It happens, folks. Back up your music and keep a copy somewhere else. The same house even isn’t good enough (ask Jake). Obviously life/death/fires is serious stuff, but while this ain’t gonna happen to most of us, losing music happens to far too many people. And when you follow a backup regime, something else curious happens – you value your music more. Because you know you can be bothered to look after it, you somehow feel it’s worth more to you. And feeling your music is worth a lot is pretty essential for any self-respecting DJ.

Crowd Go Wild To Music They Don’t Know

1. Entertain, then educate

I’ve seen it loads of times. A DJ comes on, head down, straight into what he or she loves – no consideration for the crowd, who came before, the flow of the night – nothing. And they wonder why their “amazing” music clears the floor. But then there’s the other way, which I’ve also seen, from underground as well as commercial DJs: You have a box of tunes that express you, for sure, but you also have tunes you are pretty sure will please the dancefloor. The thing smart DJs like these do is spend the first part of their set pleasing the crowd, then when they’ve won their confidence, feel their way with twisting things around to their way of thinking, gently and considerately.

It doesn’t hurt, either, that the second half of the night is usually the intoxicated half – or to put it another way, people aren’t going to generally become less likely to dance as the night wears on! So planning your set in this way gives you longer to weave in those 4am techno minimal must-hears that have been kicking around at the back of your collection for months. Get everyone onside, then test your “good” stuff – you may be surprised.

2. Tease and test

Of course, you don’t want to just play a whole pile of tunes everyone knows, then bang into some UK white label dub country step (i just made that up – please tell me I made it up!) and expect the whole floor to come with you. Teasing and testing is your friend here. You can tease riffs, beats, intro sections, vocals, drum loops – anything that is reminiscent of what you want to play later, just for a few seconds or eight bars, repeatedly, to get people used to the sounds you want to move across to.

This teasing is your “test” – you’re watching the dancefloor, watching who maybe recognises stuff you didn’t think they would, getting a feel for what you may or may not be able to get away with. You’re priming and preparing people for the direction you’d like your set to take, in good time. You’re marking our boundaries, pushing things slowly, and always with the dancefloor on your side.

3. There’s a difference between “like” and “know”

Don’t fall into the trap of thinking “like” and “know” mean the same thing. Just because your crowd doesn’t know a song, doesn’t mean it won’t necessarily like it. You’re a DJ, a tastemaker. Let people taste the new music – they might like it! Remember, every song wasn’t known by anyone, once. Use your judgement to decide if a song is going to suit the night or not.

Of course this ties in with points 1 and 2: You can tease and test new music, and you can save it for later in your set, but there’s nothing better than “breaking” a tune that goes on to become huge – it’s “yours”, even though it subsequently gets heard everywhere. People will remember it, and you for first introducing them to it. Having an ear for a commercial song before anyone else is a huge skill and one not to be sniffed at – just ask the likes of Pete Tong, who has signed hundreds of hits with his “record label” hat on over the years, to give just one example.

4. Mix it well

Throwing a different style in badly is one thing. But playing a considered build up to a surprising twist in a pre-planned mini-mix is something else entirely. If you want to play a different style, to try something new, to surprise the crowd, then it definitely pays to plan a little and make sure they way you are going to mix that new thing in is clever, or at least smooth and accomplished.

There’s nothing wrong with practising mixes; it’s not the same as sticking rigidly to a pre-planned set, which is wrong of course (in most circumstances, anyway) – many DJs play from lots of 2-3 tune mini sets, slotting them together as they go along, and this can be a great way of holding the crowd’s attention with more challenging material – plus of course it makes you look good as a DJ, and pulling off pre-planned mixes in public that are maybe that bit more technical as a result is a buzz in itself, whether the material is challenging to the audience or not.

5. Look like you’re enjoying it

It can be really easy to look sheepish when playing tunes you’re not sure of – or to look scared, or be rigid (“rabbit in the headlamps”). It can happen to us all – I remember several times throwing on a tune that just bombed while DJing, and being so embarrassed that I actually hid (crouched down, pretending to look for something in my bag)! Luckily it doesn’t happen too often…

Thing is, you’re the leader of the party. Most people (with the greatest respect) are usually sheep – they’re looking around them for clues and pointers as to how to behave, and will generally follow the crowd. And the leaders of the crowd? Well, on a dancefloor, they’re looking at YOU. If you’re confident, dancing behind your decks, having fun (even if the material you’re playing is unknown to the audience / suddenly challenging), they are FAR more likely to copy you. Make no mistake: when you’re DJing, you’re leading from the front. Be bold. Make it as hard as you can for people to NOT enjoy your music!

6. Use mashups and remixes to introduce styles

Classic advice, but very true. In “old times”, you’d throw a familiar acapella over a challenging instrumental. Crudely, girls can dance to the vocal, boys to the beats. Not always the case, of course, but hopefully you see what I mean: If you can introduce something familiar to your new material, people will more likely accept it – especially if you tie it in with 4 above.

Now, more than ever in this SoundCloud world, there are myriad version of all kinds of tunes available. Find remixes of commercial tracks in the style you love. Find clever or fun mashups where the remixer has done the hard work for you. Have a go at doing your own re-edits to meld stuff more to the way you like to play or mix. Music isn’t sacred; it’s a tool, there to be twisted into whatever shapes you can imagine for your floors. And don’t worry about not being “purist” – remember, this is meant to be fun! Break a few rules – you’ll be remembered for it.

7. Persevere

A DJ (who sadly I can’t recall) once said that he felt if he didn’t empty the dancefloor at least once a night, he wasn’t doing his job right. A bit extreme maybe, but you get his drift, no? It’s OK to like stuff nobody (yet) likes. Sometimes, a tune played one week will empty the floor, the next week it will fill it. Sometimes, the same tune played at the end of a set will work having bombed at the beginning. There are no hard and fast rules – if there were, everyone would know them! So it’s OK to mess up every now and then. In fact, it’s pretty much essential.

Bottom line is you don’t have to play music everyone loves all the time. For example, we all have our favourite comedian, right? But we don’t laugh at all their jokes. We don’t expect to. They’re allowed to push it too far every now and then, to “test out new material”. It’s the same with DJs – if what you do is part of a bigger picture, and you’re letting people glimpse parts of that picture every time you play, they’ll get it. They understand they’re not going to love everything you ever do. Be genuine, try your hardest, keep your vision, and you’ll at least start to work out where and how to get away with mixing the stuff you really want to play in with the stuff you have to.

Why DJs Should Make Their Own Edits

For the purposes of this article, we’re going to take an edit to be a new version of an existing track that you’ve made yourself using only the finished track as your starting material. That makes an edit (or re-edit – we’ll use the terms interchangeably) different from a mashup, as a mashup comprises parts of more than one track, and from a remix or production (both of these having extra parts added that didn’t exist in the original. They’re also often made from the original separate parts, or “stems”, rather than the finished recording).

Editing or re-editing is the rawest form of changing a track, and also one of the most common. Happily, on top of that it is one of the easiest to do – and that makes it a great starting point for DJs who want to move beyond on-the-fly loops and simple mixing and on to incorporating their own versions of songs into their DJ sets, where a little more time has gone into the planning of that version than just an on-the-fly live “remix”. So why do it at all?

1. To make tracks mixable – Even though software can do loops for you to help you extend intros, outros or percussive middle sections to allow you to mix, there’s always the chance you’ll mess it up live. By re-editing the parts of a sing you like to mix into or out of, you can eliminate that risk. For certain types of music, where the “mixable” section is really short or doesn’t follow conventional bar structure and phrasing, this can be invaluable. It takes 10 minutes, max, when you get good at it!
2. To shorten tracks – This is a good one for radio DJs and DJs that play in more commercial venues. Say there’s a track you really like that you think will work on your radio show or dancefloor, but it’s a six-minute long club version, and the label hasn’t released a shorter version or a radio mix. Well, you can do it. And re-editing the original seriously can, when you master it, be a case of 30 minutes’ work, at most
3. To restructure your track – This is the closest you get to a “remix”. Don’t like the rap section? Think the chorus is too long or too short? Don’t like the poppy “middle eight” in an otherwise passable pop/club track? Wish the tune would get to the drop sooner? No problem – you can chop and change things to restructure the track using nothing more than simple editing skills on the version you don’t like, to turn it into something that you think will work best for your audience
4. To “clean up” otherwise unusable version – Not all DJ controllers have a “censor” button (it’s like a slip mode that reverses the track till you take your hand off it, to “delete” swear words). What’s more, you’ve got to be on your game to catch every occurrence of swearing, every time you play a track full of it! So using editing, you can permanently omit any offensive parts of a track, the same way that radio does, without you having to find/buy the alternative radio version
5. To expand your skills towards remixing and production – Doesn’t using different software sound cool? Doesn’t the idea of working on tracks away from the dancefloor give you a buzz? Doesn’t it all start to look suspiciously like production? Yup, that’s because it’s the first step. very soon you’ll find yourself incorporating bits of other tracks (great! you’re making mashups), then maybe using bought loops (wonderful, you’re remixing), or even adding your own basslines, vocal stabs etc (now you’re producing…). Do you think DJs turn into producers overnight? Nah, they start with nothing more complex than simple re-edits. You’ve got to start somewhere…

Spaces between dances

I've found that this topic has the widest divergence of opinions, but it's still worth mentioning.  How long of a space (silence) do you have between dances?

Some dancers prefer to linger with their last partner for a little bit, if only to assure them that they had fun dancing with them, instead of rudely dropping them to search for someone new.  That might be as long as a one-minute break between songs.  Those who prefer this pace mention the sociability of lingering with your last partner.  In the days of live music, the break between dances was even longer.

Other DJs like to keep a party moving so they space about ten seconds of silence between songs.  They feel that ten seconds is enough time to say thank you, then dancers can start looking for their next partner as the next music begins.  They say an advantage with the ten-second timing is that the dancers then know what kind of dance it's going to be, upon hearing the music, before they start looking for their partner for that dance.  I would agree.

Personally I recommend avoiding any formula, and instead, truly watching the dancers as they're finishing a dance.  You'll be able to tell how much time to wait before starting the next song.

The pacing to avoid, at a social dance party, is no break at all, with one song blending into the next.  The reasons not to do this are so obvious that you might ask why any DJ would ever do that.  And the answer is often iTunes and other laptop playlist software.  The default setting is based on raves and other nonstop dances that segue tunes together.  DJs who play music from their laptop find that just as one song on their playlist is finishing, the next tune is commencing, before the first one is finished.

To turn this feature off in iTunes, go to iTunes Preferences (under the main iTunes menu), click the Playback menu at the top, then uncheck the "Crossfade Playback" square.  If you play from a laptop or iPod and just let the playlist run, consider software that automatically adds ten seconds (or so) between tunes, or make many ten-second blank mp3s and place them between the tunes on your playlist.

Crossfade beatmatched music is great... for grinding.  Social dancers would much rather know their dance is over, have a chance to say thanks to their partners, catch their breath, and look for their next partner without being rushed into it.

Exceptions:  Some dance groups like segued dance music, like retro seventies disco for example, so as always, find out what your dancers prefer.