So much so that we often get overlooked, & in many cases, wrongly labeled as the ‘person who just plays music’.
When in actual fact, that’s anything but the case – something you’ll already know if you’ve dived into the rest of my blog; there’s a LOT more to being a disk jockey than meets the eye!
And with Good DJ Equipment now becoming a lot more accessible to the masses, there’s no shortage of competition either.
All of which has made defining your style & knowing how to really work your crowd, more crucial than ever.
What’s classed as a mistake in DJiing?
Whether something is classed as a mistake can be completely subjective, so don’t for a minute think that you’re not going to be successful if you catch yourself doing a few of these. That’d be foolish!
If anything, see them as missed opportunities to improve upon.
Besides, that’s the whole reason behind my blog – to help you as a fellow DJ capitalize on missed opportunities.
9 of the BIGGEST DJ mistakes you cannot afford to make
Now for the juicy part.
See, while some DJ mistakes can be said to be more significant than others, there’s always been a few that (for me) have really zinged out.
Mistakes that not only relate to your set & how you play, but also the role you play as a DJ during a show & how you go about setting up as a business.
Therefore, if you’re looking to become the best all-round DJ I’d encourage you to dive into these 9 most common DJ mistakes…
1. Not bothering to brand yourself
Being creatives, a lot of us forget that DJing (as rad as it can be) is a business.
And just like a business, your audience won’t buy into you by pure chance.
Remember: As a DJ you’re selling a service, just like Apple, Spotify & even a music label, so in order to build up a strong client-base, you need to ensure that your potential customers/ partners are reassured & have confidence in your abilities.
Precisely why I’d suggest before doing anything, taking the time to do a business plan, run the numbers & try to develop a strong & unique brand that sets you apart.
Do so & you’ll already be ahead of at least 50% of DJs!!
If you’re stuck for where to start with branding, try designing a website, creating a color palate or coming up with a catchy name.
Decide on one, & you should see the ideas begin to come thick & fast.
Mastering your brand is a super easy way to impress your clients & keep them coming back.
2. Underestimating your abilities
Exactly why I’d say one of the biggest mistakes a DJ can make, is not to be selective when working with artists.
Now, don’t get me wrong, it’s great if you’ve had an offer from a label or artist to accompany them on tour or work on a song together, BUT… before you agree, take a few minutes to analyze who you’re committing to.
- Are they as committed as you?
- Is their brand equally as strong?
- What’s their genre? Does it gel with you?
- Will you get paid in some way, shape or form? (money, royalties, contacts etc.)
If (& only if) you get a good feeling about the deal you’ve been offered should you take it.
I say so because I know there’s quite a few DJs out there (mainly beginners) who are really good at what they do, yet don’t hold themselves in high regard. All of which leads to them affiliating with the wrong artists or being taken advantage of financially.
So take my word for it, as a DJ you must know your worth!!
Be aware of who you’re collabing with & the ramifications it could have on your personal brand. After all… birds of a feather, flock together.
3. ‘Making do’ with cheap equipment
Because aside form the fact that DJ equipment can get incredibly confusing (especially for newbies), there’s also a lot more to consider than just the price tag if you’re looking to pursue a career as a DJ professionally.
If that’s you, then I’d urge you to stay away from cheap DJ equipment. Not only does it often have an inferior build, but in terms of sound, cheap equipment just isn’t up to the standards of pro gear.
And then of course, there’s what cheaping out on DJ equipment subconsciously says about you.
Equip yourself with professional gear & you’re actively showing people that you’re taking your DJ career seriously.
On the flipside, choose to cheap out on your equipment & it says pretty much the reverse. Plus, the majority of professional gear is designed for use on-stage already, so should your career take off, you needn’t worry about the cost of upgrading or learning new equipment/ software.
Trust me when I say if you throw yourself in at the deep end, you won’t regret it.
4. Forgetting your secondary occupation as a hypeman/woman
Yes – as crazy as it sounds, your job as a DJ doesn’t just remain on the decks.
Choose to become a DJ for an artist or group & you’ll likely also be expected to get fully involved with the performance.
If you’re into Hip Hop, you should already be aware of how Jockeys double up as hypemen, jeering up the crowd & repeating the ends of bars in an effort to let the rapper catch their breath.
The best example I can think of is DJ Who Kidd, who was the DJ/ hypeman for 50 Cent’s rap group, G-Unit, back in the early 90’s. Watch back many a live performance, & it’s fair to say that Who Kidd was as much a part of G-Unit during a live performance as Tony Yayo & Lloyd Banks.
So just an FYI – you may also want to invest in a hypeman mic too.
5. Being a bad judge of ‘vibe’
Your job as a DJ is to read the room.
In fact, you could call that the secret of all great DJs; if you’re able to accurately read your audience, you’re able to make the necessary adjustments to keep them entertained.
For the best DJs this ends up being like a sixth sense.
One that allows them to spot when the vibe is numb & adjust their set to compensate. Adjustments could be anything from raising the BPM to fading into a new track.
So when you really look at it, a key trait of any great DJ is their ability to psychoanalyze their audience.
Clever stuff!
6. Being afraid to experiment with silence
Something that’s arguably one of the most powerful tools any DJ has, purely because of what it does to the audience. It keeps them engaged.
A good trick I’ve come across is when a DJ spends bar after bar building up to a drop, only to pull back the music at the last minute. There’s nothing like catching your audience off guard… it’s pretty hilarious if I’m honest.
Safe to say there’s no better way to drag your audience firmly back into the moment. If you want to keep your audience on their toes, a spurt of silence is definitely the way to go.
7. Overloading your set with effects
But too many at once… that’s a recipe for sad faces.
Overdose & it’s a sure way to shatter any sort of vibe you’ve managed to create – i.e. cover up your natural skills as a DJ!
Plus, the effects themselves will start to lose their impact.
Say you’re gradually dialing up the BPM & leading up to a drop, to suddenly interrupt that build-up with hordes of effects, can easily kill the atmosphere.
So before using effects, be sure to ask yourself:
- How will these effects add to the overall atmosphere?
- What’s their purpose?
In my experience it’s always worth using your effects sparingly, so unless you’re sure they add value to your set, I’d seriously avoid using them.
In fact, the only time I’ve found a DJ go totally nuts with effects & manage to make it work, has been on Fire In The Booth – a freestyle Hip Hop series with radio DJ, Charlie Sloth, over in the UK. Want to see how intense his use of effects really is? Take a listen to what happened when Stormzy stepped into the booth…
8. Having too much trust in tech
Technology – it’s great when it works, but an absolute nightmare when it doesn’t.
Exactly why as a DJ it’s vital to stay on top of your tech & have an action plan to cover your back, should an unexpected glitch occur.
After all, as a DJ you’re paid to entertain, so if you can’t do your job, you can expect little to no reward for your time. Not to mention all the disappointment that’d be pinned on you & your brand, which (if your client’s the social type) can very easily affect your levels of future business.
So before going to any gig, be sure to check that your gear is in good working order & have an idea of what to expect at the venue. Useful reassurance to have, especially if you’ve got limited setup time.
If you want to make sure your DJ equipment is extra protected, be sure to also check out how I Transport My DJ Equipment.
9. Constant red-lining
Much as it sounds, this is what happens when you as a DJ crank your songs SO loud that they start to distort.
The ‘red’ in red-lining relates to the meter on your DJ controller, which shows how close the audio is to clipping.
Enter the red zone, then you’ll seriously need to adjust your levels!
Fail to do so & your audience is certainly going to know about it.
Unlike clean undistorted audio, when a DJ’s red-lining, the audio turns muddy & has a grimey tone to it, much like what you’d hear at an illegal rave back in the 80s.
Thankfully now though, DJ equipment has got a whole lot more user friendly, so the chances of you red-lining & not being able to spot it, are slim.
Welp, there you have it.
Hopefully, this gives you a better idea on what to pay attention to as you move forward with your DJ career. Now go DJ and be fruitful.
