This article teaches you the basic steps to becoming a successful DJ. You should note that being a DJ is not quite difficult; becoming a good DJ is really difficult.
Before we go onto the details of getting to the top of this career, there is a habit I’d like to discourage you from if you want to make waves in this business. That’s the habit of putting all the work away and reading every book on the shelf. Reading a book is good; you must get all the knowledge you can learn.
GUIDE TO BECOMING A DJ
However, when it comes to DJing, the best way to learn is by going out there and start practicing what you’ve read. You shouldn’t get comfortable in your bedroom. All you need to become a successful DJ is written in these pages; so there’s no point procrastinating. You may just read this article and start practicing right away.
Here are the four necessary steps to becoming a successful DJ:
1. Get the necessary equipment
Truth be told, there isn’t much you can do in this career without the necessary equipment. The sad part is that most of these equipment are expensive, which is why you should only purchase the necessary ones.
If you have access to any DJ equipment for practice, you should take maximum advantage of it. Practicing with someone else’s equipment may help you find out if you’re really passionate about the job; only then should you proceed to purchasing your own gear.
Note: it is quite important that you don’t allow the process of acquiring equipment wear you out. If you’re really passionate for the job then you’ll either find a way to get the cash or find someone generous who can allow you practice with their equipment.
2. Acquiring the skill
If you are loaded enough to afford tuition at a DJ school, then that’s perfect. However, if you’re like the vast majority who don’t have access to this amount of money, then working under a professional would be quite a good idea.
Most Djs are self-taught and chances that you’ll have to do the same are quite high. There are lots of resources out there on the internet at really low prices all you have to do is find them. You should start practicing whatever you learn from these lessons as soon as possible.
3. Getting your first gig
Congratulations! You’ve acquired the necessary equipment and you’ve learned how to use it. It’s time to go into the real world and show them what you can really do – this is really the hard part. You have probably had one or two performances as favors for your friend, but what I’m talking about here is getting paid for the job. If you’re going into this business with the aim of making a living out of it then you are going to need guidance on getting customers.
It’s quite simple. All you have to do is go out into the streets and tell a few people what you can do (well, maybe a little more than a few). Except you already know the right people, you’ll need to market yourself if you have any plans of ever making a living out of this job. More often than not, you’ll find that you spend more time publicizing your services than actually playing music. This is a price you’ll have to pay if you intend to be successful.
4. Growing a Career
Wow! So you’ve gotten the equipment, learned how to use them and you even played at the carnival and got paid for it. That’s really nice, but the hard part is far from over. You’ll now have to focus on getting more gigs and then larger ones. This requires a lot more marketing and consistency.
However, one of nature’s fundamental laws states that the effort required to start something is greater than that needed to continue; it gets easier as you go on.. The truth is that you’ll need to continue marketing as top DJs are not necessarily the ones who have the best performances; they are simply the ones who know how to sell their services better than their counterparts.
Wrap Up!
Just follow these really simple tips and you’ll be amazed at the rate at which you’ll grow in this business.
