They select, mix, and play two seemingly disparate tracks to provide gapless music at events---they may play musical selections over the radio from a playlist---they are the DJs. They are the master entertainers who get the party started. Continue Reading
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Explore Career What are the typical responsibilities of a Disc Jockey?
A DJ would typically need to:
A Disc Jockey may work in a large variety of places, depending on their chosen field. The work routine tends to be monotonous, with little variety in their day-to-day tasks. Still, it has the twin advantages of flexibility in accomplishing goals and allowance for creative expression. Your dress code may be the one prescribed by the company you work for, the location you will be performing at or may depend on whether the event you will be performing at is formal or informal.
Twenty years in the grueling music industry bring lots of big life changes like dialing back to make way for family and everyday life. 25 percent of DJs work full-time while 75 percent work part-time.
A wide variety of Disc Jockeys positions are available in the music industry. While working with a major radio station is often the ultimate objective of aspiring DJs, many are freelancers and work in nightclubs and at weddings, parties, and other events.
DJs are generally employed by:
Professional associations and organizations are a crucial resource for Disc Jockeys interested in pursuing professional development or connecting with like-minded professionals in their industry or occupation. Membership in one or more looks excellent on your resume to bolster your credentials and qualifications.
On-the-job experience is one of the most valuable points in this industry. If you have your heart set on a career as a DJ, school is the time to start preparing: start building your collection of music, develop your style, work at student or community radio stations, and post mixes to online video and music streaming sites. Degree programs that include internships and hands-on experience with local broadcasters will also improve candidates’ employability.
People who want to be DJs do not need to meet a specific set of academic qualifications. Most DJs have a high school diploma, an associate degree, or a bachelor’s degree in radio broadcasting, communication, psychology, journalism, English literature. Aspiring radio DJs may opt to include radio or media production courses in their education. The DJ, who is also a producer, often holds a bachelor’s degree in music production or audio engineering.
Online DJ courses offer certification that will demonstrate your passion and skills in the best way possible. Your marketability may also be augmented by classes in sound engineering, audio production, and music computer software.
This one is all about you – if you want to make it in this profession, you need to hone your craft until you are confident, and then get out on the circuit and start playing as many gigs as possible, reaching an audience, and building a presence. Do not expect immediate success or an instant flow of income.
Trying to create a buzz around yourself with your skills and selection, before finding a residency in a Club, is one of the most common ways a DJ comes up, but this is by no means a sure-fire way to enter the upper echelons of the industry.
Many DJs these days are also Producers, which means they make their music to play, and by doing this, you can find a route more similar to that of a traditional musician. There are, however, DJs out there who are not artists, simply selectors. It is possible to make it in the industry by just being talented on the decks, and so you can choose which route you wish to attempt, and you can always change along the way.
In ten years, there is a great chance that a career DJ has to relocate somewhere, either for newer, bigger projects, or to fuel the creative fire, and that means more sacrifice. Fifteen years in the music business gives anyone “lifer” status, whether you stick with it after that point or not. More often than not, this stage represents growth in areas outside of the typical realm of DJing and producing tracks. You may want to get involved in writing music for films, do some production for other people.
Competition for jobs in the field has intensified. Experienced, formally trained announcers should have the best job prospects.
While it is possible to begin DJing using only your laptop, you will eventually want more control over what you’re doing. Invest in an educated Recce of Disc Jockey hardware out there.
Once you have chosen and brought home the one that suits you best, go ahead and record a mix. However, recording a mix in the quiet of your bedroom is very different than playing in front of an audience. You will not be able to test your skills at reading a crowd, but you will have a starting point from which to experiment and analyze your abilities to generate ebb, flow, and direction; to tell a story, and create a feeling with your mix.
Publish your mixes once you record some that you believe are ready to be shared. Find a host platform and release your work to the public. Build an online presence. Pick one or two social networks and link your completed profiles to your mixes. Getting your home page and domain will help you promote your brand.
Keep the content flowing. Post different types of content that communicate who you are: your work, music, artwork, and stories that inspire you. Expand your community by interacting with others in the same field. Network and connect with club and bar owners. Offer to DJ or be a warm-up for their house DJ at no charge for one or two nights. Sell both your skills and your brand.
If mobile DJing is your goal, publish your availability in community newspapers and on community websites. Make the most of the power of word of mouth from your family and friends.
It is imperative to stay up to date with new trends in music while continually honing your skills, to increase the tightness of your sets and their relevance to your audiences. The best DJs can mix the old and the new, keeping crowds engaged over long periods. Staying current amidst the exponential number of acts that seem to be coming out of the woodwork every day is one of the hardest parts of the job; make sure you keep things fresh in any way possible.
There are many sacrifices and decisions to be made in those early years, and one of the biggest ones can come in the form of having to quit your job and tackle music full time. Perseverance alone does not a DJ make. Since it is not easy to have a sustainable career on DJ work alone, learning production and releasing tracks is more important these days.
Skills and Genres of Music
The basic DJ skills include “beatmatching” (getting two tracks playing at the same tempo and phase), “phrasing” (mixing tracks at points in the songs which make sense), “gain control” (gain is the electronic process of amplifying the signal and DJ mixers have three gain stages over which the DJ has control), and “EQing/EQ mixing” (using the Equalizer to boost or cut frequencies so that multiple audio tracks blend nicely).
Some of the genres that a DJ plays include classic and light rock, heavy metal, adult contemporary, jazz, country-western, gangsta rap, and hip hop.
What Kind of DJ Do You Want to Be?
Determine what kind of DJ you want to be. The Club DJ maintains an active dance floor by performing blends or transitions between songs and striking the right balance to keep the bar busy while the Performer DJ attracts people who want to see what they can do behind the decks. They are Exhibitionist DJs who pride themselves on building a reputation and a following. Many are Controllerists or Turntablists, who focus on cutting and scratching.
The Mobile DJ is the most entrepreneurial and performs at weddings, corporate events, and other functions. The Radio DJ’s job can vary considerably, from announcing news or weather between songs to full-on curating music sets. While many corporate radio DJs have lost control over the music played, their art lives on in podcast format, the Producer/DJ plays pre-recorded music to an audience while creating or recording original music.
Ways to Success
Entrants to the field are likely to have better employment chances with smaller stations than larger urban ones. Success as a radio DJ is all about audience retention, the backbone of higher advertising rates, and higher station revenues. As new entertainment venues open for business, these DJs may experience moderate, localized increases in job opportunities.
A good DJ can, just for a moment, make a whole room fall in love. Because DJing is not about choosing a few tunes. It is about generating shared moods; it's about understanding the feelings of a group of people and directing them to a better place. In the hands of a master, records create rituals of spiritual communion that can be the most important events in people’s lives.
As a DJ, you reinvent yourself every day. Music becomes your best friend. When nobody else understands you, focus on the music, and the rest will follow. Since the long haul can take its toll on a DJ, self-management and staying healthy should be a part of your regular work habits.
National Disc Jockey Day is celebrated every year on 20th January. It’s a day to pay special tribute to DJs who play the music and spin the records that we love to hear.
What do DJs do?
A DJ would typically need to:
Accredited
$47,710
