How To Become A Disc Jockey
A disc jockey, or DJ, is a type of entertainer. They mix pre-recorded music for live audiences at different events, such as at nightclubs, at weddings, or at parties. Their job is to keep an audience dancing and having fun. As a DJ, you will enjoy interacting with a crowd and have a vast knowledge of many different kinds of music. You can become a DJ by gaining experience in the field.
Why Become A Disc Jockey
Whether you are having a wedding, a graduation party, a birthday, or any other type of ceremony, everybody loves having a DJ at their event. A DJ helps entertain the crowd, providing fun and energizing music that everybody will love.
As a DJ, you will consult with the event hosts. You will get an idea of what an event is going to be like and what kind of music they would like to have played. You will travel to different areas, wherever your gigs are being scheduled. At the event, you set up your DJ equipment. You play music throughout the event. You may work as an emcee, introducing different activities or events. You take requests for songs. Your responsibility is to pay attention to the crowd, understand what kind of music they are enjoying and what they are not enjoying, and respond accordingly. You keep people entertained and make sure they have a good time.
Disc Jockeys should possess the following qualities and skills:
- Outgoing
- Friendly
- Loves Music
- Entertaining
- Good with Technology
- Good Communicator
- Business Skills
Disc Jockey Work Environment
As a DJ, you will travel to different events, entertaining and providing music for crowds of people. Events you may DJ at include weddings, corporate events, birthday parties, graduations, reunions, and more. You will need to be in front of crowds of people and be responsible for entertaining the crowds and getting them dancing and motivated. This job requires traveling in order to get to where the events are. This job requires direct interaction with other people. It involves long hours as well as weekends.
Disc Jockey Salary
The median annual salary for announcers was $30,830, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. This category includes DJs.
Many DJs work for themselves. As a self-employed person, you can set your own wages and rates. It is important to promote your business and get many events so you can earn more money. There are many expenses involved with becoming a DJ. In the beginning, you will have to buy a lot of equipment. Over time, if you get more gigs, this may become a more lucrative position.
Disc Jockey Career Outlook
There is not expected to be any growth in this career field. In fact, career opportunities for DJs are expected to decline – from 2014 to 2024, careers are expected to decline by 11 percent in this field.
There are many people out there who want to pursue their passion as an artist, whether it is as a DJ, a writer, an actor, a model, or some other type of art. There are many talented people in this world. Unfortunately there are not as many positions available as there are people who want jobs. It takes business knowledge, the ability to market and promote oneself, and incredible talent to succeed. In order to have a thriving career as a DJ, you must be persistent and able to grow your business.
Disc Jockey Degree
There is no degree necessary in order to become a DJ. If you would like to become a DJ, learn more by reading below.
Step 1: Equipment. You will need to purchase equipment in order to become a DJ. This is a significant monetary investment. A basic DJ setup is going to require two turntables or two CD players; a 2-channel mixer; headphones; speakers; and mixing software. Decide whether you want to go analog or digital. Although it is traditional to use vinyl, it is very common nowadays for DJs to use straight digital and CD setups.
Step 2: Research. Build a large collection of music. You will need to have hundreds of thousands of songs in your collection. Good genres would be electronic, techno, house, trance, hip hop, rap, jungle, progressive, hardcore, pop, and more. Learn how to scratch and how to mix music. Talk to other DJs in your area and talk to them about the craft. Watch videos online about DJing and learn as much as you can.
Step 3: Build your business. Find local DJ companies in the area and see if any are hiring; if they are, send in an employment application. Tell your family and friends that you are DJing and make yourself available for gigs. Build a Facebook page and invite people to check you out. Let people know about you so they can hire you for their next event.
