How to become an Officially licensed DJ. (part. 1)

[GHO5T_Official]

I've been an Officially licensed DJ for around three year's, so obliviously you can take this however you want too, but this is my own personal guide to how to become a licensed DJ based on my own personal experience's. Let's get right into it.

Step 1: Know what you're getting into.
- I don't sleep much anymore. give or take two hours a night, why? Because that's what I'm used to now. No DJ show happen's in mid-day and no school/college/job/whatever will stop just because you aren't there. Pretty Simple.

Step 2: "It's one or the other"
- I had a harsh hit on reality when I realized I couldn't create a GOOD song and a GOOD mixing while trying to figure out how to do both after I was BOO-ed of stage. You don't try to create music and create mixes at the same time unless your Phenomenal at both. trying to teach yourself two thing's at the same time only wear's on you.
- Figure what you want to be good at first, which is more beneficial to you at that moment.

Step 3: You Suck.
- When you start off DJ-ing, you're going to get BOO-ed, not necessarily for being bad at it, but because you're the new guy, people have less patience with you and small thing's like "hey I don't like that Song" will get the crowd worked up against you.
- Don't take it personally, every DJ was Boo-ed at least once, people rip on skrillex's music all the time, people are just like that, I've actually had the Justin Bieber(??) Experience, Having a bottle thrown at my head during a set, it sucked.

Step 4: Don't Be Shy.
-as much as the thought of fluttershy being a house moving DJ sound's appealing, she would never make it as a DJ, and if she did she would't be that popular.
-Alot of people don't realize that sitting in the basement and recording yourself won't get you noticed, at all. you have to meet people you need to socialize.
-YOU NEED TO BE FUN! jump around on stage, be the person who cracks joke's at people, be flirtatious, vulgar, people eat that shit up.

Step 5: "Hi! I'm Pinkie Pie"
-Okay so liking the show is the only reason why I wrote that but, I've adapted something I call the 'Pinkie Pie Mentality', Which is based off the episode where she say's the word's "I know every pony, and I mean Every pony in PonyVille"
-to be a DJ you need to know people, have connection's be a pinkie pie like person. it help's alot, my first gig was highschool dance after one of my moms friend's said his son needed a DJ, doesn't seem like much, but after that, One of the kid's facebooked about me and one of his friends got in contact with me. it just keep's going. SO MEET EVERYPONY, HAVE LOTS AND LOTS OF FRIENDS BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW HOW MANY OF THOSE SPECIAL FRIENDS WILL HAVE CONNECTIONS!

Step 6: It's none of your concern
- really small column/bit of advice there's cocaine in the club's, LSD, Meth, Weed, Alcohol, there's always going to be, this is messed up sounding but my manager once said to me "it's not your job and your not being paid to play mommy for these people, your on stage, you play, your off stage, that's your job. It's not good to have a heart in these places"
- So basically, you're you, and they're them.

Step 7: Don't throw away life
- Don't Drop outta school/quit your job/leave college because you think your hot shit and you know your gonna be big and famous so you don't need to do anything. that's stupid. I know alot of you would probably agree with that, just a kinda reminder

Step 8: know who your playing for
- exactly that. who's the crowd, what's the theme? This is an easy one but know that not everybody like's the same music

I'm going to continue this in a second part explaining more about the business and marketing side of DJ-ing.

if you thought this was helpful, unhelpful, you were offended for some reason, or you just want to send me hate mail telling me how I'm stupid, your free to message me

but comment on what you think.

.....*Brohoof*

[colortwelve]

And now I'm almost confident that I can start working toward my absurd idea of DJing my class's senior prom.

[the4thImpulse]

Incase you didn't know I wrote a djing guide a few weeks back, do mind if I add this to it under you name? I wrote more about the first steps into practicing and what its all about and what I see hear is more real world stuff and I think it belongs in the guide.

And now I'm almost confident that I can start working toward my absurd idea of DJing my class's senior prom.

I started djing because I saw videos of daft punks Alive 2007 tour and wanted to do exactly what they did, your idea is far from absurd and in my experience its quite normal.

[GHO5T_Official]

Incase you didn't know I wrote a djing guide a few weeks back, do mind if I add this to it under you name? I wrote more about the first steps into practicing and what its all about and what I see hear is more real world stuff and I think it belongs in the guide.

And now I'm almost confident that I can start working toward my absurd idea of DJing my class's senior prom.

I started djing because I saw videos of daft punks Alive 2007 tour and wanted to do exactly what they did, your idea is far from absurd and in my experience its quite normal.

Yeah go ahead!i like your guide, you look like you put a lot more thought into it than this first
Art, could be a little more descriptive about the beat matching part, but definetly a vital "personal choice" description:)

[Spirit]

EVERYBODY SHOULD SPIN VINYL
/my 2 cents
On a serious note, That is amazing and so true. Watch any DJ live, and they have that "air" about them Rusko for example, goes mental on stage, So does Skrillex.
The best way to say it is "if people wanted to just listen to the music, they would listen to the CD, theyve paid to be entertained, so entertain them"

[the4thImpulse]

The best way to say it is "if people wanted to just listen to the music, they would listen to the CD, theyve paid to be entertained, so entertain them"

I disagree with this statement. A proper modern DJ's job is too play music blended together so the songs never end and people can keep dancing to one straight beat. I agree that DJ's should be entertaining but if they mix poorly then they should not be playing live.

Mixing > Going mental on stage.

[Triple_B]

Step 2: "It's one or the other"
- I had a harsh hit on reality when I realized I couldn't create a GOOD song and a GOOD mixing while trying to figure out how to do both after I was BOO-ed of stage. You don't try to create music and create mixes at the same time unless your Phenomenal at both. trying to teach yourself two thing's at the same time only wear's on you.
- Figure what you want to be good at first, which is more beneficial to you at that moment.

Is that my problem? Hmm; one would wonder. Though I do both and (At the moment while my medications are working) I feel like I do a pretty good job at both. Nothing stellar, but getting by/getting better. Hmm.

Step 8: know who your playing for
- exactly that. who's the crowd, what's the theme? This is an easy one but know that not everybody like's the same music

This is the best thing to know, possible. If you know a bunch of dumb kids just want to hear "da bass," do their drugs, and don't know shit about what they're hearing or mixing techniques or any of that; just throw up some dubstep and have a good time. It's when you know you're playing in the hottest club in town for the first time; that's when you worry about your crowd being intelligent.

.....*Brohoof*

*Brohoof*

[Spirit]

The best way to say it is "if people wanted to just listen to the music, they would listen to the CD, theyve paid to be entertained, so entertain them"

I disagree with this statement. A proper modern DJ's job is too play music blended together so the songs never end and people can keep dancing to one straight beat. I agree that DJ's should be entertaining but if they mix poorly then they should not be playing live.

Mixing > Going mental on stage.

Ahaha, of course having skill in mixing comes first, But you cant deny that watching someone just stand at the decks is a bit boring

[the4thImpulse]

The best way to say it is "if people wanted to just listen to the music, they would listen to the CD, theyve paid to be entertained, so entertain them"

I disagree with this statement. A proper modern DJ's job is too play music blended together so the songs never end and people can keep dancing to one straight beat. I agree that DJ's should be entertaining but if they mix poorly then they should not be playing live.

Mixing > Going mental on stage.

Ahaha, of course having skill in mixing comes first, But you cant deny that watching someone just stand at the decks is a bit boring

I am not denying the fact the a crazy preformer makes a good show, but for those that are more static just give them more lasers and flashy lights and the crowd wont notice.

[Symphon]

I'll definitely keep all this in mind. Everyday, the thought of being a DJ becomes more and more real. I just DJ'd for my school yesterday, and fuck, it was exhausting... Even with doing it once before, there was a lot more equipment and I actually did mixing this time... Hell, it takes it out of ya. And hell, crowds can be picky at times. But, in the end, it was fun, I didn't get booed off, and most of the crowd liked it.

Anyway, enough about that. Thanks for giving some tips! Can't wait for part 2!

[GHO5T_Official]

The best way to say it is "if people wanted to just listen to the music, they would listen to the CD, theyve paid to be entertained, so entertain them"

I disagree with this statement. A proper modern DJ's job is too play music blended together so the songs never end and people can keep dancing to one straight beat. I agree that DJ's should be entertaining but if they mix poorly then they should not be playing live.

Mixing > Going mental on stage.

True and untrue. As a DJ it's true you need to know which songs match what sounds good. Ect. But just because you mix music like a boss isn't exactly what makes you popular, take my friend and ex partner Evan Alaxander, mixes perfectly, signed to red cube, but not really that popular, because even though he mixes perfectly, his mixes can be boring and unlivley, being a good DJ is knowing how to mix, being a great DJ is knowing how to make a crowd wild. So basically, going crazy and mixing go hand I'm hand on importance

[the4thImpulse]

True and untrue. As a DJ it's true you need to know which songs match what sounds good. Ect. But just because you mix music like a boss isn't exactly what makes you popular, take my friend and ex partner Evan Alaxander, mixes perfectly, signed to red cube, but not really that popular, because even though he mixes perfectly, his mixes can be boring and unlivley, being a good DJ is knowing how to mix, being a great DJ is knowing how to make a crowd wild. So basically, going crazy and mixing go hand I'm hand on importance

I am going to stick with what I said earlier and add that good song selection and knowing how to read a crowd and know what they want to hear can make them go crazier then yourelf going crazy on stage. I am not tring to say that a good stage presence is not needed but decent mixing and track selection come first unless your playing to a bunch of overly druken/high people who don't even know whats happening anymore and thats often not the case. I know in some clubs and the place I spin at the DJ booths are largely unlit and the crowd often can't see much of what goes on in there on the dance floor so going crazy isn't even going to do much in these cases.

I have heard another method where you and you dj friends go to each other's shows and start dancing/ going mental to get the crowd going while the dj plays.

[GHO5T_Official]

I have heard another method where you and you dj friends go to each other's shows and start dancing/ going mental to get the crowd going while the dj plays.

Yeah that's actually why he was my partner, Im the crazy type, I like throwing shit into the crowd, spraying water on the female dancers, stuff like that, I always did it on stage though... Because a lot of the people in the building are high of something, let it be Molly or just of life, they usually try to match you in the energy department. Everybody needs a leader basically.