by: Dj Mixer

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There are Club DJs, Radio DJs and Mobile DJs, each specializing in their chosen field. Many Mobile DJs can't beat mix while many Club DJs would be lost trying to coordinate and announce formalities at a wedding. Some DJs are quite experienced, others are just starting out. Generally, it takes about 2 years of training for a DJ to become competent enough to handle every possible occasion. For your event you may not want to risk having someone who's still on the learning curve.

1. Aren't DJs all the same?

There are Club DJs, Radio DJs and Mobile DJs, each specializing in their chosen field. Many Mobile DJs can't beat mix while many Club DJs would be lost trying to coordinate and announce formalities at a wedding. Some DJs are quite experienced, others are just starting out. Generally, it takes about 2 years of training for a DJ to become competent enough to handle every possible occasion. For your event you may not want to risk having someone who's still on the learning curve.

Even among Mobile DJs there are specific categories. Some Disc Jockeys are "Hip Hop", others concentrate on Karaoke. Some do corporate events and others primarily do kids parties. Obviously you wouldn't want a DJ for your wedding who's training and experience is mostly limited to Bar Mitzvahs.

It's good to have experience in all DJ disciplines, types of events and styles of music. A DJ who can coordinate and work with staff and other event pros, expertly pick and mix songs and has a good personality has the versatility for any event.

2. Do you do special things to make my event fun?

Some DJs resort to corny games, group dances or wacky costumes during their "performance". It may seem fun at the moment but is likely that you and your guests will look back on these gimmicks as hackneyed and embarrassing.



The best way to get people involved and create positive memories is simply to PLAY GREAT MUSIC! A dynamic music mix that includes variety, requests, old favorites and hot new songs is key. A good DJ will monitor his dance floor constantly and respond accordingly. He does not need the crutch of lame gags or bad Elvis impersonations. Your guests will enjoy themselves more without "forced spontaneity".

The right music and lighting can make your party look and sound like no other.

3. Are large entertainment companies a good resource to find a DJ?

They can be but you do not always have the opportunity to personally meet DJ candidates at a large DJ Farm or third party Entertainment Broker. You may see a few minutes of video but it is difficult to measure the DJ's temperament, personality, spontaneity and ability to communicate based on that. We always offer a live audition for our clients.

Usually you do not speak directly to your DJ at one of these companies. Your information or question is transfered via a third party and can be distorted, miscommunicated or lost.

4. I saw a really low price for a DJ, should I hire them?

It depends on what they supply and what your needs are. If you are having a backyard party that doesn't necessitate coordination, announcements or even a personality, you may be fine. Keep in mind that low budget DJs are less likely to use top quality equipment, have adequate back up equipment, reliable transportation or liability insurance. This puts the ultimate success of your party at risk.

5. What if people don't dance?

This is extremely rare. Keep in mind that, as the hosts or guest of honor, your guests will often take their cue from you. If you are on the dance floor they are more likely to be as well.

There are some events where promoting dancing is more difficult than others. For example, events that are early in the day, outdoor, sunlit, do not serve liquor and have less than 40 people attending can be a challenge. But I've even had those parties often turn out fantastic.

It sometimes takes a while for the dancing to get going. A good DJ will not panic. He will just keep on playing a great mix, as if his dance floor is already packed. If people aren't dancing, it just means they are not yet ready. Usually, even the most hesitant partygoers eventually come around.

6. My friend (or Uncle or Cousin) is a DJ, I might use them.

It's true there are lots of DJs around, everybody seems to know one. Since there is no official, universally accepted Disc Jockey certification, anybody can buy some sound equipment and proclaim that they too are a DJ. It's kind of like buying a sports car and claiming you are now a race driver. You still need good training, experience, a reliable track record and a good reputation. I've heard too many horror stories about "DJs" who either didn't show up, were late, sent a replacement, dressed badly, played the wrong music or otherwise didn't act professionally.

Part time DJs may not have the same devotion to their craft as a full timer. If it is his livelihood and primary source of income, he HAS to be good at it to generate referrals and repeat business.

7. What if I don't want any (fill in the blank) _________ Music?

Beware of absolute generalizations. It's completely understandable if you have specific songs you just do not like. But to exclude an entire category of music may be shortsighted. For instance, I've had some clients tell me they don't want any Rap. That would then exclude Usher, Will Smith, Nelly and much of the hottest current dance music. Music their guests may really want.

The power of music is that it's an inclusive thing that brings people together. Being open to any musical possibility the situation may call for, frees up your DJ to be creative and let your party flow naturally. You may not like a certain type of music but you may want to consider allowing it (assuming it's non- offensive) if that's what makes your guests happy. By the same token, plenty of attention should also be given to the music you do really like.

8. Why are some DJs so expensive?

It comes down to exclusivity and what the market will bear. There are only 52 weekends a year. A DJ can only do one gig at a time. If there is a preponderance of clients vying for the same DJ on the same date, he can charge more than others.

On the other hand, if your date is on an "off night" or unpopular time, you may be able to negotiate a better deal. And if your event is coming up very shortly and the DJ has an opening, he may be willing to substantially discount his normal fees.

- DJ Craig

The contents of this article are proprietary and exclusive property of DJ Craig. Any unauthorized use or reproduction without express written consent is prohibited.

Copyright © 2005, Creative / DJ Craig / djcraig.net

All rights reserved.

About the Author DJ Craig has experience as a Club DJ, On Air Jock and Mobile DJ. He has coordinated and played music for thousands of private events in Southern California over the past 15 years.

Brace yourself. This list is not for the faint of heart. You may not like some of it. You may feel that some of these suggestions are not a DJ's job. Well, what's it going to be? Perfect mixes for your underwear drawer, or are you going to put some effort into becoming a real DJ?

Brace yourself. This list is not for the faint of heart. You may not like some of it. You may feel that some of these suggestions are not a DJ's job. Well, what's it going to be? Perfect mixes for your underwear drawer, or are you going to put some effort into becoming a real DJ?

Only 3 of the 8 bullet points have anything to do with the actual art of DJing--and they are waaaay down on the list. The rest are useful, pragmatic, and practical tips on how to really make it.

It takes some effort--and some elbow grease--to get your name out there. Follow these simple steps, and you'll be able to play your music in front of a crowd.

As a DJ, you will get your gigs from one of three people: promoters, other DJs, and yourself by throwing your own parties. Of the three, the main person you need to know to get gigs is the promoter. That should be obvious. Now, what isn't so obvious is what promoters care about. Sadly, your mixing ability is usually the last thing on their mind. I have spun at, helped promote, and created over 300 events in the past 6 years. You know what promoters focus on? Getting bodies through the door. I love the scene, I love people dancing, and when I promote, its a game of numbers. I look for DJs that will put bodies into the building.



On a deeper spiritual level, keep in mind that to really be successful as a DJ, it's not about you. It's about the music, the dancers, and the scene. If you're just looking for attention, that type of vibe takes from the scene. The more you give to the world of DJing, the more the world of DJing will give back to you.

Here are 10 ways you can start contributing to the music scene. The more you contribute, the more your DJ career will grow. These tips will improve your DJ skills, get you entrenched in your local scene, and make you the sought after DJ for upcoming events.

The following tips are given in the order of importance.

1. Get an e-mail list together and promote parties.

This is the biggest one of all. 9 times out of 10, the promoter will go with a lesser quality DJ with a mailing list over a talented DJ that doesn't promote. Start a mailing list now. Ask people for their e-mails. Do not give out your card and expect them to join up. Get their card, and then you'll be able to add them for sure. Start a collection of friends on tribe, myspace, or whatever social network site your community uses.

MAKE SURE EVERY PROMOTER IN TOWN IS ON THAT LIST. Then, send out info on what parties are happening. Even if you're not spinning, start sending out the info. Just by having a mailing list, people will start associating your DJ name with great parties. When a promoter starts seeing your name every week on those emails, and sees that you get people out to parties, you will now suddenly be in a whole new category. Once a week, tell your list where the party is happening. Talk about the good parties afterwards. Talk to promoters about giving your list special treatment. Ask promoters to let your list in for $5 less. That will reward people for being on your mailing list.

2. Take pictures and post them on your website.

Fresh content gets repeat traffic to your website. You do have a website, right? If you don't, talk to a toaster until you get over your technology phobia, then have your nephew to set up a website for you. Check out HOTTORRENT.COM--not only is it free, but they have all the tools you need without having to build your own website. They have mailing list functions, photo galleries, and everything else you might need. Be sure that people can add their name to the mailing list as they look at pictures.

People forward out photo links. You want to catch them the second they think "wow, those look like fun parties." Take photos of the pretty people, take crowd shots, make the party look like it's going off. It may be shallow, but you are building your scene with these techniques. After a few photo galleries like this, you'll see a rise in attendance, and people will start to recognize your name. They will also have this impression that you're involved with great parties.

3. Make a list of promoters and DJs you want to know in your local scene, and start working with them.

Your DJ career will come from your circle of friends. It's that simple. So pick DJs and promoters you vibe with, and find a way to meet them. Go to as many parties as you can that they are spinning at or throwing. Say hi to them each time you go to one of their events. After awhile, you'll be a regular, and you'll find yourself being given much more respect from promoters and DJs. Don't ask them for DJ slots until you get to know them. The goal is to become friends and help them throw events, or carry record boxes, or pick up fliers at the airport, or give them DJ rides to the airport for out-of-town gigs. Promoters and DJs really need support staff, and usually can't pay people for this. They end up with a network of up-and-coming scenesters and bedroom DJs that work with them and are on the move.

Don't be a suck up. Be real, be yourself, and be up front that you enjoy what they create for the scene, and be persistent in offering them help. Come at them as an equal. Hero worship is fine from fans, but you're going to co create with these people. E-mail the promoters each and every time they throw a party. Offer to help each time. Promoters deal with many flakes, so don't expect them to welcome you in right away. They want to get to know you, and you have to just keep offering until they let you in to help. You'll learn a lot about the scene, and party politics, and make friends. This will put you as a person and DJ on the map as someone deserving a break on the decks. Then you can ask them for a gig.

4. Make demo CDs.

There are two reasons to make mix CDs. First of all, it's good for you to record your sets, all the time. You'll learn much faster by reviewing your work. Songs are introduced into your headphone long before the mix. Because of this, many bedroom DJs end up doing short blends, without realizing it. When you listen to your mixes, suddenly what you missed jumps out at you as a listener. The other reason for making demo CDs is obvious--you will have CDs to give promoters to let them hear your style, track choice, and mixing skills. Give these CDs to everyone, BUT ONLY WHEN THEY ARE GOOD. Never give out a badly mixed CD with obvious train wrecks. It will do more damage to your career than good. It's easy to get a promoter to listen to your first CD. But if the first one sucks, it's very hard to get them to listen to a second one. Give CDs out to everyone after your DJ mentors give it the thumbs up. Start building that fan base.

5. Spin with DJs that are better than you to learn new skills.

If you mix with good DJs, several things will happen. First, when you tag team practice, it will make you more comfortable when you're in a club environment, taking the decks and dance floor over from another DJ. You want to practice this. It'll trip you up if you haven't played with other DJs.

Next, practice does not make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect. So find great DJs, ask them to coach you, and learn why their mixing sounds so good. Last, once you start growing as a DJ, many times these DJs will get you gigs once you're ready. People help out their friends. When they see you doing well, they'll often times make a call and say, "He's ready." A promoter is much more likely to hire you if an established DJ vouches for you.

6. Keep current on your music.

Buy at least 2 new songs a month, or better yet, buy at least 1 new track each week. You need to be checking the download sites, and hitting the record stores regularly. Buy from several different places. This will make you a better DJ, with a more rounded record box. You are only as good as your tracks. Do your homework, put in the maintenance time on your collection. read up on charts in your genre, and be familiar with what's new, what's old, and what's overplayed.

7. Throw your own parties.

One great way to get out there is to simply find a space, talk to a bar with a club, and start throwing your own parties. When you bring in other DJs, they will think of you in a new light. If you get them gigs, often times they will help you get gigs in return. Promoters will want to hire you since you'll start having a draw.

8. Buy or get access to a sound system.

The first person a promoter calls is the sound guy. If you're the sound guy and a decent DJ, well, isn't that convenient for the promoter When I started out DJing, I realized that if I had a sound system and made myself and the speakers a package deal, I would spin out much more often. It worked great. I was always the sound guy and opening DJ. So, I would show up, bring the gear, spin, and then meet the headlining DJs for the night. I priced myself as cheap as renting the gear, only now I would bring the gear, instead of the promoter having to deal with picking it up, setting it up, and all that hassle. This jump-started my career, and soon I was on every bill, playing at every party.

I spent about $1,500 bucks on speakers, and after 10 gigs, the speakers were paid off. After that, I made money on those exact speakers for well on 6 years. My early career is completely owed to having the sound system. Even if you can't buy a sound system, find someone who owns one that trusts you to borrow it. Make a deal where you split the money 50/50 for them owning and you managing rentals on it. Then, you can make yourself useful to the scene. One note- if you go this route, you must show up on time, and follow through on your commitments every time. No one wants to work with a flake. Your reputation is everything in this musical freelance environment.

9. Go to parties.

This may seem obvious too, but I am amazed at how many bedroom DJs want to spin, but hardly ever go to clubs. When you get serious about being a DJ, you need to know the lay of the land. Go to parties outside your normal bubble. See what scenes are happening. Go to all types of parties. Know what venues work with what styles. Listen to what's being played, and think about how your music fits into the larger picture. If you support other promoters events, they are more likely to support your events. Listen to people talking about other DJs, and what they like and don't like. When you go to spin your music, spin what you love. If you know what the overplayed tracks are, you can avoid them in your sets and stand out more as a DJ. You can also sound more unique by knowing what sounds and influences are underplayed. Sign up for every mailing list imaginable. You want to have your finger on the pulse of the scene.

10. Be nice.

Look, I'm going to come out and say it. The music scene, and the party scene is all about being social. Just be nice. No one wants to work with jerks. Promoters will hire cool DJs over jerks all the time. Who would you rather give money to: someone you like or someone you don't like. As you venture out into the scene, don't engage in gossip. Avoid flame wars on websites.

Be real, be friendly, and keep a positive attitude. Win the war, not the battle. If you lose your time slot for some reason, don't yell and scream at the promoter, or other DJs. Show grace, and say "Bummer. But I totally understand why that's happening, and no problem. I'd love a chance to spin for you some other time." You'll be brought out so much more when you're a drama-free zone.

One time at a small festival of 1,000 people, I had a DJ that pulled all sorts of drama around scheduling. He was worried about losing his slot, and was a total prick about it. What he didn't know, and what he was shocked at when I shared with him later on how our crew works, is that we were just gearing up to play Electric Daisy Carnival- a 30,000-person massive. Had he actually lost his slot, and been nice, I would have made sure he got a slot on the next bill, which was a huge event. Instead he kicked and screamed, got a 45 minute slot, and cut into another DJ's slot, and fell right off our "DJs we use" list. The DJ who lost the 45 minutes to him did so with good grace, and got the E.D.C. gig. Be nice.

I hope these pointers help inspire you to get moving on making your dreams a reality. Music, dancing and DJing is a great creative outlet. You don't have to have Motzart's musical skills. You can still add to the scene in many personal, powerful ways. The main thing is to get out there, start meeting people, and make it happen for yourself and your scene. Do not sit around waiting for the phone to ring. You're attracted to music for a reason. Express it. Somewhere down the road, people will be cornering you at events, talking about how much they love what you contribute to the scene, and thanking you for bringing such joy into their lives. Play the music you love, and do the work needed to make the night a success. The world genuinely will be a better place with your full contribution to the scene.

Forget 99% of the articles out there that are telling you what you need for starting your very own internet based radio station. I'm here to let you know that you can cut your budget by almost 99% by not listening to most of the articles that exist on the web today.
Forget 99% of the articles out there that are telling you what you need for starting your very own internet based radio station. I'm here to let you know that you can cut your budget by almost 99% by not listening to most of the articles that exist ON the web today.

I just has an article about my streaming radio station in the local paper and when the reporter ask how to START an internet radio station I was torn between a couple of answers. Do I lengthen the story and add a few thousand dollars to the budget just to scare away potential competition? Or do I tell the reporter just how easy is actually is and deal with a few more station ON the internet that could potentially steal listeners from me? I chose to tell the reporter exactly what I though was right. I chose to tell him exactly how easy setting up your very own radio station is.

When I started to research what it took to set up a streaming radio station and It was staggering how many articles are out there that told me that I needed thousands of dollars and a web hosting account that would cost an extra 400 to 500 hundred dollars a month to handle the bandwidth and copyrighting issues of running an internet radio station. I actually became quite angry after I had gone through most of the set up of my own station. I realised that a lot of the articles out there were written by people who just wanted to sound smart, simply copied and pasted another articles and had no clue what it took and the creme de la creme were the people who wrote articles just to scare people out of creating a station because they couldn't handle the competition. So and the number one item ON the list of important things to do before you START you own streaming radio station? Research and lots of it.

I quite literally have another window open ON my screen as I write this because I want to list out what the author of the other article wants you to buy in order to START your own streaming station. Ready? Here goes

• 2 CD players
• Nero 9
• Adobe Audition for Editing
• 2 EV RE27N Mics (yeah and right)
• Audio mixing board
• Outboard audio gear (compressor and equalizer)
• Digital Audio Card
• Dedicated computer
• Encoding software
• Streaming media server

This list is why I get so frustrated. What you see in the list is about $3000.00 of wasted money. This guy obviously wrote an article to either brag about what he knows about electronics and or to scare away people that want to get into running their own station. I know that if I didn't know better and I would have added up the grocery list and immediately started thinking about getting into another line of work.

Do you want to know what you actually need to START your own streaming radio station? Here we go the truth of what you need:

• Your computer
• Some music
• WinAmp
• Broadcast scheduling software with encoders
• Mic
• VPS Hosting account
• Patience and lots of it

Since you already own you computer we can say that you can now START your own station for about $200.00. Yes and it is a far cry from the estimated $3000.00 the other list was telling that you needed. Doesn't it make you want to punch a wall?

We'll START at the beginning of the list and explain what it means or how you can get it for cheap or free.

Let's START with your computer. As I already stated and you got one and shouldn't be counted in the list. If you need one and get a good one. I run one computer for my station and had an AMD Dual Core for about 2 years. I never had a problem and it ran 24 hours a day, 7 days a week until the day I thought I would trade out the HEAT sink and cooling fan and destroyed the processor. Now I run an Intel Quad Core and it works just fine, although I am still partial to AMD and but it just gets down to familiarity and brand loyalty. You can buy a great computer these days for a small price. You can get a fast computer with a mouse and keyboard and a 20 " monitor for about $600.00 these days. This will honestly be the biggest purchase you will make and unless you START to get fancy that is.

Now let's talk about the music. Your best friend will be either Indiemusic, Open Source and or Public Domain. You can have a rotation list of 1000 ' s of songs without ever having to touch today's mainstream music. Why pay money every month and/or year when you can have all the best music in the world for free? You just have to do a bit of digging and emailing to get people to send you their music and but they are always glad to get exposure. When I first started and I used 'free to post' websites to let bands know I was looking for music submissions. I would get at least 20 emails from bands within the first 12 hours of the posting. This is great, especially with niche radio stations like opera and indie or dance music. THERE'S ALWAYS FREE MUSIC OUT THERE! Never steal music to put ON your site and bands don't respect it and you get boycotted PDQ.

WinAmp is free and it's super easy to use as a media player and a broadcast unit. When you get to the site and just download the WinAmp broadcasting package and you'll be set up and ready to go. WinAmp also transitions into using Shoutcast ON your server and but we'll talk about that later. Either way and they are both FREE.

Broadcast scheduling software was the biggest pain in the butt to research. There's so much competition out there and a lot of crap to sift through before you hit the golden nuggets of scheduling software. The important thing to remember about this particular software is that you can get it for FREE! Do you see a theme starting here? To get you started and here is a list of FREE software you can use for broadcasting. It may not be the ultimate in broadcasting software and but it works and you might even like it

• BP2X - Broadcast POWER
• Zulu Radio
• WinAmp
• Shoutcast
• NCH Software

Try each of them out and figure out what you like the best. Eventually you may end up going with a paid copy of another piece of software, but FREE is good always and it's the best way to START.

If you plan ON talking you need a mic. Mics do make a difference and people can tell that you are using a crappy microphone. But for the cost and stay with a low budget mic that you can upgrade easilty at a later date. Most start-up streaming stations don't even have a DJ and so the mic might be just an afterthought. Buy what your budget can afford and any more than that and you've wasted your money.

The hosting account is very important. You need enough bandwidth to be able to broadcast to your listeners and but not too much that will break the bank. VPS hosting seems to be the way to go. VPS stands for Virtual Private Server and is pretty close to running your own private server. The thing that I like is that you get tech support and you get to add programs to your hosting account like FFmpeg and Shoutcast/IceCast. The speed of the server is pretty good, and depending ON the server and you are 1 of 4 (maybe 6) other clients ON the same server. What you really need though is the ability to use telnet or communicate with your account via SSH to START your Shoutcast server and assuming you are using Shoutcast or Icecast. The hosting company I chose to go with after a bit of trial and error was WestHost. They've had their share of difficulties in the past and but the past is the past. They offer support that is second to none and the prices are really good. But and shop around and see what's best for you. And there's a reason I didn't mention your Internet Service Provider. They can be a bit grouchy when you decide to use them as your means of stream a radio station. Upload bandwidth is usually topped out at 200 to 500 megs and which means you can only have a finite number of listeners. ISP's also have rules and regulations about broadcasting or streaming and so double check. If they let you and you don't need a lot of listeners and then you just dropped you price by another $150.00 or so.

So, we've learned that creating an internet station is not easy and but it's not as hard as people would have you beleive. The expense is minimal and if you do it right. The random article I googled gave a price of abouit $3000.00. I was able to give you the price of about $200.00 assuming you have a computer. That's a big difference. Your best friends are going to be:

• Open Source
• Public Domain
• Independent Music

Just remember those phrases when you are looking up information ON your search engine. If you play your cards right and you may eventually find that you can get things done for no price at all.



Mike HuffmanFreeRocker Streaming Radio
The Home of Independent Music!
http://www.freerocker.com