Many beginner DJs are eager to get their first DJ gig once they've practiced their beatmatching and grown in confidence. Once you have the confidence to stringed together a fairly smooth mix, it's time to do something with your skills. It's time to learn how to get a DJ gig.
Tip #1. Don't be Too Discriminating
Everyone has to start somewhere. Your first DJ gig might be playing to a near empty room, a school formal or someone's 50thbirthday party. It doesn't matter, since it's all experience. Think about it as adding DJ gigs to your resume, exactly would for a regular day job. As you gain experience and notoriety, you will be get your name out there and score bigger and bigger gigs.
Tip #2. Make a Soundcloud
Soundcloud is possibly the best way to share your mixes with others. Even if you think you've still got a way to go with your mixing skills, it's still worth uploading a few mixes to show people how you're improving. Getting more and more listens each time should boost your confidence, and will help you get your first DJ gig.
Tip #3. Try and get a DJ gig on a small radio station
Finding a DJ gig on a small radio station, such as a community station, college radio station or an internet radio station can help you gain more well known. Due to know who might be listening. The best way to get a DJ gig on a radio station is to ask friends and acquaintances. It might be worth even contacting a radio station right to see if they have any position openings, since some smaller areas often struggle to fill all of their timeslots.
Tip #4. Consider your mixes
There is a difference between creating a mix for a live audience and uploading a mixture on the net or something similar. The difference is the 'party vibe'. Although fellow DJs and music fans will appreciate your ability to find the most unknown beats from new and cool makes, if you aren't happy to fill a collection with hit songs that people want to dance to, then no one will want to give you a DJ gig. Buy SoundCloud Reposts
Tip #5. Focus on a scene
Do not get embroiled in the trap of playing too many types of music. If you are going to make a name for yourself, it's best to target one type only and generally one 'scene' only. You can't participate all the scenes (unless you go out 7 nights per week). Depending on what music you like and what you like playing, pick an area. For some people that might be raves, for others that might be clubs or house parties.
Tip #6. Social media
Social media is a superb way to market yourself, for just two reasons. Firstly, you can make fan pages for yourself and like or twitter your Soundcloud mixes. Secondly, you create a name for yourself as a DJ. When you have the guts to link all of your Facebook friends one of your mixes, just do it, since it's one of the best ways to go about getting your DJ gig.
Tip #7. Throw your own party
This seems a cheeky way of 'getting a gig', but what you're trying to do is the usual theme of establishing a name for yourself. Throwing your own party is a fair bit of work and may not necessarily work for all makes of dance music, but is a wonderful way of getting going. Make sure to invite plenty of people in the DJ scene along in order to hear you skill. Getting your own first DJ gig this way will also give you much needed practice playing to an audience.
Still can't work out why you can't get a gig? Here's the number one reason people fail...
Tip #8. Network
The old saying "it's not what you know, it's who you know" is very true when talking about getting a DJ gig. Networking comes above anything else: skill, technique, the tracks you play, the club, the surroundings, anything... you just need to know one of the right people. Learning the needs of marketers is far and away the most important factor when getting gigs.
If you know some marketers, you're already continuing your journey. If not, emerge there and meet marketers! Talk with them about your love of DJing, about how good their gigs are (feel free to stink up as much as possible), or just discuss whatever and make acquaintances. Getting concise where you can nod or say hi to the guy/girl is where you want to be.
Make sure to talk about DJing enough to let him or her know that you are one, but not really much that you become irritating. The hints will sink in, and if you network with enough people someone will eventually have an opening for you.
It's also important to emerge there and start meeting people in the scene, not just marketers. Most of these people will be DJs as well, and as with any community, people will support each other. Marketers are generally part of this community as well, so if they see you on trips and begin to uncover your face you will be realised as being the main community and worthy of a DJ gig.