McCarthy - How to become a top DJ: an insiders guide to DJing success

How to Become a top DJ

An insiders guide to DJing success

Infinite Ideas

8. Conclusion

S o, for equipment, you need to set a price range for everything you buy. For your decks, beginners should look to spend between 100 and 150. You should also consider purchasing the DJ packs from Numark. If you feel you are a little more advanced then you should look at brands such as the top of the range Technics or Pioneer. These will cost a considerable amount more but the extra money will provide a more professional set up. For speakers and headphones it is worth investing a decent amount of money too. If you buy from the top of the range they will last for a few years and some top of the range headphones can technically last forever, as you can replace individual parts. Cheaper speakers and headphones tend to break easily, especially when played at high volume for a length of time.

When it comes to producing, Logic and Garageband are the best for simplicity and getting to grips with Digital Audio Workstations. They can however be very overwhelming when you first use them. Once you are feeling a little more confident about working with the simpler software, like Cubase, Logic or Garageband, the next step would be Ableton. It has become renowned for being very easy to use if you have experience on the simpler programs. This program is used by a great number of dubstep and drum n bass artists such as Knife Party, Skrillex and Noisia. Then, when you are feeling really confident, you may want to try out Pro Tools. This software is used a lot within the recording industry and is found in nearly all professional recording studios worldwide. It is, without a doubt, for the more experienced producers but if you can get to grips with it, your tunes will sound extremely professional.

Getting your tunes and sets heard will be key to your success. The Internet provides some brilliant sites for this in which you can upload your work, share it with others and invite feedback from fellow producers. Soundcloud is advised for your individual tracks, whereas its sister site, Mixcloud, is perfect for getting feedback on whole sets. These are both free but if you require more upload memory, you can buy some for a very reasonable price. The Internet can also be used for setting up and broadcasting your own podcasts and radio shows. Sites like PodBean and PodOmatic are both free for basic memberships, but again you can sign up for more bandwidth for a small fee. A really important point to note here is that you should be putting links to all your other platforms. On your radio shows or podcasts you should be promoting your Soundcloud and Mixcloud sites. This will create a stronger following and give yourself a bigger chance of people talking about you.

Also consider making full use of social networking sites. Set up a band page on Facebook, MySpace and Twitter. Here you can upload your tunes, ask for advice or comments and link up with other artists. Set up a YouTube channel for yourself another great place for uploading your tunes and mixes. Once again, people can comment on these and you can build working relationships with other artists. Once you have set all these up you need to again be linking your viewers and listeners to your other profiles on other sites. This is about building yourself a real fan base and it will happen faster if you are on every available platform. Once you are feeling confident in yourself and your abilities, then start giving clubs CDs of your mixes or tunes and ask if there are any available set times you could fill. The key here is perseverance and patience. It will not happen overnight. Like Scratch Perverts said: Give it a year or two, not just six months.

Of course making it big does have an element of luck. You need to be seen by the right person at the right time. But the only way of doing this is to get yourself out there in every possible way. Get mixes and tunes sent to as many clubs, labels and websites as possible. Even if you are not planning on making it to the big time, mixing still takes a lot of practice and patience. It is a real skill but you will help yourself a great deal by getting the right equipment and software for your level of abilities.

Good luck with your DJ-ing. I leave you with words from the Scratch Perverts:

Id say to anyone wanting to get into the music industry, dont do it half arsed. Put as much time and energy into it as you possibly can and eventually it will happen for you.

Copyright information

Copyright Infinite Ideas Limited, 2012

First published in 2012 by

Infinite Ideas Limited
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Introduction

T he rave scene is big. DJ Fresh, Sub Focus, Pendulum, Flux Pavilion, Doctor P and Magnetic Man are just a few examples of electronic producers and DJs that have made it into the mainstream. Big time. And now, as expected, people want to do what they do. By reading this, we wont promise to make you a global DJ. We are here to give you some guidance on how to start out.

Mixing and turntablism are skills that take time to pick up and really master. None of the DJs you know, and have heard of, would have learnt what they know after just reading a book. However, we will help you by suggesting the right equipment for producing and mixing, offering advice from some of the top DJs in the drum n bass and dubstep scenes, considering ways of self-promotion, how to set up your own successful night and how to get sets in your local town or city. There are also full interviews from young and up and coming DJs such as Loadstar and Dismantle as well as chats with seasoned veterans like Shy FX and N-TYPE. Even if you are not aiming to make it big, it is an expensive hobby and dedication is a must if you want to get results.

At the end of your journey with us you should feel comfortable in the types of decks, mixers and speakers you need and also, for production, what software will suit you best so you dont feel overwhelmed. I have a lot of friends who are really involved in the rave scene, with successful club nights, songs signed to labels like Fat Boy Slims and some given residency at Hospital Records. They have all given input and believe that reading this is a great way of getting started on the road to becoming a successful DJ.

1. Equipment

W hen buying equipment you need to be brutally honest about deciding what level you are at. There is no point in buying the top brands when you are still a beginner or even intermediate. To complete your set-up you will need turntables (or CDJs), computer software, some sort of audio output, headphones and, depending on how much money you are willing to invest, interfaces for visual aids. This section will give you a rough guide on what you will need depending on your level of skill and the amount of money you have.