Networking is an essential skill that all DJs and artists must master to get gigs regularly and consistently. In 2023 it has become more critical than ever to utilise networking tools you have around you, such as social media, to build your artist brand and create and establish networks with other DJs and artists in the industry. Below are some starting points, tips, and tricks to help you get more gigs.
With Pioneer DJ's new release of the OPUS-QUAD, you may wonder how it compares to other DJ equipment. In this article we put the new Pioneer Opus Quad head to head with the Pioneer CDJ 3000s, the newly released DJM-A9, as well as the Denon DJ Prime 4.
Playing in a live setting can be a nerve-wracking experience at the best of times, but you might eventually find yourself in a situation where the settings on the gear are all so foreign that it feels like you're fighting against the equipment and mixing feels much harder than normal.
The world of DJ gear is constantly evolving and advancing, with new products and technologies being introduced every year. As we move further into 2023, it's time to take a look at some of the best DJ gear that is available on the market today.
Ready to get started on your DJ setup? Love being at a club event, rave, concert, or festival and want to create that atmosphere for others? Want to ignite your inner talent to mix music as a DJ?
As DJs, music is an essential part of our lives, and for many people, nothing compares to the feeling of a well-crafted DJ mix. Not only is it an amazing promotional tool to create or boost your current DJ career, it is also a means to form your identity and brand.
Give yourself the best chance of success when you step up to the decks with these tips for selecting and preparing your USB stick for use with CDJs and media players.
The process of researching and building up your music collection is an essential job for all DJs and one which can be overwhelming with more and more options becoming available.
YouTube is a great place to start if you are brand-spanking new. For instance, you can find videos about your controller. Whether you have the new Pioneer DDJ-FLX4 or the OG Pioneer DDJ-400, most big DJ brands like Pioneer DJ, Denon DJ, and Numark have tutorials on YouTube.
Let me paint a picture. I was once out at a club and the music was getting repetitive and some people were leaving and more people were sitting down than dancing and all of a sudden the DJ teased in the vocal: hey boy hey girl, by chemical brothers.
The key to killer psy trance sets, and TBH, any DJ set for that matter, is killer track selection and arrangement, which usually comes down to how well you know your tracks or how much research and prep you do before crafting a set. In this video I'll breakdown the things I consider when building a set and putting together a playlist.
Firstly, thank you for the people that suggested that I do a Psy Trance Set. personally until now, although being a fan of psy trance and going to many a doof in the old days, I've never actually played it before and I can see now that was a big mistake.
Have you ever gone for a bass swap and when you do the exiting track drops out dramatically making your transition sound a little empty?
Now that clubs are starting to take off post covid I am receiving more and more enquires about drinking and DJing , for instance, some people want to know if drinking's ok and if so how much is ok, whilst other people don't want to drink but because they're surrounded by alcohol everywhere they look, they're not sure how it's actually possible especially when they want to fit in and get opportunities.
OK let's face it, anyone can do a standard transition between tracks but if you're looking for a way to mix things up a bit and wow the crowd then look no further as the acappela bridge is one of the coolest, easy and fun transitions I know and it's a great way to create dynamics and energy on your dance floor.
The best way to know how to mix specific genres is to find an artist that specialises in a particular genre and then listen to some of their live sets on soundcloud and notice how much of each track they are playing and how they do their transitions.
The other day I was at the gym doing some thai boxing and I was listening to a Fisher set and I noticed the majority of the time he was playing the full track and simply mixing over the outro, but these days when watching DJs on YT it seems popular to do really quick transitions and use a lot of FX, so which way's better.
In my experience there's different ways to mix most genres and it usually comes down to prep vs no prep. Personally I feel both have their advantages but today, off the back of last weeks video, I want to take the concept of no prep to the next level and go one step further and cover the screens which means I have no visuals cues.
In recent weeks Ive had a lot of people reach out to me, saying that they jumped on club gear and noticed the beats kept drifting apart and because they didn't have any visual reference, they doubted wether or not the beats were in sync and it really effected their confidence...
Firstly for those new to DJIng, the EQ controls the different frequencies within each track. Straight up is how the song comes recorded, so if you're playing a track on its own, I'd leave all the EQ straight up, it's only when you're playing both tracks together that you need to adjust the EQ's to help the tracks compliment each other.
I am receiving so many questions from people getting club shows or wanting to get club shows and they are really nervous about making the jump from controller to club gear and some are even expressing concerns about what genres to play, saying there local clubs focus on more party and commercial music.
Not sure where to start? In this mini series I answer many of the questions beginners have about learning to DJ.
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