Hi there. For a long time I was doing exactly what you are doing now. Recording your mixing is essential to improve, but after a while, a boost of creativity is needed. If no one else can hear what you’re playing, there’s also that risk of getting to think that it doesn’t matter… and sloppy mixing may stop you from getting further.
For me the turning point came when I stated to post my mixes online, and the most rewarding place to get hem up, is on Youtube. Because of their strict copyright rules, your mix will easily get blocked an no one will hear it. So, while choosing the right tracks I also make a speed mix of all the tracks I want to use and add a few extras just in case. 30 -60 seconds/track is enough. Give the mix a name and upload it to Youtube. After posting the video you’ll get copyright warnings telling you which track will be allowed and which will ban the hole mix entirely, or in which countries it will be blocked. Now, you should be able to make a mix that will stay open to everyone.
Now, since I got a fiber connection a while ago, I can now upload at will. Only takes a few min’s regardless of the length of the mix. During this time I’ve gotten myself a couple of hundreds of followers, and about 45 000 views. Not much compared to the big and famous, but for me, a normal working DJ it’s huge. This makes me want to do the best I can every time not to disappoint my followers. I spend almost as much time preparing and programming these sets as I do my payed gigs 🙂 . Thinking about it, it’s even more important, because anyone can listen to the details over and over again. When the numbers of your followers are growing, this also is the base for your future customers who will check you out before contacting you. Using your phone or a couple of Go Pro’s filming your set will attract even more people, done right. It will also increase your focus and awareness of the task ahead. This has helped me getting as close to a live gig as possible when practicing.
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