Tips for Beginner in Djing

Hey guys! I am also a Beginner at Dj myself and I want to become a good one and I know you have to start small and make progress from there. My question is however, how can I get out there to actually know what it feels like to Dj? Most clubs I go to want an experienced Dj and I don’t blame them lol! what should I do then? Should I start out at House parties and gain experience there, before I can get into the Night Clubs and other big places?

Any place to play with a live audience is a good place. Look on the blog, there is a series of articles on how to get your feet wet.

Greetinx.

Hey Dee.

1) Anything that gets you out there that you feel comfortable using and that you can use to make the place rock works in my book. So laptop and controller is fine. The Mixtrack is a beginner’s controller, so expect some flack from others. Having said that, I’d rather have someone use tools he is used too and do a good job than someone trying to use tools he hasn’t mastered (yet) and botch the evening.
2) You’ll find plenty of VDJ fans around here that will tell you they have been playing succesfully with VDJ for years. So, not sure who told you it’s not respected. And there is most definitely a much larger VDJ user/fan base here than there is for Mixx which you mention in your switch list. So, again, stick with what works for you. The important thing about software is that it should fit your workflow. Don’t make the mistake of picking software because of what others think of it and then try changing your workflow to fit the software. Generally speaking Traktor, Serato and VDJ are considered the “big three”. Personally I would like to add Mixvibes Cross to that list, but that’s just me.
3) There is pleny of information on this forum and over on the blog about getting your stuff noticed. On here, the place to get noticed is by posting a message (with a soundcloud link for example) in the Music, Mixes and Shows forum.

Hope that helps.

Greetinx.

1) Is djing on a controller enough to do venues? Laptop…& Usb controller?

Yes. Not only venues I played festivals with 2-3000 people with my controller…
One (or the) biggest club in London, the Ministry of Sound, accepts controllers in their booths and even have techs to set them up for you. Same with Cafe del Mar(Spain), the Octagon (Korea),…

2) Seems like Virtual DJ isn’t respected? Should I make the switch? Serato,Traktor,MixxDjay

Why? If you are comfy with it and it supports your current workflow there is no need to change.
I used VDJ to play in front of thousands of people, which is more than most of the people posting on some other forums that some software is not “pro” enough. Yes I switched to Serato, but not because it is more “pro”, but because my workflow changed and Serato could better support how I work. It could have easily been the other way around.

3) What online platforms can i use to promote my mixes, get feedback, etc.
I concur with Ritzky. All of them.

As for the hardware and software related questions:
Hardware and Software for a DJ are tools. That is why most newcomers as about them. If you stand together with world class DJs (for example I chatted with Armin van Buuren at IFA Berlin) gear is totally secondary to them. Most use what is convenient for them and gives good quality output, or what they are told to use (endorsing and getting money for it). Armin played a mini set at IFA on the Philips Mixr consumer thingy and his iPad with djay, which was a better Trance set than 90% of the sets I heard last year using CDJs…

What is more important for a world class DJ then?
Passion for music, commitment to DJing and 12+ hour workdays getting there and keeping it up.

If you want more join our next DigitalDJTips Masterclass as soon as it re-opens.