D-Jam

Paul Tibbetts, post: 24250, member: 2488 wrote: Ok maybe not for an entire sub forum, but I think it could still warrant a ‘how to guide’ from someone with a bit of experience which could turn into a healthy thread.

Way ahead of you…start here:

http://www.digitaldjtips.com/2011/09/how-to-promote-events-throw-your-own-parties-part-1/

😉

If I wanted a quality DJ for my bar/club, I’d think mainly in terms of my end goals.

If I were opening an underground music spot, then I’d forgo a resident DJ and instead bring out promoters I know who throw events that align with my venue. I’d also invest and help them in a partnership to bring out bigger headliners.

If I were opening a mainstream spot, then I’d want DJs who not only know pop music/culture…but like it. Not the tech-house/dubstep fanatic who’s only playing mainstream because he needs the money. The fun-loving person who will come out and make a nice party atmosphere. The person who thinks of the crowd and works his/her tail off to please that crowd.

I know many want to think of “quality” in terms of selected gear, whether or not they manually beatmatch, and possibly if they go beyond the Beatport Top 20 in their music…but you’re all now thinking like DJs, not a promoter or manager.

This is the key point I try to make in articles pertaining to promotion. You can’t think like a DJ. Believe me, I did and it’s why I failed so many times. Many who come out for the music now come out to see a bigger name. It’s part of why those fests were so appealing to many over the clubs. Many who come out for the atmosphere/people could care less about the music except that it’s stuff that makes hot women dance and get drunk. Even the women in these scenarios only care about that they get in free, guys buy them drinks, and the DJ plays hits that make them dance like strippers.

“Quality” has become subjective. Thinking as a promoter, I’d take the popular guy over the talented guy any day. WHY? Because the popular guy brings in heads, and heads equal $$$$. This is a business after all.

Vision Nightclub in Chicago…biggest club in the Midwest. They’re booking Pauly D to play. I don’t like him either, but I know he’ll pack the club with hot slutty club chicks looking for celebrities, and many more men who want to lay those women.

Always think bottom line when you promote or manage a venue or event.

(b)

I think the problem with labels and Beatport is you’ll be waiting forever to see an ROI. I’ve had friends do this and they’ll sell some copies, but can’t seem to get paid because BP has a policy where they only pay out $500 a time. So you could sell $498 worth of music, but until you make that next $2, you won’t get paid.

I understand BP does it to make the labels on their site continually release stuff, but I think this system is also what perpetuates bigger money prevailing over smaller guys.

One option would be to do it yourself. Find one of those sites where you can set up a profile, sell downloads, and market your music by sending promos to DJs you know and respect. Toss up a sample clip on SoundCloud to spread the word.

Another is look into the other stores. Traxsource, Satellite, Stompy, etc. I personally think in Beatport you’ll get lost in the masses of music there. On smaller specialized sites you can get more noticed by those who are into your sound…especially if you’re an offbeat/underground sound.

Christopher A Johnson, post: 24141, member: 157 wrote: Hi Phil,
Just a polite reminder of an email we exchanged a few weeks back. I asked about accounting software and keeping track of business expenses. Any progress on that column?

I’m not Phil, but I would tell you that you should download demos and/or try out cloud services like Mint.com. It really comes down to how much expenditures you have and what you need to keep track of. I once tried to do my personal finance with Quicken, but found I didn’t have much to put in, so I stopped.

Maybe some details here, and I can possibly help guide you.

Christopher A Johnson, post: 24141, member: 157 wrote:
Second, I’d like some feedback on dealing w/ bar owners who have high/unrealistic expectations of a DJ bringing a crowd. I’ve had 4 gigs recently at bars that I thought would be good but ended up being dead, dead, dead. One place is a huge bar/bowling alley/band club in the suburbs. I did my usual promotion but I don’t live in the area so no one I know was going to come. The bar did next to nothing and only posted 2 of the 15 posters I had printed. Point is, I get this all the time from bar and restaurant owners that expect me to fill their bar on my DJ night when the place is virtually empty every other night. The second place I played was from 12-3am following a couple of ‘original music’ bands. Each night, the bands had about 5-8 ppl show up. I played for the bar staff. Sure, its good practice but still not very fulfilling.

I think you need to confront them when you set up these gigs. If you’re being hired as a promoter, then you need to make a deal with them as a promoter but then determine the costs they have to incur to you in order to make it happen. Not just paying you, but any percentages of the bar or specials/giveaways to help drive people in. If they’re hiring you as a DJ, then it’s on them to do their own promotion. You should help, but not do it all.

Frankly, when I see venues who simply toss it all on the DJ and not even help, then it screams to me “walk away”. They’re not serious about their business and thus they’re destined to die. Believe me, I’m from Chicago too. I’ve seen this loads of times.

However, if you want to take on the job of promoter, then maybe read up the series we have on promoting. Maybe it’ll help. You’ll have to do the work and think “marketing”. I personally would not do it unless there’s good money involved and you think you can pull it off. Remember that an AVAILABLE venue doesn’t always equate to an IDEAL venue. Look at the market, where they go, and even why they might not come to this place.

Christopher A Johnson, post: 24141, member: 157 wrote:
Third, I did have one good gig w/ a full room and for the life of me, no matter what I played – someone wasn’t happy. One waitress came up to me 3 times telling me to play good songs, the crowd is bored and more Top 40. I was having a melt down for about an hour until I got into the right groove. The lesson I learned is #1 – Top 40 means different things to different people #2 have a set list planned and stick to it, #3 even if the owner says “No Hip-Hop” if enough people request Hip-Hop, then f’n play Hip-Hop. And #4, despite how much songs are over played on the radio, in a bar setting after a Cubs game on a Saturday afternoon, people STILL want to hear songs they know. I hate LMFAO but it saved my ass.

Always bear in mind you won’t please everyone, and there are always people who come out thinking their favorite music will work everywhere.

You always look at the floor as the decider. So if the floor is packed, jamming, and yet one or a few people want different music, you as a DJ have the right to say “no”. I also agree if the owner is going to say “no” to some genres, then try to understand the “why”.

Usually when I see an owner ban hip-hop, it’s basically because he doesn’t want to see his place get filled with “ghetto folk”. I know many times this is pure racism, but it’s his spot, so he can run it into the ground if he chooses. I would simply play what a former employer called “chick-hop”, which is basically “easy to swallow” stuff that white people would love. It’ll please both sides in this.

I also know most managers won’t worry about the standards or “rules” if the floor is packed, alcohol is selling like crazy, and register rings are soaring. Money still talks in the end.

And yeah…the one thing to bear in mind with mainstream folk is they value SAFETY and FAMILIARITY. They don’t want to be “enlightened”, they want to be in their safety zone. It sucks musically, but it works.

Start here:

http://www.digitaldjtips.com/2011/03/how-to-succeed-at-djing-part-1-what-type-of-dj-do-you-want-to-be/

You can map the sample decks to other midi controllers, but you only get four samples per deck…kind of hot it was before 2.5.

As of right now, the ONLY way you can do the colorful DAW-style remix decks off a midi control is to buy the F1 from Native Instruments. They have currently now allowed mapping of the remix decks to anything but an F1. We can claim it’s a cheap means to sell hardware, or they’re still working on a system for other controller mapping.

Hopefully an update down the road will open things up.

Here’s my issue:

1) You can only use music you can find on Beatport. So you can’t use bootleg remixes and mashups you like, or drop some old school accapella on top of something that BP doesn’t have, etc. I know BP has a lot, but it’s still limiting.

2) I’ve heard you can sell these mixes. If they still kept that, I can imagine a flood of kids uploading mixes to sell will go there, no one will buy them, and then DJs will complain how they can’t get a break.

3) You’re dealing with all the free services out there. So anyone wanting mixes will not pay for what they can get for free…not unless you’re a bigger name.

Here’s the PLUS though…you can more easily get mixes from the big names you love. So like how I’ll shop for trance by listening to AvB and PvD sets…this might be a means to hear them more. Now imagine it’s a more obscure genre of music.