D-Jam

The CTRL-47 still intrigues me.

U31, post: 4044 wrote: and watermark your tunes too with your name drop every few minutes in the tune if you dont want them ripping off too…

I dunno. I’ve come to believe that if someone wants to rip off tunes I played, then they’ll find a way to get them. Maybe not off my mix, but on P2P or illegal blogs.

I use name drops for radio and online shows. Sometimes a live event, but I generally don’t like to. Seen too many guys do what I call “audio masturbation” with them.

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I honestly think it’s a waste of money to pay $6 a month for ReverbNation. Possess, if you designed your site layout, then I think you probably could make your own electronic press kit. Hit me up if you need help (Chicago DJs UNITE!).

SoundCloud is only good if you’re producing tracks. I think the best solutions for DJs is at least MixCloud and MixCrate. MixCloud gives you nice widgets to post all over. MixCrate allows people to download your mix.

Don’t complicate your life and fall into the trap of paying people money per month for things you can do on your own. Back in 1994, I wanted to put a hot mix cassette in the local stores to build exposure. I had no clue about doing this on a professional level, as I’d only make individual cassettes for friends. I researched several spots who made professional ones and ended up driving two hours to some backwoods studio because they had a low price.

I ended up spending $600 for 100 cassettes. $6 a cassette! I got on-shell printing, a B&W insert printed that a friend designed, they ran my initial tape through a noise reducer, and shrink-wrapped them all.

In the end, I never made my money back, and I realized I spent way too much on this. From that point on, I adopted a DIY (Do-It-Yourself) approach to it all. I started pressing my own cassettes and even found labels I could print off an inkjet printer. I would design my own inserts and go to Kinko’s to print them off. Imagine being at a Kinko’s late on a Saturday night cutting 200 inserts off the page. Still, I managed to get 200 full-color inserts for LESS than what I paid for B&W ones from those studio guys.

When CD burning became easier and affordable, I’d just go about doing that on my own as well. I even bought an Epson printer that can print on CDs and would again design my own inserts and print them off at Kinko’s when I needed large quantities. Granted I only burned CDs now in small amounts for friends or to toss out at events. Now that MP3 is the chosen format, I simply go DIY with the album art.

The DIY mentality is something I think each and every DJ out there should embrace. The idea that you’re not going to shell out big money for things you might just be able to do on your own. It’s this mentality that led me to learn design on my own, as well as web development. Funny side note is that ended up becoming my career. It’s why I learned photography even, and still strive to be self-sufficient in many arenas. I’ll go to a professional for things I absolutely cannot do (like printing flyers or decals), but I won’t spend money for things like design, sound editing, or web development.

Take a chance. Make your own press kit, zip it up, put it on your website. I don’t think promoters are scanning ReverbNation for potential DJs. They’re only going by who they hear has a following…so prioritize that. Make your own press kit, continue editing and evolving your website, and always look for opportunities. Like Emma recently did, when someone needs a guest DJ on their online show, submit a mix. Post your mixes on those sites I mentioned. Send a mix to my buddies at TheMovement.fm (any of you are welcome to send them mixes), get involved with the local scene, find like-minded people, and help one another to build bigger and better events and gigs.

There isn’t some magical paid service that will get you success. Just do it on your own, make mistakes, learn from them, and eventually you’ll get to a point where you’ll see gains. The How To Succeed at DJing series will help.

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and we all start as amateurs at everything we do. This entry from my blog will show you how my website looked very amateur from the start, but it evolved into the experience you get now. I didn’t start off knowing everything, so I had to grow. Imagine where you’ll be in ten years and you’ll get it.

Ok….I’ve rambled enough.

I think any of those laptops are fine. Just max out the ram.

I also suggest you read up online on tips and means to optimize Windows to be effective. If you can scrape up the money even, go to Microsoft and update your windows to a full clean version. Usually companies like HP will put in bloatware and other useless crap. Uninstall it or try to get a clean install of Windows.

I love my Thinkpads, but I hear a lot of good things about HP. The two Architekt posted look good as well.

Just be patient, know the limits of your laptop, and you’ll do fine. Half the problems people have came about because they honestly don’t know how to optimize Windows and they push their laptops way beyond what they can actually do…even Macbooks.

I think it’s a good idea if Fridays seem nonexistent in his neck of the woods.

Maybe try to push it as a laid-back kind of night or something.

Jez…if you want, post more specifics when you get them together and even share with us your exploits from flyer/ad design to how you’re using social media to push the event. We’ll all try to chime in with guidance if we can.

Here’s my thoughts:

jezalenko, post: 3791 wrote: The current resident DJ plays more commercial music than the most commercial radio station, and doesnt seem to know how to mix it either (just cuts from one to the other, radio style.)

First off, how does the crowd like this guy? He could be the worst DJ in the world but if the crowd loves him, shows up to support, dances, and thus he brings the party…then he’s still considered “gold” in the eyes of an owner or manager.

jezalenko, post: 3791 wrote: So as far a music policy goes, we will attempt to run with commercial remixes, to make the music smoother and more danceable, yet still give the punter something they know. However, we have also suggested we give the final hour or so over to the style of EDM the closeing DJ prefers, as Top40 dominates in my city. The plan is to give more or less time to that style of music depening on crowd response.

I like the idea, but I would try to word things in a way that doesn’t scare the owner. If he has a dead Friday night and nothing’s happening, then he’ll be open…but if he’s doing decently on Friday and now you’re looking to bring “new music” in, he’ll worry you’ll drive his crowd out.

I would probably word what you have in mind in terms of an event, a social thing, and find something that will set it out there, but don’t focus too much on the music. Most owners I’ve met could care less what’s playing as long as they have a crowd. Maybe you can market it as some kind of special event party or something.

jezalenko, post: 3791 wrote: However, as far as the business plan to present to the owner goes, I’m a bit stuck at some points. Firstly is expected attendance. I have honestly no idea how many people are going to be rolling up to an event. Does anyone have any tips on how to estimate this?

That’s tough. You could think you can bring out 500 people, then your night comes and no one shows. Way back I tried to do an underground music event when I thought there was a lacking of it, but a crowd wanting it. What I ran into were ravers who didn’t want to go to a club, and clubbers who didn’t want to go hear locals in what they deemed wasn’t a “proper venue”. We failed.

How many people you can muster is really down to who you know and if they would really come out to support you. I’ve had many colleagues who liked me in the scene, but not enough to break out of their typical habits to support. Family and friends even never really supported all that much and stayed in their own lives.

I’m not trying to knock your dreams, but forewarn you that with many people you know, you’ll see who are really “support” and who are not by if they’ll come out. Keep this in your mind and really think about how many people you can honestly bring out. If you think it’s not much, then seriously research and think about how you could market the event to the point it gets you those numbers.

jezalenko, post: 3791 wrote: Also the money side of things is where I’m not too confident. Probably the easiest way to pay for things would be to take a cover charge ($5-10) or a cut of the bar. Personally I hate cover charges, and I’m not confident of asking the owner for a cut of the bar (and I have no idea what percentage to ask for either!)

If the club normally charges cover, then try it. If not, then don’t. Even if you have to do a few nights as a “tryout” and get nothing, do it and prove yourself. Charging cover when the venue normally doesn’t can kill your chances, especially if other spots offer free entry.

So maybe do a trial run, and if you see success, then the man gives you a cut of the bar and you move forward.

In my opinion, his app serves no other purpose that a mobile website could do.

The trick with apps is when you build something useful that people can get a benefit out of. With your name attached to it, then it pushes your brand.

So if you had some kind of “DJ Possess app” that perhaps linked up with location-based social media to tell where the girls are, or where events are on a map, or utilities for DJs like the two apps I mentioned, or even some fun DJ thing for normal people. That’s how you really make use of it all.

Most DJs would do fine with just a mobile app, but even then you’re limited because of what you can and can’t do on mobile.

I don’t mind requests, but too often it’s a case of the “wrong place” or “wrong timing”.

A night is advertised as a trance night, house night, or even “underground” night, but some girl always shows up who thinks the entire crowd would rather listen to pop or mainstream music. Or some old fart believes the crowd would love to hear some classic rock over the dance music you’re paid to play.

My biggest grudge with requests is how often they’re completely against what you’re being paid to play. I remember when I was playing music at a European style cafe I got some guys one night wanting 80s metal. Um…hello? Does this look like a rock bar? The owner himself didn’t want it, but these guys can’t seem to understand what they’re doing is like walking into a biker bar and asking to hear Ke$ha.

Another time I had a Polish girl who was celebrating her birthday and wanted to hear some Scooter…plus asked me to “crank it!”. The owner said “no” because he didn’t want loud pounding music in his venue…just more mellow “atmosphere” music. Still this girl was all in a “me me me me me” mode and couldn’t understand that birthday or not, it’s not all about her.

I’ve had trance nights where people beg to hear rap music, house nights where people want pop, etc. What generally bothers me is when a night is PROMOTED to be a certain sound, people seem to think it doesn’t matter. Worse is when a manager who wants to get laid is telling you to forget what the promoter is pushing and play whatever the girls want.

Would you want Paul Van Dyk stopping his trance set to play Lil Jon? Would you want Grandmaster Flash or Qbert stopping their sets to play Britney Spears?

If I’m playing a wedding or some party like that, or a local bar, or some corporate event, then I’d better damn well be happy to take requests…but when I’m playing a club night where it’s about promoting a vibe or atmosphere or select sound, then take your requests to totally change the music and go to another venue.