Careers in DJing: Creative Portal

So, you've the decks, a great collection of records and a great crowd to play to but what do you do when you're ready to play to a bigger crowd than your mates in your bedroom? Well read on. You'll find some useful information and great websites full of hints and tricks.

The best way to find out what's happening, what's hot and what's not is to hang out in record shops and go to clubs. Once you know the type of music you like, the first you have to do is buy as many records as you possibly can. An extensive record collection is a very important tool for a DJ.

Once you've got the records and access to some decks, you need to practice, practice, practice!

DJ School

There are a lot of great DJ's emerging, so, do you need to do more than just practice mixing and scratching in front of your mates in your bedroom? Well, the answer is yes. There are many private courses. You can get details of them out of many dance music magazines but there are also many colleges and universities that run DJ courses. Not only do they give you the opportunity to learn about the technical side of DJing, they also look at the crowd, understanding them, what makes them dance etc.

Starting Out

You need to get experience playing in front of crowds but how do you do it? One way is to start playing at parties. This could be at school or college or just simply starting your own parties. The difficulty many DJ's find is where to play? Finding venues can be difficult but try sweet talking your local pub landlord or try to play at venues on a quiet night.

Another way is to pester your favourite club owner or promoter for a slot. You could also try to DJ with bands, before and after their slot.

You will need to put together a tape or CD to send in but remember, don't forget to put your contact details on it! It will need to be 90 minutes long, and make sure you include the name of every song.

Try sending in your tape to relevant music magazines. Some will feature new DJ's.

Once your confidence has grown you need to get in touch with DJ agencies and get your name on their books. Make sure that they are right for your type of music.

Networking

Networking is extremely important. Find out who owns clubs, who are the regular DJ's and who are the promoters. Take time to get to know them and ask them questions. Another great place to network is record shops. This is where other DJ's and promoters hang out.

For more in depth information, tips and hints, take a look at the following websites (All links will open in a new window):

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