Five Tips For Becoming A Successful Mobile DJ
Some time ago, someone asked me how to become a DJ. I thought long and hard about their question, and I reflected on my own experience breaking into the DJ business around eight years ago. This is a summary of what I said:
Well, let me start by telling you a little about myself. I am a DJ who has been in the business for about seven or eight years. For me, playing and mixing music started out as a hobby. With time and experience, it has grown into a fulfilling and quite lucrative side gig. Yeah, it’s work, but it’s not like having a grueling nine to five, because I love doing it.
I started out much like you might be right now—with an interest in how music brings so much joy to people, but without much knowledge about how to start doing it professionally myself
So, I starting latching onto a couple of people I knew who were already doing what I wanted to do. Luckily, I found someone who was willing to share some of the tricks of the trade, and this allowed me to get off the ground more quickly than I would have otherwise.
Tip #1: Find someone who is already doing what you want to do, and follow them
I mirrored one of my established DJ friends. I even used the same equipment that he used to make music at the time. Often, I received his old used equipment as hand-me-downs when he went off to buy a new and improved piece of equipment. Sometimes he gave me things, most times I’d pay a cost which was far below market value for them.
He allowed me to go to gigs with him to help him to set up, and he gave me access to the sacred space which is behind the DJ table—the DJ booth. By him doing this, it allowed me to watch him closely and to pick up on nuances that one can only learn from such an up-close, hands-on experience.
Tip #2: Search the Internet for Info
Along the way, he offered helpful advice and dropped nuggets of information. He directed me to watch free YouTube videos about DJs who also gave advice to start-up DJs like I was. He advised me to do a google search for things like “DJing for beginners”, “Starting a DJ business from scratch”, or “How to become a mobile DJ”. It wasn’t long before I realized that there is a plethora of free content on the internet about the topic!
Tip #3: Read All About It
On my own, and in my spare time, I read books like “How to Start a Home-Based DJ Business” by Joe Shambro (which is free to read at the Science, Industry and Business Library in NYC by the way), and “How to DJ Right” by Frank Broughton and Bill Brewster. These books were like the infamous “...for dummies” books which are good books to read when you have zero to no knowledge about any give topic. I don’t know if you’ve ever seen or read one of those books, but it could be pretty embarrassing to read “Djing for Dummies” on a crowded subway. However, if you want to start your DJ business, you got to start somewhere.
Tip #4: Watch Videos
I watched videos created by people who are established and who are willing to share. DJ Rick Web and DJ LiXxer are a couple of established mobile DJs who have posted lots of invaluable information which I found very helpful to me throughout my learning journey. Little by little I upgraded my equipment in relation to my increasing level of experience. Eventually I started to play music for nominal pay at parties for friends. All the while I was getting better and better at my craft.
Tip #5: Play, Practice, Repeat
As time went on, I became good enough to play solo for gigs as a stand-in for other DJs I knew, who couldn’t take a particular gig because of a scheduling conflict, or for some other reason. Then, through word-of-mouth and by passing out business cards and building a name and a reputation, I started getting more and more calls. More and more calls lead to more and more money which led to more advertising which led to a more consistent customer base. Before I knew it, I was playing one to three gigs every month, and from my perspective, my mobile DJ business became a success!
CONCLUSION
Becoming a mobile DJ will take time, work, a willingness to learn, and practice, practice, and more practice. I love doing what I do, moonlighting as a mobile DJ, and if you keep learning, practicing, and growing, I’m sure you’ll love it too!
Questions?
If you have other questions along the way, which you undoubtedly will, you can certainly email them to me at info@djkwah.com. I’ll try to respond right away.
Until then, learn, practice, build, and grow!
WHO IS DJ K.WAH!? Having shown an affinity for music from a very young age, DJ K. Wah! has been fine-tuning his DJ skills with a unique repertoire of mixes, music elements and playlists for more than 10 years. His career took off in 2011, propelled by a loyal following that loved the irresistibly dance-able sounds of DJ K. Wah! Over the years, DJ K. Wah has built a solid reputation by having a strong work ethic and noble dependability when working events and interacting with clients.
Contact K. Wah! Entertainment
Business Line: 347.640.4529
Email: info@djkwah.com
Website: www.djkwah.com