Disc Jockey | Digital DJ Tips

January 4th, 2013 Training

5 Ways to Make Extra Money As A DJ

by Phil Morse

Whether you’re at college, determined to make it as a DJ at any cost, or just wanting to maximise the income from your hobby, looking at ways of making some extra cash from your DJing is definitely worthwhile.

So you’ve managed to get yourself a couple of regular bar gigs, or maybe even a set in a local club. You’re finally getting a little bit of cash back to support your DJing hobby. (Still stuck in your bedroom, dreaming of all of this? Find out how How To Digital DJ Fast can make this happen for you!).

Chances are though, that you’re not making a huge amount of money from your DJing – and that’s both fine, and completely normal. But there are ways you can add to whatever you’re being paid to DJ.

25 Comments »

October 26th, 2012 Training

5 Easy Steps To DJing With Live Musicians

by Mohamed Kamal

saxnbeats

Do you ever wish you had the opportunity to DJ with live musicians? To get your crowd just as excited as when attending a live concert? Do you ever wish that your DJ sets had the extra dynamics and improvisational qualities that live musicians can bring?

Because make no mistake: Adding live musicians to your set changes your crowd’s club experience massively. It creates an atmosphere similar to that provided by a cohesive band, they type of band that instinctively play off of each other. Your audience is dancing to your tight beats and at the same time watching an engaging performance by these musicians.

15 Comments »

October 24th, 2012 Reviews

Review & Video: Hercules DJ Console RMX2 Controller

by Phil Morse

The Hercules DJ Console RMX2 improves on the popular DJ Console RMX in a few vital areas, while adding some clear nods to current DJ controller trends like pads you can bash…

Hercules was one of the first companies in the digital DJing arena (the first DJ controller review I ever wrote was of one of its products, nearly 10 years ago).

But the Hercules DJ Console RMX was the model that really put the company on the map. Like the Vestax VCI-100, it was a controller that helped digital DJing get established. And now we have the DJ Console RMX2 (US$296 / £253), its direct replacement.

32 Comments »

October 2nd, 2012 Training

Learning To DJ: Questions Beginners Always Ask

by Terry 42

Satoshi Tomiie rocks it, digital style. If you want to learn the skills that can put you in front of a crowd playing the music you love, today we answer some of your questions.

I’m one of the moderators of the busy Digital DJ Tips Forum. Because of this, I get a unique perspective on the thoughts, questions, fears and concerns of hundreds of people who are starting out learning to DJ, every single day.

Today I’d like to answer some of the questions that come up again and again among beginners on the forum. How can I learn to DJ? what gear should I buy? What about scratching? What’s the minimum I need to start? Where can I get help choosing DJ gear? Should I be learning to DJ on “pro” DJ gear? Here is our take on these and other common queries among new DJs:

25 Comments »

September 27th, 2012 Training

9 Insider Tips To Landing A Job As A Cruise Ship DJ

by Oliver Santa Maria

These ships are full of partying holidaymakers, and there are plenty of venues on board – bars, poolside, clubs – that need DJs. Here’s how to become one…

Last week, I shared with you what it’s like to be a cruise ship DJ – how it differs from other types of DJing, and the particular challenges of playing to a disparate yet fixed audience for each seven-day holiday cycle in a (typically) month-long contract on board.

This week I’m going to share with you some hard-won advice, tips and tricks both for landing a cruise ship job as a DJ, and for making the most of it once you have.

6 Comments »

September 25th, 2012 Training

How To DJ Warm Up Sets (And When To Break The Rules)

by Phil Morse

Club’s open, people are arriving… so how do you play it, and is it ever OK to bang on the big tunes?

Standard DJ etiquette says DJs playing the warm-up set should, you know, warm up. They should hold back, leaving it for the main guest or guests to drop the big tunes and thus raise the energy level to the roof. Tease the crowd, make the dancefloor seem less hostile to people who’ve just walked in. Get things starting to move – but don’t grab the glory.

Certainly, so the rules go, you shouldn’t turn the volume up, banging on all the tunes the crowd knows. Try all the tricks to get everyone hanging from the rafters before the big-name guest DJ hits the booth. That’s just bad manners, right? Well, actually, as we find out today, it’s not always so clear cut…

19 Comments »

September 24th, 2012 Software

Love Serato, Hate iTunes? Meet Alchimie Zinc

by Phil Morse

File management is never going to be exciting, but if you use a Serato DJ program but hate iTunes, Alchimie Zinc could save you a lot of time.

If you use Serato ITCH, Serato Scratch Live, or Serato DJ Intro, but you don’t use iTunes to organise your music, Alchimie Zinc For Serato program could save you a lot of time when you’re organising your music.

It solves a basic issue whereby Serato doesn’t recognise your hard drive’s folder structure. This means you have to set up all your crates and sub-crates again from within Serato to reflect how you keep your music on your hard drive. You also have to put any new tunes in two places every time you add to, rearrange or delete from your collection.

15 Comments »

September 21st, 2012 Training

What It’s Like To Work As A Cruise Ship DJ

by Oliver Santa Maria

Want to DJ all over the world? Maybe getting a job as a cruise ship DJ would be just the ticket. Today an experienced cruise ship DJ reveals what it’s really like playing onboard a luxury cruise liner.

I’ve DJed on three cruise ships for four separate stints with the job title of “celebrity guest DJ”. Of all the cruise ship jobs, it’s got to be one of the best! For me, it’s been a great experience to travel the world and meet people from so many different places. And like with wedding DJing, it’s an underrated way of really improving your DJ skills.

Cruise ship DJing has taken me to places that I don’t think I would ever have visited on my own. Places like Cozumel and Costa Maya in Mexico; Roattan, Honduras, Great Stirrup Cay and Nassau in the Bahamas; Puerto Rico, Halifax and Nova Scotia in Canada – and that’s just some of my favourites.

41 Comments »