How To Get Started In DJing For Under $200 – Gear, Music AND Tuition!

In this video and article you’ll learn how to go from absolute zero to rocking your first party. You’re going to need decks, music, lights, PA, a microphone, some headphones, plus the skills to be able to do the job – and we’re going to show you where to get the lot.

What you’re about to learn won’t turn you into Hardwell, and it won’t equip you to play much more than a house party, a pool party or a yard barbecue… but it will let you DJ in public, and start learning the skills you need immediately. Want to know how? Watch the video above, and read on for all the details…

What You Need

Decks: Numark DJ2GO2

We’ve chosen the amazing little DJ2GO2 from Numark as your decks. Tiny, and with two virtual decks, the controller also has a built-in audio interface (essential so you can hear something different in your headphones to what the audience is hearing) and comes with the software you need (Serato DJ Lite) to get going.

Price: $79
Get from: Amazon

Headphones: Behringer HPX2000

You need headphones because one of your jobs as a DJ is to “cue” up the next track so that when you play it, it comes in in the right place. (It is also useful to simply be able to listen to what’s coming next, to see if you really want to play it before inflicting the track on your audience!) These are cheap, powerful and the right design for DJs.

Price: $19
Get from: Amazon

PA/lights/microphone: Ion Audio Party Rocker Express

So the worst thing you can do is DJ using any kind of “normal” speakers. Any speakers you use in a “party” situation need to be made for it. The tiny Bluetooth Ion Audio Party Rocker Express won’t break when you turn “everything up to 11”, and is loud enough for a small party of say 15 or so people – great for starting with. It comes with a microphone so you can talk to your audience, and even has built-on lights. Oh, and it works off battery too for those pool and BBQ parties.

Price: $69
Get from: Amazon

Music: Compilation albums from iTunes or Amazon

Here’s the deal: When you’re starting off, you want lots of music, and you want to pay as little as possible for it. The best place to start is a compilation album in the music style of your choice from a mainstream online music retailer like iTunes or Amazon, because you’ll get all the big hits in that genre for far less than it would cost to buy them individually.

For instance, a budding mobile DJ in the UK might look to grab the latest “Now That’s What I Call Music” compilation, which for around $18 gives you 45 hits, many of which will be great for starting your DJ collection. Find a compilation that suits your style, grab it, and buy just three or four “extra” tracks at the usual 0.99c to complete your set for that very first hour or two of your DJing career…

Price: $22
Get from: iTunes Store

Tuition: How To DJ With Your DJ2GO2

You could spend ages messing around working stuff out for yourself, or you could grab an online course to get your skills up to speed in a fraction of the time. How To DJ With Your DJ2GO2 is 90 minutes of “intro” video tuition from us here at Digital DJ Tips that gets you from knowing nothing to ready to play your first set. Combined with the gear and music ideas above, it’s all you need to take your first step towards being a DJ.

Price: Usually $24 (but just $9 at time of writing)!
Get from: Digital DJ Tips

Your Next Steps…

Add all the above up, and you’re just north of $198. OK, we haven’t included the price of a laptop in the above because we’re assuming you own one or can get access to one. That said, you don’t need anything special: for the software and hardware we specify, any old laptop frankly will do (as long as it was made in the last half decade).

Jump online and slap the above on your credit card, dig out the laptop you want to use, and most importantly of all, tell all your friends there’s a party going on at yours a couple of weeks from now.

Set the date, put an hour a night aside between now and then to practise – and get ready to turn that dream of DJing into reality. There’s no excuse, not least money – so don’t wait a second longer!

Any questions about getting started in DJing, or any of the ear, music or tuition specified above? Let us know in the comments…