Stop Waiting For Permission To DJ

Not everyone wants to be anything more than a hobby DJ. That’s not only OK, it’s amazing! Most of the students at our school are learning to DJ primarily for fun, because DJing is a great thing to do – period.

But at the same time, plenty of our students dream of playing the big stages, the headline slots, or even just getting paid something for playing gigs locally. And if that’s you, I want you to be honest: Does the following sound familiar?

You’re sitting there waiting for the big promoter to notice you. You’re refreshing your inbox hoping for that residency offer. You’re firing off emails to venues and wondering why they’re ignoring you. You’re devouring articles or watching YouTubers telling you about how becoming a successful DJ is more about social media chops nowadays, and you’re following their tips to little outcome (while quietly thinking: Really?).

Here’s a thought – what if you stopped playing their game entirely?

The traditional DJ career path wants you to believe there’s only one way up. Get noticed by the right people. Play the right venues. Game the algorithms. Wait your turn in the pecking order while established DJs keep the best slots.

Meanwhile, you’re spending Friday nights watching other DJs play the sets you could be playing, telling yourself your time will come if you just keep networking at the right parties and sending out enough mixes to promoters who probably won’t even listen to them.

But here’s something I figured out decades ago, at the start of my journey: Waiting for permission is optional. There’s a better route. You can look at the system, say “no thanks”, and build your own thing instead.

Myths About DJing Success

Maybe you’re old enough to remember when everyone said you needed radio play to succeed as a DJ. Tell that to DJs who built massive followings through SoundCloud, completely bypassing traditional gatekeepers. Or to the bedroom DJs who went straight to Twitch streaming during lockdown and now have audiences bigger than most club nights.

How about “You need to produce music in order to be a DJ nowadays”? Tell that to the new generation of DJs coming through who either don’t produce at all or, frankly, whose productions you’ve probably never heard of, because they’re finding that DJing is the thing that people actually want from them (and the thing they’re truly good at).

(And that’s not to mention the residents in clubs up and down the land who’ve got no intention of ever producing yet still manage to play to great crowds every week.)

Read this next: 7 Myths About DJing That Hold People Back

Right now, there are DJs running their own successful nights in non-traditional venues – community centres, warehouses, even people’s gardens. They’re not waiting for the established promoters to give them a chance. They’re creating their own chances.

Here’s something all these folks have figured out: You don’t need “their” approval.

“They” could be anyone. Think of it as referring to the person you’re waiting for permission from, the person you’re waiting to give you the green light, to say “yes” to you, the algorithm you’re hoping will finally push your content. Because guess what? It very rarely happens.

What’s really important

Instead, think about what you actually need to DJ successfully. Not what the industry tells you – what you actually need. A working set-up, music you believe in, and people who want to hear you play it. That’s it.

You don’t need a booking agent. You don’t need to be on the “right” lineups. You don’t need thousands of Instagram or TikTok followers. You don’t need a Beatport number one. You don’t need to be young, beautiful, extroverted, well connected, etc etc.

Mobile DJs understood this decades ago, of course. While club DJs were fighting over warm-up slots or entering meaningless “DJ competitions” that only benefited the promoters, mobile DJs were building businesses, playing every weekend, and actually making money. They didn’t wait for anyone’s approval – they just started.

Luckily, this works for every type of DJ. Here are some ideas…

How to do it

Find ten people who genuinely love your taste in music. Not ten thousand – ten. You probably already know at least a few of them. Those ten people probably know another ten each who’d enjoy what you do.

Now, start a listening party in your flat. Run a monthly session at your local pub. Partner with a coffee shop for Sunday afternoon sets. Create a podcast for runners who like drum and bass. Whatever fits your style and situation. Do something that excites and stretches you. Keep it realistic, but stay consistent. Be patient.

Read this next: Too Many DJ Paths? Just Pick One & Start Mixing!

The point isn’t the size – it’s the control. When you’re not dependent on other people’s permission or platforms, you can experiment, take risks, and build something that’s genuinely yours. That’s how you convince people to genuinely believe in you.

Social media platforms want you to believe that follower count equals success. But here’s what they won’t tell you – most DJs with massive followings still struggle to convert those numbers into meaningful opportunities. It’s all show.

What’s more, you’re probably not going to beat the algorithm at its own game. The DJs who seem to have “made it” on social media either got in early, got lucky, or spend more time creating content than actually DJing.

But you don’t need a million followers. You need at most a hundred people who actually show up when you play, people who truly enjoy listening to your mixes or shows. You need a handful of venue owners who trust you to deliver a great night.

And what’s more, you’ve got all the time in the world to get to that point, once you realise this is the game you should be playing.

Remember, ignore what they tell you!

The established DJ world will tell you this approach is for amateurs, that “real” DJs go through proper channels. They’ll say you’re not legitimate unless you’re playing the recognised venues and supported by the right names.

Let them think that while you’re actually out there playing every weekend to crowds who chose to be there specifically for you. Livestreaming the umpteenth edition of your online show, with happy fans in the chat. Getting paid well in the mobile DJ business you set up on your terms.

The smartest thing you can do as a DJ is stop waiting for permission. Stop hoping the system will eventually notice you’re good enough. Instead, start building something where being good enough is determined by you and your audience – nobody else.

Your laptop, your controller, your music collection – that’s your system. Everything else is just other people’s rules.