Mixing & Snacking
There are few things that unite the DJ community. But one that definitely does is a love of snacks.
Whether in the booth during a long set, or on a journey to a city far away, DJs feel passionate about their snacks of choice. I spoke to a selection to find out what gets their mouths salivating!
First port of call could only be one man – DJ Food, from legendary label Ninja Tune “I never eat in the booth unless it’s an emergency, nothing fancy on the rider, a decent sandwich, a good cooked breakfast in a local cafe is nice the day after, sushi is always a treat too. Black tea and biscuits are a must.”
A popular pick is cereal and nut bars – I myself am very partial to Nakd fruit & nut bars (lemon drizzle flavour probably my favourite). Martin 2 Smoove (Eve’s tour DJ, and Gumball rally resident) is an advocate for flapjacks and cereal bars when he’s out gigging, and keeps Airwaves gum to make sure his breath stays fresh! DJP gives a big shout out to Nature Valley bars, and favours Wrigley’s Extra Bubble Gum flavour!
Hip Hop Karaoke DJ & promoter Rob Pursey has a hell of a life-hack – “A Tracker [granola bar]will neutralise any sort of garlicky meal that you have pre-gig. I once had Merguez sausage before a gig – went in on a peanut Tracker. NEUTRALISE.”
House heavyweight Low Steppa is a man after my own heart – he recommends the amazing Graze Chilli & Lime Nuts. Truly a Rolls Royce of the snacking world, and a very filling, healthy snack to boot! Another vote to the power of some mixed nuts comes from London disco queen Sophie Lloyd, although she is pretty open-minded – “Oh gosh, it’s usually whatever I can lay my hands on!”
Barely Legal is one of the busiest DJs on the circuit, and she knows how to snack well “I’ll usually pick up some snacks at the train station, will try find a Marks & Spencer and opt for fruit salad, variety of crisps and a sandwich (crisps are good post rave snacks when it’s late and you get back to your hotel, but room service isn’t running anymore). They also do these deli dishes 3 for £7. I usually get the king prawns, calamari and mozzarella and sun dried tomatoes. I keep it boujee on the move”. Check out her amazing Essential Mix here
Red Rack’em (the man behind 2016 festival anthem Wonky Bassline Disco Banger) is used to touring, and so has some good ideas “If I am travelling through London I like a sashimi salad from Wasabi. It’s really good value and makes me feel healthy. I sometimes steal the biscuits from hotel rooms as a snack for in the club, but to be honest I don’t tend to eat when I play. I usually get a nice meal before the gig so am usually still full up when playing.
But actually you’ve reminded me about Berlin daytime sets. I used to bring bread, cheese, ham, tomatoes and cucumber and a boiled egg in plastic tubs and have a nice breakfast in the booth. Generally when playing outside at about blank. I can remember using the table tennis table to make sandwiches in their garden before I played too. I think pizza is a good thing to eat during a set too as you don’t need cutlery. It’s easy to subtly eat pizza while DJing….”
Pizza is a theme for DJ Yoda – “I’ve definitely told this story before, but seeing Coldcut at Blue Note in the late 90s order pizza delivery to the DJ booth was one of the things that made me want to be a pro DJ”. He managed to take this to another level, by having chicken & waffles in the booth. DJ Yoda’s Essential Mix is here
Skratch Bastid keeps it on brand for his redhead fam – he’s a big fan of Ginger Chews! And of course, when he throws his Bastid BBQs there is no shortage of great food around!
Metalheadz alumni, and bass don, Detboi knows what he likes – “Apple tart – and just about anything with cinnamon in it. There’s a cafe called “The Farmhouse” on the Long Mile Road in Dublin .. it serves the nicest slice of apple tart in Europe”
Radio 1 DJ Mistajam is another who tours a lot – he has a simple recipe for snack success. “Beef Jerky. Popchips. Pink Lady Apples, BUT only if they’re straight from the fridge” I can confirm that Popchips are AMAZING, and apples are a great healthy snack on the go. Beef jerky is a great way to fill a hole in your stomach on the go, protein is great for keeping you satisfied for a long time.
Breaks legends Stanton Warriors have been touring for decades – for Dominic Butler, the answer is “Sushi, as it’s the lightest of the take away foods! No one wants a bloated carb baby before at a gig! I just Google the best Japanese spot in each city”. Check out their Essential Mix here.
Philadelphia stalwart Michael The Lion understands the importance of pragmatism – “When you play long sets, especially at places that serve food, there’s always the temptation to snack while DJing. But that can be a tough proposition because most of the best snacks are finger food. You can’t get grease and crumbs on the equipment or your records – you’ll destroy them. I also tend to think that as long as there’s this dumb pre-occupation with watching DJs while they play – it’s kind of off-putting to eat while you are DJing. Watching people eat is kinda gross to me. That said, if I must – my go to is the sea trout sushi at my residency at the JG Sky High bar in Philly – it’s a place with very high end food and they have these fancy small plate snacks. I always manage to eat two orders of those things every time I play.”
Acid master Posthuman has featured on this blog before, but he is also a man of refined tastes with regards to snacks. “If I can get them, Snyders pretzel pieces – jalapeno flavour. Seabrook’s Worcester sauce used to be my jam, but they were discontinued a few years ago. Literally the best tasting crisps on earth. I also have a little post-gig ritual: pastrami sandwich, chocolate milk, and a magazine on the journey home. Seriously, used to do this nearly every weekend if i could.”
As you can see, if there is anything that unites the DJ community, it is a love of food and snacks!
Head over to the Heavy Hits pool to satisfy your musical appetite, and follow me on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter
3 Examples of Livestreaming DJ Set-Ups
DJs love to share their music selections with the world, but circumstances have come together to make this a whole lot trickier in 2020. Today, I’m going to run through my super simple set-up, and speak with two DJs about their approaches to livestreaming, to give an idea of the options.
This isn’t going to be a comprehensive guide – there’s a million ways to livestream, dozens of platforms, and everyone has slightly different set-ups. I’ll link some useful resources at the end of the article, but this is more to show a few working examples, and hopefully inspire you guys to work out a way that works for you!
My set-up
I am not very technically minded, so I have a pretty simple set-up that I have seen streaming with.
I go from the XLR output of my mixer to a Behringer UMC202 soundcard – the key thing here apparently is the Core Audio that this soundcard has. From there, I output a USB cable, which is plugged into an adaptor cable to switch it from USB A to USB C – this is the one I have. From there I go into my phone – a Google Pixel 3XL, which fortunately has an incredible front-facing camera. I use a Joby stand to position it so the decks and me are in shot clearly. From there, I simply head to Instagram, Facebook, whatever. Start a live set, and away I go – a crucial thing is to make sure the master out is not very high, or else you risk distorting the signal, which sounds HORRIBLE at the listener end! I use a Shure SM58 through the mixer to chat to my viewers. I generally ask my audience how it sounds early on to be sure!
I’ve ordered a microphone stand (yet to arrive!), and some simple lights for after-dark sets, to make it all a bit more visually appealing.
So far this set-up is working really well for me – lots of people contacting me, asking how I get the sound so good. I read and respond to comments on my laptop. Speaking plenty helps keep the copyright cops at bay, and people like to get a sense of your personality, and its nice to have that human contact during a lockdown too!
Friends and fans are really enjoying me playing different stuff to the average too – I think this is a great opportunity for DJs to really explore their crates, express their personalities, and stand out from the crowd.
Kevin Kong
Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
My name is Kevin. I’ve been living and DJing in Philly since 2000. Professionally for maybe the past 6-7 years. I mostly play open format stuff these days. I’ve always been interested in video game stream son twitch, but only been personally streaming since last Monday, March 16th, the day we began our quarantine here in Philadelphia. More deets at kevinthedj.com
So what is your current streaming set-up, and how did that evolve? Why did you settle on that set-up?
I am currently DJing and streaming on a 2018 13″ Macbook Pro i5 with pretty modest specs. All the DJing, encoding, and broadcasting is done on the same MBP. Though I eventually want to do the encoding and broadcasting on a separate PC with a proper GPU. As for the peripherals, I’ve been having trouble outputting digital audio from my Pioneer S9 (the vinyl control tone is being sent to the audio out and I can’t figure out how to mute it), so I am doing the DJing on a Pioneer DDJ-SR2. I have a Shure SM58 on a mic stand, the main camera is just the MBP face cam, and my secondary camera is my iPhone XR connected via USB with the OBS Camera app ($17USD). Everything is sent to OBS Studio (open source freeware) which is available on all operating systems. Some of my interactive on-screen features are browser plug-ins that can be found for free on the interwebz.
We are going into the 24th consecutive day of streaming 16:00-19:00 ET. I’ve done my best to add a new feature and improve quality of the stream every day since we started. But I imagine eventually we will run out of things to add.
I settled on this setup because it is literally what I had laying around when we lost all of our gigs and income due to you-know-what. So I’m making do with what I (fortunately) have.
What is the easiest/cheapest way for someone to get started?
Use what you have! You could just use your smart phone. But if you want overlays and interactive features on screen, at minimum, you need a computer with a camera that can run your DJ software and OBS at the same time, and an internet connection that can handle uploading 6MB/s consistently.
Are there ways to do it on both Android and iPhone devices?
I don’t use any smart devices for streaming other than my phone as an extra camera. From what I’ve researched, the Roland Go Mixer is the gadget you need if you want to stream from your smart device.
What are some noob mistakes to avoid when live-streaming DJ sets?
Don’t just aim your phone camera on your bedroom setup and rely on the crappy phone mic to pickup the sound. Use direct audio-in like with the Go Mixer linked above, and put a mic on a stand. I know most DJs don’t talk to the crowd that much at a real club setting, but streaming is different. If you want to build an audience, you need to interact with your community. For the most part, people will care more about your personality and interactions than your DJ skills. Watch pro twitch streamers who maintain 5-30K viewers every day and see how they build their community.
Whats the best streaming set up money can buy (within a couple of hundred bucks budget!)?
If you’re not comfortable with using OBS (free), you can pull off a pretty legit stream with your phone or tablet with the Go Mixer linked above ($100 USD).
Stream: twitch.tv/djkevinkong
Site: kevinthedj.com
All social media: @djkevinkong
RandomBeat
Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
I began my journey into music in 1996 when my father bought me a drum machine for my 15th birthday. I quickly realized I loved electronic beats, and added a sampler and a keyboard. Next thing was a computer and soundcard, and sony acid 2.0 (looping/recording program)
I decided I wanted to try and be a mobile DJ, so I went to a local shop and put in an application. The DJ who took my application invited me to a private warehouse party that weekend.
I played what was more of a “Live PA” set at that first party, but soon switched to vinyl, and played alongside many of my favourites from the breaks scene.
I ended up combining technics 1200s with CDJs, then with Ableton and a midi controller. I was the first DJ to use Ableton in Knoxville, and got my fair share of nasty looks, and being told “the computer was doing the mixing” but anyone who watched what I was doing quickly changed their mind after listening. I was also the first DJ to play dubstep in Knoxville, and cleared several dancefloors trying to push this “new sound”!
A divorce led to me losing all my DJ/studio gear, and in 2012 I abandoned music completely. I discovered a new passion, drones.
I made a little name for myself doing drones and repairs, and doing an interview show on Youtube, making enough $ to quit my day job and focus on drones full time.
About 6 months ago I just got the itch to get back into music, my son was now 5 years old, and saw a DJ on youtube, and his mother said, your daddy used to do that, and his eyes lit up.
So I did a TON of research on gear, and ended up settling on Traktor as my DJ solution.
I’ve combined all my previous years of playing with my streaming knowledge from Drones, and here I am, ready to help and support anyone who needs help getting started. Here’s an example of my videos – a submission to Laidback Luke‘s label, Mixmash. I got 15th place out of 240 DJs and a shoutout on their youtube channel, super proud of that!
So what is your current streaming setup, and how did that evolve? Why did you settle on that setup?
I currently use a PC as my main computer for both streaming and running all the applications and DJ software. I was previously streaming a live interview show every week, so I have just adapted my scenes inside OBS broadcast software for Dj sets.
On the PC I run OBS and Zoom as well as VoiceMeeter Banana and Traktor software.
The Traktor S4MK3 DJ controller is physically routed from the booth output back into itself on Line C. I select Line C as my physical input #3 inside the VoiceMeeter Banana software, as well as my USB Audio Technica ATR Microphone as another physical input which is #1. I use #2 for my computer audio.
The Voice Meeter Banana software summs the physical inputs of my Mic and DJ Controller with the internal computer audio and outputs them on a “virtual cable” which I select as my input inside OBS or Zoom, depending on how I am streaming.
I have 2 physical cameras, both Logitech C920s setup as sources inside OBS, as well as some graphics (logos), and the traktor application is also set as a source inside OBS. One camera is a wide room shot, while the other camera is on my DJ Controller.
This allows me to show a mixture of Cameras and the Traktor Software or Zoom as well as add my logo and also GIFs for background visual effects.
I also have my “Audio Capture Device” as a source inside OBS, and it is selected as the Voice Meeter Banana VAIO output. The cameras are “video capture device” sources, Traktor and Zoom are “Window Capture” sources.
OBS and Zoom are very functional together, you can route OBS into Zoom if you want to share your scenes with whoever you are having a meeting with, or you can route Zoom into OBS as a source and share your meeting participants with your stream.
Whenever I stream, I go directly from OBS to Youtube / Facebook / Twitch. There is also a service called restream.io that will transmit to all of those websites at the same time. To use that, you would send your OBS stream out to restream.io and then it will distribute your stream to FB, YT or Twitch, as well as several other websites if you so choose, all at the same time. Once you have your scenes and sources set up inside OBS, it’s as simple as changing the stream key setting inside the software to determine where your stream is broadcast to. (Youtube, Facebook, Twitch, ETC).
I settled on OBS and VoiceMeeter because they are both free and very easy to use, and rock solid stable. For Zoom I do have a paid “pro” account which allows me to host meetings for as long as I choose and up to 100 participants at a time.
I currently have been streaming on Youtube but plan to add Twitch at least in the near future. I have not yet tried to stream to facebook, as it seems most people are running into a lot of copyright issues there.
What is the easiest/cheapest way for someone to get started?
My setup may seem complicated, but once you wrap your head around the difference between the physical inputs and outputs, and the virtual inputs and outputs, it’s actually pretty easy to understand.
You have to make a choice when you decide to stream, you can either go directly from a phone or iPad, or directly from a PC/Mac.
I personally recommend going from a computer to get the best quality possible, and allow you to do very interesting visual “scenes” and combinations of audio sources.
Either way you need the following things to get started:
* A device to stream on (PC/MAC or Phone/ipad)
* A source (your decks and a mixer, or your DJ controller)
* A way to get that source into your device (TRSS to TRS adapter for phone / SoundCard or 1/8th inch to RCA at minimum for PC/MAC)
* Streaming Software (Direct to FB/Instagram on phone)(OBS for PC/MAC)
* Camera (phone camera/webcam for PC/MAC)
* Microphone (direct into your controller/mixer or if USB mic see below)
* Virtual Audio Software (Voicemeeter Banana for PC/loopback for MAC)
***only needed if your using computer with multiple audio sources and no sound card
It can be as simple as going into your phone with the TRSS to TRS adapter and using the phone camera, or as complicated as a computer with several web cameras and audio sources, it’s totally up to you.
There is one audio only alternative, a website called livesets.com which you can broadcast directly from some softwares such as Traktor, and it eliminates all the complex audio routing. The only downside is that it is audio only, but it works great. It records every live set as a Session and also lists the tracks you’re playing automatically, while you mix.
What are some mistakes to avoid while live streaming
* Streaming is not like playing in the club. Your viewers need interaction, either from a microphone or via the chat function, just make sure you are paying attention to them and responding as much as you can. Giving shout outs works well as people love to feel like they are a part of the show.
* Check your background and make sure it’s not messy, the last thing you want to stream is a pile of dirty clothes in the background.
* Test your audio levels and Mic levels and make sure they are not clipping or distorted, in advance. You can stream to youtube unlisted and give a friend the link, ask them to tune in and give you feedback on your audio and mic levels, visuals, etc.
* Don’t over complicate it if you’re not used to the software, a simple one camera stream with a clean solid audio and mic level is fine, it doesn’t have to be 15 different camera angles and multiple sound sources to be a good stream.
* Make sure that you post up your links to your stream. I usually go live with a “starting soon” screen, and while I’m waiting for viewers to show up I post links to my stream on facebook, facebook groups, forums, etc.
Have fun with it! It’s all about song selection and energy, keep it grooving and folks will stay tuned in!
Are there ways to do it on both android and iphone devices?
Yes, as far as I know, as long as your phone has a mic input and camera it will work, you just need the proper adapter (TRSS to TRS) or a sound card that is made to work with a phone, such as an Irig or a Roland Go mixer.
What is the best streaming setup money can buy (within a couple hundred bucks)?
If you already have a computer or laptop that will run your DJ software and OBS at the same time, I would suggest going that route. It will require a little learning, but the payoff is amazing once you have your scenes and sources setup properly.
If you do not have a computer, but still want great quality audio, get an Irig or a Roland Go mixer and run it through your phone. The audio quality will be good and that’s what matters most.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RandomBeatLive/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/randomfpvlive
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/randombeatlive
Livesets: https://livesets.com/randombeat
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/randombeatlive/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RandomBeatLive
Conclusion
So there’s a few examples of how to do this! Hopefully it will inspire you to get on the decks and spread some musical joy to your friends and fans. For some more information on streaming, you can find great articles covering the technical aspects here, here and here.
And for now, head over to the Heavy Hits pool to find some great tracks for your sets, and follow me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram – if you have any suggestions or questions, hit me up on the DM!
Tax – a guide for US DJs!
I don’t know about you guys, but one of my big motivations for becoming a DJ was a desire to avoid getting a “real” job. But what nobody told me was once a year, I would have to do a tax return – a generally confusing, joyless task!
Thankfully, there are big-hearted people out there willing to explain the intricacies and trap-doors of the tax system to simpletons like me! This guide is specifically for DJs in the USA – apologies to the rest of you!
Jamie Barnes, aka Jamie Selects, has written a brilliant, thorough guide here
View this post on Instagram
His guide is split into 3 parts – 1.) tax basics and deductions, 2.) tips for filing your 2019 taxes and 3.) strategies for making your 2020 filing the best yet.
As he points out – if you are out there DJing for money, then you are a business. And that is something to celebrate and embrace!
Go and check the post out, where he lays out what your money flow should look like, what are acceptable things to claim as expenses, smart ways to set up spreadsheets, how to go over your calendar in order to work out claimable travel expenses, and much more. Its a really great, thorough article! Here’s the link again, for anyone who missed it higher up the post!
Jamie has also put together this excellent video to explain some of the ideas
1. Can you tell the readers a bit about your background, and how you came to have such a good understanding of the tax system?
My name is Jamie Selects, a DJ and entrepreneur from the Bay Area. I went to University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA where I studied business with concentrations in Arts & Entertainment and Entrepreneurship. During my time there I met my current business partners of Plural Music, a multifaceted music company encompassing a DJing/events, a record label, talent management, and sound/lighting production. We’re always pushing each other to become better in every way and my teammate hit me with some joking criticism “all those books and not a single one on taxes?” (I read a lot of personal development books). This encouraged me to buy Tax Savvy for Small Businesses so I could learn about tax structure for our business. While reading it I realized there were so many things I could be doing better on my own tax return, and since I had recently started my personal development blog, I thought making a tax post for DJs and other people who owned their own businesses would be super helpful. And now here we are!
2. Why is it important for DJs and side-hustlers to understand tax?
Taxes are a fact of life. But, by being a DJ and/or owning your business you’re giving yourself a huge opportunity to lower your tax bill. It’s important for you to understand how taxes work so that you can legally pay nothing more than you actually owe by correctly deducting your expenses. If you don’t report the money you spend on growing your DJ business the IRS has no way of knowing so they’ll tax you on your gross income which is incorrect. It’s important to understand there is nothing sketchy about accurately deducting your costs to lower your taxable income. What IS sketchy, is reporting your expenses incorrectly (consciously or not) to make your taxable income lower than it should be.
3. Do you have any apps that you could recommend people for staying on top of things day-to-day?
In the past I’ve used an app called Stride which helps record expenses and mileage throughout the year. But now since I’ve started using my DJ Finances Log spreadsheet I just record everything in there. It doesn’t matter what you use to record your expenses, all that matters is that you’re doing it!
4. Are there any simple regular habits/life-hacks that people can adopt to make the end of year tax compiling less painful?
Getting in the habit of recording costs as soon as you incur them will save you valuable time and money come tax time. I recommend setting a weekly reminder in your calendar to record your gigs, costs, and any miles driven. It seems tedious, but I promise you won’t regret it!
Finding a Helping Hand!
Here’s a word you are probably sick to death of – unprecedented. Unprecedented times, unprecedented response by governments and global organisations.
Now that word is out of the way, lets look at the landscape for DJs, and what help they may be able to find to get through through these, errr, unprecedented events.
In particular, I’m going to focus on the USA and UK. Huge financial assistance packages have been put in place, so can you claim some money to help get you through this crazy year?
Before we start – I am not a financial professional.
I may have details wrong – if you have an accountant, speak to them, and check your local details before you push the button on anything I might talk about here! I am trying to find my way through this as much as anyone else; my skill is playing records, not navigating government policy!
That said…
USA – Independent Contractors
The USA has signed into law a $2 trillion package – what is in there for our USA DJs?
The federal government is allowing independent contractors to go through a “self-certification process”, which will allow them to claim up to $600 per week, for up to 39 weeks. This can be backdated to Jan 27th. An independent contractor, broadly speaking, is someone who makes their own schedule, doesn’t have a traditional “boss”, pays their own employment tax, and receives a 1099
Of course, there are certain hoops you need to jump through for this – you have to prove your work status, that you can’t work from home, and that you are unable to commute to and from your place of work. Also, you can’t be receiving any other form of unemployed assistance at the time of application.
With how the USA is set up, its a slightly different process from state-to-state – visit your state’s unemployment website for more info. At time of writing, its common for these sites to state that they are not taking applications yet, while they get set up to deal with them. While you get ready to apply, here’s some details you should make sure you have ready to go
– Social Security Number
– Home Address and Mailing Address
– Telephone Number
– Email
– Bank Name
– Account Number
– Bank Address
– Routing Number for Direct Deposit
For more information, this is a pretty comprehensive article about the topic in the light of COVID-19
UK – Self Employed
In the UK, a plan has been unveiled that might help DJs out – but rests on a few conditions.
If you qualify, its a pretty nice looking deal for the short term, but the way it is set up might not be perfect for some.
Basically, they are taking an average from the last 3 years tax returns (16/17, 17/18, 18/19), or the most recent if you haven’t been trading that long.
The money will be paid in one lump sum
There are some hefty catches – the most eye-catching that if less than half of your income comes from self-employed DJing, you are ineligible, so for people who split DJing with a “regular” job, this may not be ideal…. And for those who post average profits over £50k, again, this makes them ineligible. If you are excluded for any reason – write to your MP! These things are being amended as we go along, and gaps become apparent.
I received an email saying they would be in touch with eligible candidates, and that applications can be made around May/June, so this is not a short term fix – therefore, if you have savings, make sure you have access to what you need. If not, speak with your bank about overdraft facilities, short term low-interest loans, and clarify with landlords if you are able to defer or reduce rent payments until you have received government assistance. I’m reliably informed that you can claim Universal Credit while waiting for the SEISS payment. When it arrives it is treated as earnings, and your Universal Credit will be adjusted accordingly.
Another factor worth being aware of – it appears that the July 2020 tax payment on account has been automatically deferred to January 2021, buying us a bit of time. That money is still due eventually though!
This is some more info from the brilliant Money Saving Expert website – definitely worth following Martin Lewis on social media.
I hope you are all staying safe and healthy, and we at Heavy Hits will do our best to get the most up-to-date information to you.
Making a Silver Lining
These are strange times. 6 months ago, the world was trundling along, much the same as it had for decades. Sure, there were problems, but nothing we hadn’t seen before.
Fast forward to now, and we are facing an unprecedented global situation – a pandemic in a globalised world. We talked a bit last week about ways to deal with COVID-19 as a DJ – even after such a short time, that seems like a curiously innocent, naive time, where things like washing hands might do the trick. We have to adjust to the reality that lots of us are now, or soon will be, basically housebound for several weeks (maybe even months) at a time, and unable to perform to dancefloors in the way we love.
I’m not going to waste your time with yet more talk about the virus – there’s enough of that everywhere else.
Today, I’ll be writing about how to make the most of a situation nobody wanted or asked for. This skill is one of the keys to a good life – the ability to find opportunities and lessons in even the harshest adversity will make you stronger and happier, and give you the power to turn any situation to your advantage.
So – what’s the problem? We are DJs. DJs rely on busy dancefloors of happy people dancing like they don’t have a care in the world. With lockdowns and quarantines being enforced around the world, flights being grounded, and clubs being closed, we are left with cancelled gigs and empty diaries.
Easy to be downhearted – but this gifts us a lot of time to get down to all those projects we have been putting off, and to lay down the groundwork for better times ahead.
Opportunity dances with those already on the dancefloor
There’s a lot of things you can do now to set yourself up for the upturn down the line.
1. Revamp your online image
When’s the last time you updated your bio on Soundcloud, changed the profile pic on your website, or curated your Instagram page so that it looks good to a curious potential client? Even just an hour or two can make a huge difference to how people perceive you when they first look you up or discover you.
2. Become more active in online DJ communities
Facebook pages, Instagrams, Reddit, DJ Twitter – there’s all sorts of places to network, even if you are not able to go out and shake hands and share drinks with people. Find the ones that are relevant to your corner of DJing, and get involved, be of value, make relationships – I’ve made a ton of friends, and gained a lot of bookings, directly from online contacts that ended up leading to real-world opportunities.
3. Hone your skills
Once you have plenty of gigs, its easy to forget the importance of practice. If you have cancelled gigs, use that time to practice. Gigs are one thing – but at home you can safely try those blends you aren’t sure about, experiment with scratches that are just outside your comfort zone, test out tracks that you are nervous to play in front of a crowd. Its a lot easier to take chances when you have no dancefloor to lose, and you’ll learn a lot more trying out 50 mad ideas at home than you will do playing a safe set in front of a thousand people!
4. Work on your marketing
This is related to point 1, but slightly different – you can’t control who comes to look at you, but you can strongly influence who you put yourself in front of so they can’t ignore you. Emails cost nothing – see what contacts you can find from websites or a friendly message to social media accounts for clubs and promoters, and look at ways to build up a fan mailing list. Point 2 helps here – if you’ve made friends with people, you can share useful emails where appropriate. If you’re feeling more bold, phone calls are always an option, and so much more personal than emails. Develop a strategy for your social media posts to make them more effective, interact more with fans, and those who you want to work with in future.
5. Get more music content up
So you’re stuck at home, and you’ve completed Netflix? Fine – do those mixes you’ve put off for ages! Get your decks set up with a video camera and record a routine or a livestream! Use the relationships you’ve been developing to find out what your fans or potential clients want, and give it to them – people are going to be BORED in a lockdown, and you have the opportunity to entertain them. And they will truly appreciate the people who help them through this!
6. Do some thinking
This one is underrated in our modern world. All action, all talk – which has its place at times. But when is the last time you put your devices down and went for a walk, and really just thought? How many of you have good ideas in the shower – you know why that is? You have given your brain some space. Find a way to just let your mind wander, think about the things you want to do, the places you want to DJ, think about how you might achieve your goals – ultimately, you know your aims and your circumstances better than anyone else. You’ll be amazed what things come to your mind if you let it have some space. Boredom can be an incredible source of inspiration!
7. Dig for tunes
There’s obviously a whole treasure trove of originals, edits and remixes over at Heavy Hits. Use the charts, the playlists, the search facility and you’ll uncover some gold. Outside of that, if you are looking for inspiration – a good trick I use on Spotify (no idea if it works for other streaming services, but I would guess so) is to create a playlist, put a selection of tracks in there of the style I want. You can add key words to the playlist name and description to help Spotify. The algorithm will then offer you loads of suggestions in a similar vein – and the more you add to the playlist, the better it gets at finding suitable stuff! Listen to mixes by DJs you respect, and make notes of the best tracks (f there’s no playlist, Shazam is your friend!). Check out the playlists on radio stations you enjoy – they are usually posted online.
8. Make tunes/remixes yourself
If we are all stuck inside, how can you get other people thinking about you? Obviously, DJ mixes help – but you can multiply this a million times by having a track of yours blow up. There’s a reason why most DJ line-ups actually end up dominated by producers – they are more famous because their songs get their names in people’s heads all over the world. DJs often moan about how unfair this situation is, and maybe thats true – but thats the way it works. It takes a while to learn how to make tunes well, but if you are stuck inside indefinitely, its a good time to start on those Youtube tutorials! And a decent mash-up or edit can get your name in the crates of DJs all over the world in a matter of days!
9. Develop better habits
I’m a huge believer in the value of habits. So much of what we do is automatic, we do it without even realising – why is that? Its because it is a habit. It might be good, it might be bad. You have the power to shape those habits, and in doing so make yourself a happier, more productive person – without feeling like you are doing all that much, because after a while, habits seem almost as automatic as breathing. I use an app called Habit Bull, and also another one called Habit Share (which allows you to compete against someone with the same habit aims, which I am finding incredibly helpful!). Use this time to think about what you do, why you do it, whether it serves you. Aim to get rid of bad habits, and take on good ones. I really recommend the books The Power of Habit and Atomic Habits.
10. Organise and refresh your crates
Its easy to get lazy with your crates and folders when you are a digital DJ, especially once you have tens of thousands of tracks to choose from – where do you start? It can be intimidating. But deleting tracks you don’t use any more from crates you rely on, and updating with new tracks, or old classics you’d forgotten about, is a great help. To give an example – as I write this I have iTunes on shuffle. Sometimes I delete a track. Other times I go and drop the track into the suitable crates, as it has shuffled on to something I hadn’t thought about yet. Sometimes it is worthwhile to start whole new folders, and delete old favourites, just to shake things up a bit and make you think about your selections. Go and look at set histories from a couple of years ago – I bet there are tracks there that are great, but somehow have slipped off your radar.
11. Read!
I already mentioned a couple of great books on habits. Much of the mindset behind this post, I got from The Obstacle Is The Way and How To Think Like a Roman Emperor. There’s a million blog posts about self improvement on sites like Medium. There’s so much wisdom out there, and once you take some of it in, you start to see the ways in which you can apply it to your own life and career, and you want more. Take this opportunity to grow your knowledge.
12. Expand your skillset
There has never been a better time to learn new skills. Youtube tutorials are free and plentiful (although sometimes you have to go through a few to find the good ones!). Then there are loads of online courses, from places such as Udemy. You can learn about basically anything you want – so use that thinking time to come up with ways you can strengthen yourself. Maybe you want to learn how to make better looking graphics for your artwork, or shoot and edit videos, or you want to learn about marketing.
The scope is endless – the limit is your imagination!
As you can see, that’s 12 ideas straight away, and its certain that I have left some good ones out! I will be revisiting this topic in the coming weeks, to focus more on specific points from the above list.
Coronavirus – COVID-19
Its a well established fact that you can catch several horrible diseases from playing low-quality MP3s in your sets, which is why things like the Heavy Hits Pool are so important for DJs.
But now there is a new risk for DJs, and looks like it is going to impact 2020 in some pretty unprecedented ways.
Ultra Miami and SXSW have been cancelled in the USA. Italy is basically closed for the next few weeks. Events of over 1000 people are banned in France. Football matches have been played behind closed doors, or postponed. Festivals across the world are holding meetings to work out how to proceed, wedding planners are having nervous breakdowns.
Health scares come and go, but this one looks set to be especially damaging, both in human cost, with thousands dead already, and economic, with stock markets around the world in turmoil as traders try to predict what damage this pandemic might cause.
Its therefore a very tough time to be working in the events world – an inherently unpredictable and volatile business at the best of times.
While its true that DJs and events professionals are generally not in the high risk category for dying from coronavirus, the fact is that we can easily act as accelerators for its spread, because of how many people we come into contact with in the course of a weekend, and because of how much we travel. We all have a responsibility to those who are at risk of death or serious ill-health from this virus, and a duty to try to slow the spread, so that health services are not overwhelmed.
So what can you do to make it less likely that you catch, or transmit, coronavirus/COVID-19?
1. WASH YOUR HANDS!!!
A lot. Way more than usual, with soap and water. The water will help rinse the virus off. Soap breaks down the virus and “kills” it, so lather up, and get washing your hands for 20-30 seconds at every opportunity. Wash them the moment you get home, the moment you get to work, the moment you arrive at a venue or restaurant or bar. This is the single best way that you can help yourself, and the people around you, and its so easy. A lot of people have been having fun with Wash Your Lyrics – converting your favourite songs into a helpful guide to time yourself!
2. If you can’t wash your hands – use hand sanitiser.
Ideally, you want 60% alcohol or above to have maximum effectiveness. As DJs, we get a lot of people grabbing our hands for handshakes, and high fiving etc. When that happens – quick bit of sanitiser, clean those hands, carry on. If you can’t get the 60%+ stuff, other sanitiser is better than nothing – but the high alcohol stuff is far more effective. Make sure the sanitiser gets into all the bits of your hands – between the fingers, on the backs, etc etc.
3. Don’t touch your eyes, mouth or nose if your hands aren’t clean
A big way that the virus is transmitted is from it getting on hands (hence all the hand washing!), and then people touching their faces or putting fingers in their mouths or noses. Try as best you can to avoid doing this, unless you know your hands are clean.
4. Disinfectant wipes
Wipe down the decks and mixer before you get started with some decent disinfectant wipes. I was already doing this anyway, because I’ve seen the state of most decks in most club, and they are disgusting! This won’t keep you totally safe, but it will help. Plus the decks won’t be gross. Its not clear whether these products will definitely kill coronavirus, but based on what we know, it seems likely that they will
5. Avoid unnecessary hand contact
Judging from my gigs last weekend, this one ain’t easy. But try to avoid handshakes, high 5s, bro hugs, kissing people hello/goodbye, etc etc. People might think you are being paranoid, but forget that noise. You’re being sensible, and its as much for their benefit as yours. Wave to people, make a joke of it and go for an elbow-boop, whatever works.
6. Cover your mouth with a tissue or your sleeve when you cough/sneeze
Not an easy thing to remember in the middle of a sneeze, but basically this is to help avoid it being spread in the air to people around you and to avoid getting it on to hands, because hands then have a habit of touching everything else (and therefore maybe transmitting to others). Put used tissues in the trash straight away.
If you do find that you have symptoms or you’ve come into contact with someone who has it, and you suspect you might have the virus – don’t go to your doctor, don’t go to a hospital. Pick up the phone, call the relevant helpline for the country you are in, and get the advice from there. They will have the best advice for you, you will minimise the pressure on the health service where you live, and you will reduce the risk of you spreading the virus, or you getting it from somebody else at a hotspot like a hospital. Listen to what medical experts are telling you, listen to what the big medical and scientific institutions are telling you.
Try to be responsible, and see the bigger picture. I personally have had my dream gig next month cancelled – two weeks DJing in Rome. I’m gutted, but I accept the reasons why it had to happen. I doubt it will be the only gig I lose in the next few months. Shouting at promoters who cancel events is not fair on them (they will not want to do this, and will most likely be losing a lot more money than you, having done a lot more work), and will only hurt your future chances of being booked.
It might be that you miss out on some gigs, and for DJs that often means you don’t get paid. Its hard to take when things outside your control hit you like that, but nothing is more important than your health, and the health of those around you. If you don’t have an emergency fund – let this be the event that motivates you to set one up, and put a little aside from every gig for these sorts of unexpected problems.
This is a time when everyone needs to pull together as a community, and support one another however we can. Hopefully we will get through this with the minimum harm, and be stronger for it.
More info here
US Center for Disease Control & Prevention
Performance Anxiety, And DJing Sober
One of the realities of DJing, especially on big stages in front of large crowds, is performance anxiety. And one of the most common ways to cope with this is to use alcohol – something that can easily slip into abusing alcohol, which has led a lot of DJs (myself included) to completely quit in order to be able to continue doing what they love for a job.
AFK asked for advice on his Twitter, sparking some interesting replies, the highlights of which are below, followed by some of my thoughts, on day 661 of my own sobriety.
Sober DJ friends, how do you deal with stage anxiety? I’m playing my first sober show in 12 years of DJing next weekend. I’ve been eating better & exercising which has helped immensely with general anxiety but I know i’m about to get a shotgun blast of it when I get on stage
— AFK (@AFKdubstep) February 20, 2020
There were lots of different suggestions, ranging from trying non-alcoholic drinks as a placebo, to just preparing so much you are ready for anything, to just getting up there and doing it! Here’s some of the more interesting suggestions, and I’ll be back to offer some of my thoughts after them!
To me the thing that causes any anxiety from being on stage is looking directly into the crowd’s eyes. Whenever you look into the crowd, look to the distance and no so much to the individuals. Anxiety kicks in when the contact is made. -tiago from ghost
— HI I’M GHOST (@hiimghostsound) February 20, 2020
Look at the back of the room like straight forward slightly above the heads of the crowd. Bring a friend with you that you confide in. Drink some tea before , don’t drink a shit ton of caffeine that’s going to make you all jittery and amp your HR up, request a few towels (1/1)
— LIZZY JANE (@thisislizzyjane) February 21, 2020
i been drinking non alcoholic beer to take the edge off. The placebo helps
— 🕯12th Planet🕯 (@12thplanet) February 21, 2020
275 days sober over here. Cater your rider towards good beverage alternatives. I always have a drink in my hand; it just always happens to be Topo Chico. Little things like that make it easier
— phenomenal (@PHNM) February 20, 2020
once you do the first mix you’ll find it feels the same as when you’ve had a few drinks. the nerves go away. it’s sometimes better!
— AC Slater (@djacslater) February 21, 2020
just remember that whether youre alone in your room or have 15k people in front of you, the actions required for DJing are the exact same. Youve preformed a million times and you will kill it like always. Those people are there to see you, its pretty damn hard to let them down
— Somnium Sound (@SomniumSound) February 20, 2020
You just do it man. You’re overthinking it lmao. Ever play a dubstep set before? Ok then you know what to do. Youll find that after the first song literally nothing bad happens and its autopilot from there
— CRY WACHI 😥 (@KaiWachiMusic) February 20, 2020
Prepare. Simple.
— DJ PUFFY (@DEEJAYPUFFY) February 22, 2020
My thoughts
While there is no “correct” answer to this initial post – there’s all sorts of different reasons people get performance anxiety, and all sorts of different reasons why people might decide not to drink, both in life and while DJing – there are a few things that I think are worth mentioning, some of which are covered above.
First of all – preparation.
One of the best ways to overcome nerves is to be so well-prepared, and so good that it is extremely unlikely that you will screw up. Experience will help with this, and that comes with time and effort. The more you practice, and the more you perform, the more you have that knowledge to fall back on. Have playlists well stocked and updated, have certain stock combos of tracks that you know you can fall back on when things aren’t going to plan and get a party back on track. Have spare needles, a back up USB or 2, some extra CDs just in case, a cable to plug your phone in… Be prepared for any eventuality that might throw you off track.
Nerves
Another point that was made by quite a few respondents to the original tweet – nerves are natural, its about how you interpret that. This is true of so much of life – things happen, we feel an emotional response to that, but then we have a choice of how to act, how to interpret this, and that makes a huge difference to the results. If you feel nervous, that means you care. That means you are playing a show you give a damn about. That means something is riding on your performance. These are all good things if you look at them the right way.
One suggestion that came up a lot is meditation, and this can be useful both in the moment, and also as a general life-practice. You learn to get better at spotting the emotions you are feeling, and recognising why you feel them, and in doing that you are much better placed to handle them correctly. And in terms of before you go on – for some people that will be a very useful way of calming themselves, bringing heart rate down and so on. This approach might not be for everyone though, as many people want to be amped up before they head out on stage!
Embrace mistakes
Likewise, if something does go wrong – don’t sweat it. Mistakes are the main way people learn lessons in life – once you wrap your head round that, it is liberating.
Things go to plan – win, it all went how you wanted.
Things don’t go to plan – win, you got a free lesson, and can avoid that mistake next time.
I’ve made every silly mistake you can imagine over the years – lifted the needle off the wrong record, ejected the wrong CD, the wrong USB, knocked the Serato box so it fell off the stage and we had several minutes of silence! And I’ve seen world DMC champs make the same mistakes – everyone does at some point! What matters is that you keep learning from them, and be better prepared next time.
DJing vs Performing
Of course, a big part of this is the subtle difference between “just” DJing, and DJing with the performance aspect that many big stage EDM shows require. But – if I think I need 20 tequilas to wave my hands around in the air and jump about on stage, then that is an issue with my mentality – it has nothing to do with the reality of the situation, which is that if I wave my hands in the air and jump around, it looks exactly the same and the crowd reacts exactly, no matter what drinks are running through my veins! The difference is, with a boat-load of alcohol in me my motor skills are impaired and I might not be making the most rational decisions about what tracks to play next!
There’s a real bit of wisdom in the famous Nike slogan “Just Do It”. So much of what we feel nervous about doing in front of people is just a barrier we have put up in our minds – the moment you hop over it, you realise how silly it was to think it stopped you doing anything.
In Conclusion
Before I quit booze, I told myself that I was a better DJ if I was on the same wave as the crowd, and used that excuse to justify drinking heavily to settle any nerves I had – but the problem there is that its very easy to get carried away after a few drinks and reduce your DJing abilities! And of course, once you are in the habit of DJing drunk, its easy to lean on that even when nerves aren’t a factor.
After I quit, I got SO MANY more compliments on my sets. And this is without even talking about the mental and physical health implications and so on. As time wore on, I realised that nobody really gives a shit if the DJ is drunk or high or sober, what they care about is the set they play, and the show they put on. I might have enjoyed my sets more when I was wasted – that doesn’t mean that they sounded better!
This is a topic I think about a lot now that I’m clean and sober, so I expect I will return to it more in the months and years to come. For now, get out there and kill it at your gigs this weekend!
FAQ for Wedding DJs – Ben Boylan
One of the great things about the Heavy Hits community is that it understands that there are all sorts of DJs around the world, catering for all sorts of parties.
And one of the most important parties anyone can ever DJ at is someone’s wedding – literally the most important day of the couple’s life! They can be incredibly fun to DJ at, and a very lucrative corner of the industry if you get a reputation for doing them well, but too many DJs take on this responsibility without contemplating or understanding the differences from a normal club or bar gig.
In the following blog, Ben Boylan answers several frequently asked questions on this topic, which will leave you in a much better position to plan and execute a wedding gig.
Do You Take Song Requests?
If you have DJ’d a wedding, a couple has asked you if you take song requests from their guests.
Couples ask this question because they want to gauge how much you will let their guests influence the song choices at your wedding. Some couples welcome the input of their guests, and others want to control the playlist. It’s up to you to feel them out and guess which type of couple they are. That will help you give them the answer they are looking for and book the gig.
There are three ways you can do it
I always say that the answer is ultimately up to them but it can go three ways:
1 – The DJ accepts all requests.
This works at weddings with groups who are not big dancers. Sometimes it’s hard to get anyone to dance. Encouraging guests to make requests gets them involved and will probably get (at least) a small group on your dance floor. Alternately, this doesn’t work great when you have a packed dance floor, because guests often request songs that they personally like, rather than crowd-pleasers. But usually, this one is OK.
2 – The DJ accepts no requests.
I get this one often, usually from couples who want to control the playlist or ones who don’t like the music taste of their family and friends. As soon as a couple says this, I ask them why. If it’s because they think their family and friends will make a lot of requests, they are setting themselves up. If five guests are told, “sorry, no requests,” at least one of them is going to go bother the bride and groom. Maybe all five will. I have DJ’d at least three weddings where the couple came up to the DJ booth and said something like “Just play whatever they want. They are driving us crazy!” So this policy doesn’t always work well.
3 – The DJ uses their judgment.
If the request matches the type of music the couple likes, and it is a song the majority of the room will know, play it. This is the best policy and the one most of my couples agree to.
Once again, couples ask this question for different reasons, so if you haven’t booked them yet, I would try and figure out their motivations and answer carefully. Many couples are just scared no one will dance at their wedding. Others have a dream of choosing a long playlist that their family and friends will compliment. Put on your psychologist hat and have fun. Good luck!
What Time Do You Arrive?
Arrive 2 hours early
This is another question I get asked often. The standard for DJs bringing a normal set up is 2 hours before guests arrive.
Note: it’s not 2 hours before the ceremony. It’s 2 hours before guests arrive. Guests usually arrive 30 minutes before the ceremony. And you want to be set up and ready to start before the first guest arrives.
You need the extra time
It usually takes me 30 to 60 minutes to setup once I have loaded in. So why not just arrive one hour early? Because if something goes wrong, you need the extra time. I’ve had to run out to Best Buy or Radio Shack (RIP) to buy a cable or batteries. Trust me on this one.
2 hours might not be enough
If it’s your first time at the venue, get there early, especially if it’s big. In Brooklyn, many wedding venues are in a warehouse. And those are often just one big room and that can be easy. But some banquet halls have multiple floors, rooms, and outdoor areas. And barn weddings can be tricky too. Sometimes the ceremony is a half-mile into the woods!
And if you are providing extra services like photobooth, intelligent lighting, etc, you may have to get there earlier than 2 hours.
Check with the venue
Some venues let you arrive at any time that day. Others have an event ending before you get there. So in the week before the wedding, shoot them an email and ask if you can arrive 2 hours before guests.
Setup checklist
Here are the things you should have set up before guests arrive:
1 – PA for ceremony (if providing)
2 – PA for cocktail hour (if providing)
3 – PA for ceremony
4 – All mics tested and ready to use
5 – Any additional services like lights, photobooth, etc.
Time yourself the next time you set up and make a note of it. Good luck!
What Happens If You Get Sick?
This is a question I get in almost every consultation I have with a couple. It’s an uncomfortable one, but since it gets asked so often, you should have an answer prepared. I also would suggest putting it in your contract as a clause.
Here’s what I say
If for some reason I became ill or an act of God (earthquake, tsunami, etc) prevents me from coming I will present you with 2 or 3 great DJs who will do the job at the same price and under the same terms. I will send them everything you have sent me. If you choose to use one of them, I will send them your deposit. If you decide not to use one of them, I will return your deposit.
Here’s what I put in my contract
In case of cancellation by <your name here>, a suitable replacement, as judged by You, will be provided within 72 hours of said cancellation.
Return the deposit
In my contract, I call the deposit a “non-refundable deposit.” In other words, if they cancel, they don’t get their deposit back. This is one of the only cases where I would give it back without question.
But don’t scare them
Reassure the client it’s not going to happen. I don’t know about you, but I’d have to be pretty sick to miss a wedding. If I was puking and it was almost time to leave and go to the wedding, I’d probably bring a few plastic bags and start packing my car. And as for an act of God, God would really have to f#ck $h!t up. In other words, I say “…But it’s not going to happen. Don’t worry.”
And it probably goes without saying, but let them bring this one up. If they don’t mention this, just leave it in the contract and don’t say anything about it.
Cancelling can damage your rep
There are some wedding DJs who cancel more often than I do. In other words, more often than never. Do what you are comfortable with, but if you cancel regularly, the word could get around and that’s not the type of thing a wedding DJ wants to be known for! Nuff said…
I hope these tips help you deal with this difficult question. Good luck with it!
For the wedding DJs out there – check out these great wedding playlists that Ben has curated!
A DJ Bag for Mental Health
What’s up everyone? My name is Patrick and I go by DJ AndOne. I’m an editor and content manager here for Heavy Hits and recently felt the need to write about some solutions I’ve found in hopes that it could help some of you in the near future.
Fair warning – this is not going to be some stereotypical list about how you need to get sleep, stay hydrated, etc. (all important things). But rather a more itemized list of little things I keep in my DJ bag to help through any mental health struggles I may have on gig days.
1. Pack of Gum
I always keep one full pack of gum on me at all times during a gig because if you get nervous or are experiencing anxiety, you tend to easily get cottonmouth which can cause issues when you’re talking on the mic. Chewing gum allows your mouth to salivate helping to fix this problem and not cause as much distress if you need to MC anything.
2. Hand Gripper
This is something I use all the time. If you squeeze the hand gripper for one minute in each hand four times, it can serve as a physical release of tension within the body and actually slow down your heart rate. Great for pre-show nerves.
3. Rubik’s Cube
This one may sound a little nerdy. But it’s important to occupy your mind with something if you’re just sitting around waiting for the show to start. If you keep dwelling about being anxious or whatever else it is. It’s only going to distract you. You don’t need to get a Rubix Cube and break a damn world record. But just find a little something you can do to help keep you engaged nd focused on what’s in front of you.
4. Anytime Fitness Membership
The reason I put this on here is because sometimes when I travel for a gig. I set all my stuff up and am sweaty and disgusting, but have nowhere to shower and get ready. If you get an Anytime Fitness membership, you have 24/7 access to a shower and a private bathroom. This same idea applies to Planet Fitness and many other gyms. Find a gym like that in your region with multiple locations because this really comes in handy (especially if you’re doing a wedding).
5. Headspace App
This is something that has helped me tremendously. I took up meditation a few years ago and it has done wonders for me in the long run. The app is packed with different long-term programs, as well as exercises as short as 3 minutes to help you step back and take a breather. I have it on my phone and use it almost every day, but if you can’t get to yours, you can login on your laptop and do a guided meditation on there.
I hope this brief list of things I use has encouraged you to try at least one of these out. As my Dad once said, “You’ll never get anywhere by stopping, but you will by starting.” So, do yourself a favor and start to try different things to help you manage any nerves or issues you have before you get behind the decks. Hit me up on Instagram @djandonemusic if you ever want to talk about things or if you have any questions.
Peace Out!
– DJ AndOne
Cloud Mixing – what does the future hold for DJs?
DJs have a strange relationship with technology.
On one hand – without the technological innovations of pitch controls and direct drive turntables, would DJing have ever taken off in the way it did? It’s an artform entirely build around technology.
On the other, any new tech today is generally greeted with a chorus of “THAT’S NOT REAL DJing!” from crusty old veterans of the game. The snobbishness about CDJs has only recently gone away, and lots of CDJ users are sniffy about those who use a laptop to store their music. And let’s not even go near the sync debate! 
But one thing is for sure – technology will carry on moving forward at the speed of light, and one of the innovations that seems inevitable is “cloud DJing”. That is, playing music streamed directly from the internet. This opens up a whole world of opportunities, and also pitfalls (will we ever again be able to say to a requester “sorry, not got it”?). The recent Denon SC6000 and SC6000m include wifi as standard, so this is clearly seen as a key part of the future, and Serato has long had a tie-in with Tidal. Once 5G is standard around the world, with the speeds that will bring, this will make this revolution seem the obvious option, vs carrying music around physically, like some sort of caveman.
This fantastic article by Declan McGlynn in DJ Mag explores the implications of cloud DJing in real depth, and is well worth your time. It touches on the analytics side – being able to know who is playing which songs, where, for how long, where are cue points, when are they mixing out. There will be mountains of data from such a service, which should help royalties go to the correct artists, and enable DJs and artists to work out where to arrange gigs and tours more accurately.
The biggest obvious benefit for DJs is having access to such a vast library of music – basically, any tunes on whatever platforms become available to mix with. Quite how this works financially will be interesting to unpack – but it seems likely that it will be a subscription model, with royalties to artists proportionately, based on what DJs actually play. Given how many DJs only play pirated music, that’s a net win for producers getting something financially, even if the rewards of services like Spotify are notoriously low, unless they clock up vast numbers!
With AI and machine learning, there are other implications for DJs to consider though – will this create a situation where an automated DJ-bot can more accurately mix and blend, and understand how to react to different times in different venues, after analysing the sets and mixing of thousands, maybe millions, of DJs? Will it be able to sync to CCTV to work out what is needed, and switch from bar grooves to dancefloor killers? Apparently versions of this tech are already in situ in places in Las Vegas, and most likely elsewhere too.
How to respond to this? Denial is always a popular tactic – “It’ll never happen!”
And maybe that’s true… But a safer approach – make yourself indispensable.
Heavy Hits obviously provides you with lots of ways to personalise your sets vs the tunes you will find on Spotify – acapella in/out edits, transition edits, and the kind of knowledge in our playlists that gives you access to the libraries of some of the best DJs in the world!
Build your stage presence, work on mic skills, get involved with promotion – whatever it is, make yourself unique enough that a machine playing from iTunes isn’t going to have a chance in hell of replicating your value, no matter how good the AI!