Posts Tagged ‘what dj equipment do i need?’

What Do I Need To Start A DJ Business?

Monday, January 2nd, 2012

I have talked with a lot of would-be DJ’s over the years. What is the most common question I hear from them? “What do I need to start a DJ business?” That makes sense, because most people think a DJ has tons of equipment, knowledge, and other stuff. But the truth is that you really don’t need much to get started. Almost anybody can start a DJ business for under $1000 and a little bit of time. Here’s what you need to know:

Let’s start with equipment. This is what people tend to believe is most important in the DJ business. Not true. DJ’s have a wide variety of equipment options, and you will rarely see 2 guys/gals running the same setup. Basically, you will need speakers, a power source, and a sound source. Lights are optional, so we won’t even cover that here. Your speakers might include their own power, or you might need a separate power amp. Your sound source can be a CD player, iPod, laptop, or even a true dual deck player like many DJ’s are using these days. Equipment-wise, that’s about it.

The real kicker is music. You have to develop a large music library that covers all genres, eras, etc. If you DJ a high school prom, you have to own the appropriate music for those kids. If you DJ a 50 year reunion, you will need a very different playlist for that event. Get the idea? You need it all. Sure, you could try to limit yourself to events where the music fits your personal tastes, but you want to make money. Cutting out certain kinds of music means cutting your pay drastically. So own it all and play it all. Grow your library constantly!

Lastly, you will need some business savvy. That’s the part that scares most people out of getting started. They think the business must be complicated or everyone would be doing it, right? Not at all true. This business is simple. All you really need is a drive to be successful. You have to want success. Do you want that kind of freedom and satisfaction out of your job? If so, then you are halfway there. The rest can be learned on the battlefield.

Be confident, be prepared, and you will find that the DJ business is really not difficult. If you cover your equipment, music, and you really want to be a DJ, you are already off to a great start.

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Choosing Equipment For Your DJ Business

Monday, January 2nd, 2012

One of the most common questions I get from would-be DJ’s is, “What equipment do I need to start a DJ business?” Luckily, this is also one of the easiest questions to answer.

You really can personalize your setup according to your needs. If you don’t have a bunch of money to start a DJ business, then you can get a few bare-bones essentials. You can always upgrade and expand your equipment later –when you have some profits rolling in.

Where should you start? The obvious starting point is your music library. You might have a really nice set of speakers and a huge sub woofer… but if you don’t have all the music your clients want, then you won’t get too many gigs. Work on expanding your music library first. Get songs from all eras and from all genres. Oldies, disco, pop, rock, r&b, hip hop, dance, etc. You should try to develop a good selection of all music. Then you can start to focus on your gear.

Next, get your hands on a DJ mixer. These are fairly cheap, but you can find more expensive ones with lots of extra features. I have seen DJ mixers for as low as $60. Just about anybody can afford that, right? This mixer allows you to plug in a sound source (CD player, iPod, etc.) and route that music to your speakers. Many people decide to purchase a dual CD deck as well. This is pretty much the standard in the mobile DJ community. But if you want to save some money or use equipment you already have, your iPod will work just fine for getting started. Plug the iPod into your mixer and get the party started.

Speakers are your next hurdle. Many beginner DJ’s will borrow speakers at first, or they will use home stereo equipment. That’s fine for your first few gigs, but you should really get something more professional ASAP. You want two main speakers with at least 12″ drivers. These speakers may be active or passive, meaning they are self-powered or they require a power amp. Active speakers are usually more costly, but you save money on a power amp and you don’t have to carry that extra equipment to every gig.

Now that you have the basics of your sound gear, you might consider some basic lights for your show. Check out sites like Musiciansfriend.com for starter light kits. They are usually only $120-$200, and they will work just fine for a beginner.

That’s it! You have all the equipment you need to start booking clients and bagging profits. The DJ business is fun and lucrative, so I hope you enjoy it as much as most DJ’s do.

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