Help me be a better DJ!

July 10, 2006 5:30 AM

Help me be a better DJ.

I've been doing college and pirate shows for years now, but over the last year I've started playing at bars and parties. I've been asked to do all the live shows that I've done so far. My first question is...

HOW DO I BOOK MY OWN SHOWS?

I've always been really shy about that sort of thing, and it's kept me from trying before being asked. I figure that, with a few tips, I might go in with some more confidence.

Also, over the last year, I've switched the format of my show from a regular, freeform, whatever-I-feel-like set to a Funk and Soul show. My question here is...

HOW DO I GET FREE MUSIC FROM RECORD COMPANIES?

I know that if I start reporting to CMJ, I will be reporting my existence to the world, but how do I do that? And how do I (how do you) contact record companies directly. I don't wanna look like a beggar, but it'd be nice to have some music sent my way before I stumble upon it.

posted by anonymous to media & arts (28 comments total)

Well, not posting as anonymous would be a start if you want to become better known... apart from that I can heartily recommend the book How to DJ Right: The Art and Science of Playing Records by Frank Broughton and Bill Brewster, which has a chapter each devoted to your questions.
posted by Herr Fahrstuhl at 6:24 AM on July 10, 2006

Brand-new DJs don't, generally, get free stuff. When record labels are giving out promos, it's because they know that lots of people will hear them. I'd be astonished, for example, if someone like Tiesto ever actually pays for records anymore.

That said, there's no harm in asking. Start phoning up record labels that you really like. Tell them "I have XYZ from your catalogue... what have you got that's new and exciting and just begging to be played? Got any promo copies kicking around?"

As for getting bookings... have you got a really solid demo? I am not talking about something you've carefully edited and polished. I mean a recorded live-on-the-floor demo. If not, get one. Actually, two: one that's about ten to fifteen minutes, a little sampler of what you like to play (I'd advise several different versions of this, showcasing different parts of your crate), and a good long 1-1.5hr set.

And for God's sake, don't ever play downloaded (as in not paid for) music. That's just crass.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 6:26 AM on July 10, 2006

Bookmouth has some useful advice for self-promotion; while the site mentions the Book You Own Fuckin' Life website, you'd do much better getting original print manual instead.
posted by Smart Dalek at 6:33 AM on July 10, 2006

I'm not the OP, but I'm in a similar situation, so concerning the demo: I do have several hour-long mixes laying around, but I am very reluctant on giving them out, because they're not perfect; Each of them has at least one bad mix (galloping beats for up to five seconds) or is a little overdriven in some parts.

So what I'd like advice on: What level of proficiency would bookers at each level of the circuit (like bars, small clubs, big clubs and so on) expect? Where could I expect to get with a less-than-perfect demo? I feel I make up for the sometimes bad mixes by selection, but I'm reluctant to give a tape out because I figure "get it right the first time". Any comments?
posted by Herr Fahrstuhl at 6:50 AM on July 10, 2006

What level of proficiency would bookers at each level of the circuit (like bars, small clubs, big clubs and so on) expect?

Bars expect you to be able to crossfade. Clubs expect you to be able to beatmatch and mix properly.

Where could I expect to get with a less-than-perfect demo?

Nowhere. I would never in a billion years book a DJ who's mixtape has five seconds worth of running shoes in a dryer.

I feel I make up for the sometimes bad mixes by selection, but I'm reluctant to give a tape out because I figure "get it right the first time". Any comments?

Yes. Spend a day recording a mix. Take a sunday, get your tracks prepared, put them in order, know exactly when you want to cut out track X, bring in track Y, etc -- and then spend the next 8 hours recording it over, and over, and over, until it's perfect.
posted by Jairus at 6:54 AM on July 10, 2006

Once you have a solid demo done, as described above, you really just need to get yourself known to local promoters. Playing house parties in the right circles can help you meet people fast, as can playing out at clubs.

If you want to throw your own club nights or parties, it might be a good idea to volunteer to help out at events. Not to play, but work the door, sell water or whatever needs to be done. You'll meet people and you'll gain some insight into how these things work.

Also, promote these events on your radio show! Have promoters on the show to do give aways. Invite big local DJ's to play a set on your show.

All of this is based on my local experience with Winnipeg's scene. I had a hand in running a short lived club night and have helped out throwing a couple of full scale parties. I don't know how things are around your area, so of course YMMV.

Oh and keep it up with the funk. It's a crowd pleaser and kind of rare, at least around here. One thing the world doesn't need is another trance DJ, or god forbid, hard house.
posted by utsutsu at 7:04 AM on July 10, 2006

Yes. Spend a day recording a mix. Take a sunday, get your tracks prepared, put them in order, know exactly when you want to cut out track X, bring in track Y, etc -- and then spend the next 8 hours recording it over, and over, and over, until it's perfect.


But, for the love of Techs, do not edit together this half hour of one take with another half hour from a different take.

If you can't beatmatch seamlessly when you're calm, at home, and have no distractions, how on Earth can you expect to do it in a bar or a club?
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 7:18 AM on July 10, 2006

The main (and often only) reason a club/bar books a DJ is because said DJ will bring in a load of people and the establishment will make more money on drink sales. So just as important as getting the promoters to know you is to get the punters to know you.

The easiest way to do this is to put up a website with tons of fun information on you as a DJ. Put up a number of DJ mixes that can be downloaded for free. Keep adding and changing the mixes so people will check back. Now get business cards made that list your website and say something like "Download free mixes here". Give these cards to everyone and put them everywhere. Oh yeah - and be sure to have a sign up area on the site so that people can get on an e-mail list to be notified whenever you are playing out. It won't happen overnight, but once you get a solid fanbase that will show up to your gigs then you'll have no problem getting booked.

Also - remember that club DJing is (in my opinion) a compromise between what you want to play and what the punters want to hear. To lean one way or the other either makes you a bore or a jukebox.

As far as getting free records : realize that there is no such thing as a free record. This record is being bought for you by the label. It costs them money to manufacture it and send it to you in the post. Thus, sending one to you must make sense to them ... that is, will giving you one record help them sell 10+ copies of it? If not, then its presumptuous for you to ask for promos. But you can help your chances by posting playlists from your radio show. Your new website is a logical place to do this. Also research and find places that post charts and send your playlist there. Report to magazines that do charting, post the playlist to related mailing lists and forums that accept such information, and, of course, regularly send the playlist to the labels. You should include a little bit of information about your show and station (wattage, how many listeners, special promotions, where else you're playing that week, your mailing address and info, etc) in each posting. If the label likes what they see then they'll start servicing you.

Regarding CMJ : You have to be a subscriber to have your charts listed by them. Subsriptions aren't cheap. If you're on a pirate station then I don't think they'd accept your charts anyway. But if you're on a college station then chances are they already subscribe. Ask your music director. CMJ won't take individual DJs charts, just genre representations from each station. If your station doesn't have what CMJ calls an "RPM Director" (i.e. the one who handles the dance/electronic music charts) then volunteer for this position.

Good luck!
posted by General Zubon at 8:04 AM on July 10, 2006

I second the idea of having a website with continually-updated content. Gives people a reason to come back, and also keeps your name in the front of their brains.

Also, exploit MySpace. Just pleasepleaseplease do not go so crazy with the HTML that your page is unreadable.

Get your name out there by DJ'ing for friends' parties and the like. It's summer - tell your friends that if they bring the hot dogs you'll bring the beats. It's good practice, and will help draw crowds when you DJ at clubs ("oh yeah, DJ Anonymous, he did a great job at that party, let's go see him at Club X").

Yeah...as for free...good luck with that...most DJ's I know buy a lot of music. Partially because they're collector nerds and partially because...well...nuthin is free.
posted by radioamy at 8:23 AM on July 10, 2006

"Also, promote these events on your radio show! Have promoters on the show to do give aways. Invite big local DJ's to play a set on your show."

Invite people to play your show, but be careful with promoting yourself. That's an easy way to get your station fined or have the license jerked if you're on college radio. There're all sorts of conflict of interest rules about that.

Oh, and the reason not to play nearly any downloaded music is because it's usually too low of a bitrate and sounds like ass through club speakers.
posted by klangklangston at 10:17 AM on July 10, 2006

Oh, and the reason not to play nearly any downloaded music is because it's usually too low of a bitrate and sounds like ass through club speakers.


No, that's not the reason.

The reason is because making money from stolen merchandise--in this case, music--is ever so slightly unethical.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 10:51 AM on July 10, 2006

Aww, bullshit.
It's moral to play white labels bought from second hand shops, where the artist never got any cash, but not downloads? And if you're axing second-hand white labels, there are gonna be a lot of DJs with holes in their sets.
It's the club's job to pay their ASCAP/BMI fees, not the DJ's. The royalties for performance rights are theoretically handled, and there's no difference between promos and downloads being played from an ethical standpoint.

The difference, I reiterate for the slow, is that the mp3 that sounds great on iPod headphones sucks on a real system.
posted by klangklangston at 11:50 AM on July 10, 2006

(and so long as we're enforcing copyright, you can knock the DJ right out of the booth. All those remixes? All that crossfading? Unauthorized derivative works.)
posted by klangklangston at 11:52 AM on July 10, 2006

No respectable Funk & Soul DJ would want records for free from a record label. Find your own music - start digging through crates. Get the rare stuff, get the stuff no-one's heard before. People like Keb Darge pride themselves in finding lost gems, obscure nuggets, dusty slices of original vinyl uncovered after hours in warehouses and attics. You have to put the work in, otherwise you'll be just the same as every other amateur with the latest Blue Juice compilation. Get yourself some signature tracks - something only you have. Word will get around - 'that DJ's playing tonight, the one with the News At 10 theme!' That's the way to get attention - play stuff that people simply can't hear anywhere else. One thing the world needs only marginally more than another Hard House DJ is another DJ playing 100% Obvious Funk.
posted by nylon at 12:56 PM on July 10, 2006

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Listen to Nylon.
posted by klangklangston at 1:10 PM on July 10, 2006

Whups. That wasn't supposed to be there. Instead, I had a handy quote. Nevermind...
posted by klangklangston at 1:11 PM on July 10, 2006

It's the club's job to pay their ASCAP/BMI fees, not the DJ's. The royalties for performance rights are theoretically handled, and there's no difference between promos and downloads being played from an ethical standpoint.


Huge difference. The artist does get paid for promo--or, rather, the artist's contract includes stipulations about promotion.

They do not get paid for illegal downloads. Making money off someone else's hard work without their consent is unethical.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 1:46 PM on July 10, 2006

Again, bullshit. The artist pays for those promo copies out of their recoupable promo budget.

"Making money off someone else's hard work without their consent is unethical."

Then I assume you have clearance for every song you play? When you mix songs, you're creating a derivative work without the consent of the rightsholder. You'll note that on those cds you buy that feature a license agreement in the fine print, they forbid public performance? DJing is a public performance. Even when that prohibition isn't made explicit, it's part of the ©. Any time a DJ gets paid for a gig, they're making money off of someone else's hard work without their explicit consent.

And I have never, ever, ever, ever met a DJ who gets clearances for what they play. Let alone clearances for the samples that are in songs. I hope you rip the vinyl from the DJ's hand the next time that anything from Paul's Boutique shows up on the turntable.

And remember that ASCAP and BMI, assuming that the venue has their licenses up to date, only give implied consent for the artists they represent. Any time that I play, say, anything from Lindstrom or Annie or Vitalic or Ellen Alien or Tiga, they're not represented. I'm making money off of their hard work. Just like when I sample the Gigantor theme or Hawaii 5-0.

So... time for you to turn in your technics if you want to be morally consistent. That, or stop trying to lecture people without knowing what the fuck you're talking about.
posted by klangklangston at 2:04 PM on July 10, 2006

Dance music was built on piracy. Play your (vbr) mp3s and play them proud.
posted by Jairus at 3:56 PM on July 10, 2006

Jairus, North America was built on racist land-grabbing. Does this mean we should... oh, wait. Nevermind.


klang, yet again, you utterly miss the point. I wish I could care as little about the hard work of other people as you do. Have fun with that.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 6:57 PM on July 10, 2006

And, quite frankly, I do know what the fuck I'm talking about, thankyouverymuch. The difference is that I actually give a flying fuck about ripping people off, and you don't. You're a promoter, aren't you?
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 6:59 PM on July 10, 2006

Dirty, Klang, let's relax a bit, eh?

dirty: yes, people should be recompensed for their creative work, if they so choose -- some (see CC licensing) do not.

klang: yes, there are grey areas in the current regime of "intellectual property" law, and it's very difficult to do things that people do, everywhere, all the time, completely legally.

This does not mean that dirty is being a tool, nor that you're being a lawless heathen, and I suspect we'd all get along a whole lot better if everyone would tead a page from Wikipedia and [[Assume Good Faith]]
posted by baylink at 7:17 PM on July 10, 2006

Clearly, baylink, I was not referring to situations in which people licence their output using CC. klang is a tool, which I unfortunately hope every single time I bother replying to him. Stereotypically American; "I'm going to do whatever the hell I want and find a half-assed justification for doing so".
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 4:51 AM on July 11, 2006

errr, that is, 'which I unfortunately hope will change every' etc.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 6:20 AM on July 11, 2006

"I do know what the fuck I'm talking about, thankyouverymuch."

No, you really don't. The entire history of DJing and hip hop started with creating derivative works without worrying about IP protections. When Afrika Bambaataa sampled Kraftwerk, he didn't have their permission. When Kool G Rap sampled Gary Numan, he didn't have permission. When someone in a club adds a 303 behind a Frida Payne 12", they don't have her permission.
And according to US law, they need that permission. If you don't get it, you're "ripping off" that artist. How come you believe they only need to be paid through record sales? Do you work for the RIAA?

Basically, you're trying to have an absolutist moral stance without considering the ramifactions of that position. But hey, you've latched onto stupid positions before and defended them with bile, so why should this be different?
posted by klangklangston at 7:30 AM on July 11, 2006

I love how you say 'stupid' when you mean 'contrary to me doing whatever the hell I want to do'.

First of all, you started slinging the bile first--so get a leg to stand on.

Second of all, just because something started illegally doesn't make it ethical to continue doing so.

Third, working for the RIAA would imply that I live in the cesspool south of the border. And for the record, I think the RIAA are a bunch of sharks in suits who don't give a damn about the music industry, only their paycheques.

Fourth, I am quite fully versed in the history of dance music, DJ culture, and sampling. I am also well aware that there are legal issues with being a DJ. However, downloading someone else's music, not paying for it, and making money off it (presuming they're not using CC licencing, clearly)--frankly, I can't see any possible situation where that is ethical. Is it ethical to steal a stereo and then sell it for money? Of course not. Is it ethical to steal a painting from a gallery and then sell it? Of course not.

And seriously... "It started illegally so it's okay to keep doing it illegally"? What are you smoking, and where can I buy some?

Don't be ridiculous.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 8:22 AM on July 11, 2006

"Is it ethical to steal a painting from a gallery and then sell it? Of course not."

And this is why I call your position stupid. You're confusing physical property for intellectual property. You might want to look up Sherry Levine for how this is handled in the visual arts. Or Duchamp.

""It started illegally so it's okay to keep doing it illegally"? What are you smoking, and where can I buy some?"

Wow, it's almost as if I'm not making an absolutist claim at all, and if you weren't high/stupid, you'd realize that. Graffiti started illegally. It continues to be illegal. Should graffiti only be painted on walls where the artist has permission? No. Does that mean I'm against property owners painting over grafitti? Well, it depends on the piece. Was the Heidelberg project legal? No. Should it have been bulldozed? No.
LEGAL DOES NOT EQUAL MORAL. Again, if you weren't stupid, you might have picked up on that. Sorry, there's no other way to explain it.

"frankly, I can't see any possible situation where that is ethical."

Downloading is a canard. Any time that you're playing anyone's music without their explicit permission, you're violating their copyright, whether or not you paid for the music. Again, if you're going to be an absolutist, you have to be consistent. Otherwise you're just another shreiking yabbo.

Hey, just the other night I played some unreleased Larry Levan remixes of the Joubert Singers that I downloaded from another DJ. On a radio show no less! Noting that Levan didn't have permission to remix the album, who, exactly, should my royalty checks go to? Somewhere around the station's archives, there's unreleased Carl Craig dubplates recorded at the university's studio. If I play those, should I pay Craig even though the university is the one that owns the copyright on the recordings? What about if I drop in something from Sun Records— I downloaded it without paying Sam Phillips for the rights, even though he stole them from the artists when they recorded at his studios.

So, to the OP again: Play whatever you like. I think that downloads are often too shitty for club speakers (but are usually fine for FM). Some people may disagree, but since if you're a decent DJ you'll spend more money on records than 99% of the population, you can pretty well ignore them.
posted by klangklangston at 9:16 AM on July 11, 2006

I love how you claim I'm spewing bile, and you're the one calling me high and stupid.

Well done! You've won the argument by default, because I can't be bothered arguing with a moron. They drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 9:25 AM on July 11, 2006