Learn To DJ: (4) Getting Gigs

2019-07-26

6:30-7:30

Are you DJ-Curious? Comfort & Joy is hosting free DJ workshops for anyone interested in learning this magical art. The workshops will be led by seasoned disc jockeys from very different parts of the DJ industry. You will learn how to set up sound and lighting gear, how to mix music, and how to pick tracks.

Food and drink will be provided. Anyone who attends all four workshops will receive a very special gear gift from C&J.

At this fourth workshop, we will learn about the history of the vocation of DJing, and how to find work today. We will have several local big names on hand to answer questions about the work itself and finding gigs.

Workshop Outline

  • Meet and Greet
    • “What kind of gigs are you interested in?”
  • History of DJing
    • Challenges and advantages
      • Then: Heavy, expensive crates of music
      • Now: Cheap controllers with MP3
    • Client expectations
      • Are you video mixing?
      • Are you bringing lights?
      • Are you taking requests?
    • Selling gigs
      • Schools
        • Find the decision maker
        • Keep bugging them
        • Sign exclusive seasonal contracts; offer free work as an audition with the option to cancel the contract if they don’t like it.
        • Play top 40/ contemporary
          • Have edited music crates
        • Typical pay is about $100/hr.
      • Weddings
        • Mostly word of mouth
        • Start with friends/ family
        • Win over wedding officiants
          • Make a special effort to network with them at weddings
        • Talk to wedding venues about being their recommended vendor
        • Typical pay can be $600-$1200.
      • Dive bars
        • Easy sell, low hanging fruit
        • Check local newspapers for bars with empty nights. Ask for a tryout.
        • Typical pay is a percentage of sales or a flat rate: $100-$200 plus a free bar tab for you and your guests (we’ll come back to that).
      • Clubs
        • Need to know someone or have a reputation
        • Pay ranges wildly from minimum wage hourly to high flat rates depending on the venue and the night.
      • Look for weekly/ regular gigs!
        • One-off parties are fun, but weekly gigs offer stability and reliable income.
        • Working three nights a week at dive bars pays about $20k/year and sets you up for bigger things.
        • Weekly dive bar gigs are a great reputation piece for selling larger gigs.
        • Exclusive contracts with schools are a great reputation piece for selling more school gigs.
    • Guerrilla marketing
      • Flyers only help if they come at the end of a conversation.
      • Talk to people. Invite them.
      • Go visit similar events.
        • Set up collaborations
        • Invite guest DJs to spin a few tracks during your sets while you take a break. Buy them a drink on your free tab in exchange for them telling people to come to your party. Check in and tag them to reach their following online.
      • Have a larger cause/ purpose
        • Nonprofits will bring enormous numbers of people to your party if they get a cut of the sales.
        • People feel better about partying if it’s for a good cause.
    • Q&A Panel
    • Mixer