How to Stay Motivated as a DJ

Here, we’re teaming up with guest blogger Sam from Prebeat - providers of professional equipment like microphones, speakers and PA systems for events - to provide you with some top tips for staying motivated as a DJ.

‍

As a DJ, you’re pretty much responsible for everything from your social media accounts to booking events and, well, everything in between. Whether you’re trying to get your career to take off while holding down a day job or you’ve given up the 9-5 to pursue your true calling in life, a DJ’s work is never done - and it can be hard to stay motivated.

Let’s have a look at a handful of ways you can stay focused and on top of your game as you progress as a DJ.

Embrace the unsociable hours

It goes without saying that the life of a DJ means unsociable hours - often meaning you’re working late at night until early morning and then having to catch up on sleep during the day. This can be tricky if you’re trying to maintain a 9-5 job alongside your love of being on the decks, so you’ll need to be smart with your schedule and learn to love the crazy hours. 

If you’re just starting out, the changes to your sleeping pattern can have an effect - so make sure you’re taking steps to look after yourself. Remember, it’s important that you’re having fun with it and if you find that you’re constantly tired and not looking forward to a set, you’ll soon fall out of love with DJing - so try and find a pattern that works for you.

Find and engage with the right contacts

One of the trickiest parts of becoming a successful DJ is getting booked. From cultivating relationships with venues to maintaining a line of communication with event organisers, the more you can get out there, the more quickly you’ll start to be known and recognised by the people who have the power to book you. Focus on building yourself up as a brand, with active social media accounts and asking for reviews.

While there’s a lot of fun to be had as a DJ, it’s also a job - and you should treat it as such. When you’re behind the decks you should be keeping a level of professionalism. If the audience doesn’t gel with you and you start to get a reputation for poor conduct you’ll soon see that the bookings dry up. Word of mouth is a powerful tool in the DJ game - so make sure only great things are being said about you. 

Get serious about skilling up

Keeping your finger on the pulse of the industry is a must for DJs - ensuring you’re up-to-date with the latest techniques and technology. No matter your current level, if you’re committed to making it as a DJ, you need to understand that the competition is fierce, so you’ll need to stay on top of your game. 

Fortunately, LSA offer flexible DJ courses taught one-to-one that fit around you and allow you to learn more about specialist mixing and the latest technology. One of the most crucial aspects of putting on an impressive set is really knowing your way around your equipment - if you don’t, your audience will know and you can make some embarrassing mistakes. If some tech is too advanced for you right now, don’t use it yet. You’ll want to be confident that you really know your way around the machinery to do the job justice.

Get your schedule organised 

Whether you play a regular spot at your local nightclub or you have events lined up around the country, you’re going to need some form of organisation to ensure you don’t double book and disappoint venues. If you’ve previously been lax with with being organised, now’s the time to make the most of diary apps to get your schedule in order. 

Not only this, but by having a calendar visible to you at all times, you’ll be able to see which months look particularly quiet and then go about trying to fill in those slots. While some jobs see work dry up in certain months, there’s pretty much always a need for DJs - especially in big city clubs - so it’s a good idea to have a plan of how you’ll secure work when your diary is looking a little light.

Keep your fans in the loop

One of the best ways to keep yourself busy and motivated as a DJ is to engage with your fans - and social media is a great way to do this. As mentioned above, busy social channels can really help you create your own brand - and whether you’re using your real name or a stage name, any and all of your online DJ activity should use the same name and branding.

With your accounts set up, you can start engaging with other people in the industry and then using your platforms to show what you’re capable of. Images and videos of any gigs you’ve played will allow your followers to see you in action - and as your skillset grows, these will only become more impressive. Another way to keep your accounts busy is to make sure you’re regularly posting and letting your followers know where you’ll be DJing in the coming weeks and months, and encouraging comments and shares to help you spread the word.

It goes without saying that practice is one of the best ways to ensure your skills stay up to scratch - so whether this is just a side hobby or you’re hoping to turn it into a career, you’ll need to dedicate time to really honing your craft.


If you would like to learn how to DJ the right way, with one-to-one guidance and mentorship from your chosen tutor sign up for an LSA DJ Course today!