Have you thought about when your last DJ gig would be? Have you envisioned walking off the stage and packing up for the last time? Do you have your DJ career and retirement mapped out? What if "life" just came in and trashed all those plans and dreams? Have you and your family prepared for something like that? That dreadful scenario is happening right now for one of our DJ brothers. In 2017 Richard Mills (who hails from the kiwi nation of New Zealand) was dealing with life, marriage, kids, bills and a busy DJ schedule when he was diagnosed with brain cancer. He pressed on and with the support of his ... [read more]

Try as we might to make sure we have all the details for our events, clients have a habit of hitting us with surprises. How many times has a client answered, "No, nothing else" after asking them during your final pre-event phone call if there was anything special or extra you should be prepared for? I love the look of sheepish surprise on their faces when you ask why Cirque Du Soleil performers are setting up in the middle of the dance floor. "Oh, we didn't tell you". Um, no, you did not. That being said, I usually do my best to roll with any surprises, bite my tongue and make sure the client and their guests have a great time. Playing well in ... [read more]

I always find the back stories about how someone got started in the DJ industry fascinating. There is always some interesting life twist or act of fate that captivates people to pick up the microphone and hop onto the one’s and two’s. For the past ten years, Stephanie Rivkin, a.k.a. Stephanie Stardust, owner of Royal Beats DJ Service in Connecticut (www.royalbeatsdjs.com) has been building her company and crushing her market. She wasn’t always at the top, though. Stephanie has had her share of setbacks; overcoming obstacles is one of her strong points. Re... [read more]

This year marked my ninth year coming to Mobile Beat Las Vegas and my first as a staff member. What an incredible experience, to be on the inside and go behind the scenes of the production and execution of the conference. The amount of hours, staff dedication and planning that go into MBLV each year is staggering. This conference really is a labor of love to give the DJ industry a solid, positive platform that helps us grow individually and collectively. Not everyone is going to have the opportunity to be a staff member (thank you Ryan and Dan), but the next best way to maximize your learning experience at MBLV is through the Platinum Pass.read more]

Another successful and enlightening Mobile Beat Las Vegas conference is in the books. Even though preparations for MBLV24 are already in the works, we wanted to get some feedback from first-time Mobile Beat Las Vegas attendees. The number one priority of the Mobile Beat staff is to build upon the success of the previous conference. The goal each year is to load MBLV with fresh ideas and informational content that will help DJs take their performances and businesses to the next level. A big part of that mission is to listen to attendees and add the seminars and workshops that are most valuable to their education.read more]

We all admire the athletes, actors, music artists and fellow DJs that seem to be at the top of their game. Their lives look so great. They have the career, money, relationship and lifestyle we aspire to. We also tend to overlook the amount of persistence, faith, rejection, sweat and tears it took to reach that level of success. How many times did they hear “NO” before getting that one “Yes” that gave them the break they needed? Anyone that has been in the entertainment field long enough can tell you that it is always changing and highly competitive; and success is fleeting. The ones that ... [read more]

I was curious as to how InMusic brought all these specific brands under one roof and the reason for it. Aren’t Denon DJ, Rane, and Numark competitors? Before I left Chris arranged for a Skype call with inMusic’s CEO Jack O’Donnell to get some insight on what he sees as the future of the DJ world and the electronics industry. MIKE CORDEIRO: What was your inspiration for the Prime 4? JACK O’DONNELL: To bring first rate technology to the DJ community. Choices haven’t been available. I think back to how everyone was happy with their flip phone or Blackberry and no one saw a need to ch... [read more]

It’s no secret that most DJs love two main things: rocking the crowd and great gear. We have one of the few jobs in the world where we can buy the coolest toys... and then write them off at the end of the year. One piece of equipment that has been rapidly evolving and changing, not only in form but the industry as a whole, is the controller. In the last several years controllers have been replacing mixers for many DJs; the next generation of controllers aims to eliminate the need for a laptop all together. Enter the Prime 4 from Denon DJ. The Prime 4 has more technology built into it than a spa... [read more]

Mobile Beat Las Vegas is only a few weeks away. If you haven’t done so, get your passes now! In addition to the great lineup of presenters speaking on almost every DJ-related business, social media and performance topic you can think of, MBLV23 will once again feature the DJ Tech Institute, presented by Ben Stowe. The only thing Ben loves more than sound and lighting is Star Wars. He is literally the Jedi Master of gear. Along with maintaining a thriving online retail gear business, Ben and his company NFLX Professional travel the USA providing sound reinforcement and lighting in some of the b... [read more]

Are you looking for a gift for a music maven in your life? Or do want something to satisfy your own daily craving for music knowledge? Then let me recommend On This Date in Music by Mike Walter. This labor of love covers some of the most unique and interesting stories from the early days of rock & roll to present day hip hop and pop. On This Date In Music takes the reader on a journey into the history of some of the most beloved bands, songs and artists of the last 60+ years. With the exception of a few specific stories, the essays are not really assigned to a specific date for a historical reason. Rather, as Michael writes in the foreword, “Most of the stories could have been told on any date. The vast majority of these stories simply landed where they did by chance. These were the stories that needed ... [read more]