When it comes to the DJ business, there are many different facets of the DJ world. You can be a bar/club DJ, a DJ who focuses on music production and remixes, or a DJ who focuses on private events, such as weddings and parties. In many cases, you can be all three (I've done all three). :) When you decide that you're ready to take your DJ business to the next level, you're likely considering advertising, marketing, SEO, etc. Let's face it, it's a very competitive business, and in order to be in business and thrive, you have to be found by your target market. Where you decide to advertise should greatly depend on who your target market is. One of my business mentors once told me that there are three important things about business: "location, location, location. Though the business world has changed gre... [read more]

The 200th edition of Mobile Beat Magazine just dropped. That's amazing in itself. The articles on cultural wedding music are spot on. Although, one area I believe needs a little more clarification is the genre of Latin music. This genre seems to encompass everything from Spanish, Reggaeton, Caribbean, Tex Mex and Brazilian. The truth is that they are all very different in origin, tradition and cultural influence. Although the Portuguese language is Latin based, traditional Portuguese music is very different from what is considered "Latin". Culturally, old style Portuguese music or Fados sounds more Italian or Greek than Latin. Mo... [read more]

Duplicate content issues from the words used on your web pages What is duplicate content?   Duplicate content occurs when verbiage on one of your web pages matches verbiage on another page (on your website or another website).  An example of duplicate content that could occur is when you have a song lyric on your website that matches hundreds of other websites with the same song lyric.   Duplicate content is an issue for your website because Google favors original content.  In addition, Google could penalize your website from the duplicate content - whether intentional or unintentional.  Penalization could occur with lower search rankings or removal from search results. Duplicate content can innocently occur while describing your DJ services for weddings, Christmas parties, school dances, uplight... [read more]

All right. DJ tips in under a minute. You have an iPhone, you have a Smart phone, you can use it for your events. This is how, I received an email for this, it says disc jockey responsibilities. The site said, you need to sign this and fax it back. I don't have a fax machine anymore. My scanner wasn't working that day. So my wife said, take a picture with your phone, then send the picture back in the email. Called the site and said, I'm sending you a signed copy in an email. They said, great, no problems, go ahead. So if you don't have a fax machine, don't fear, don't run right out and get one. If you can print something, sign it, have the agreement, you can then send it off to the site or a client. You can even take a picture of your contracts from your clients that are signed and start files. So DJ tips in ... [read more]

Building a successful DJing business is about more than raw talent and having an ear for a good beat, as you’ve probably worked out yourself. There’s an awful lot of legwork that goes into creating a viable company behind the scenes, and it’s this aspect of the profession that so many struggle with.  It’s no surprise really. Although almost all of us are capable of carrying out basic business dealings, being self-employed doesn’t come with a handbook, and there are a lot of skills you first have to teach yourself if you want to do well.   To help you out, here are three of our top tips for promoting your business and building a successful brand.  Create a business website read more]

Now that you've recovered from the orgy of food on Thanksgiving Day and survived the malls on Black Friday; it's time to set your sights on Cyber Monday. Arguably the busiest shopping day of the year. Most of us are probably hunting for specials on audio and lighting. Those shiny new pieces of equipment meant to dazzle our clients and make us look like the best DJ in the world. Don't be distracted by the squirrels! Invest in something that will last you longer than a fifty foot XLR cable or new LED bar. Your education. What new training manuals, books or DVDs are you planning on getting to improve your knowledge and skill as a DJ? Did that thought even cross your mind? I've put together a list of three training tools you should definitely add to your library this holiday season.   read more]

I've always been fascinated by shows like Ancient Aliens, Oak Island and Expedition Unknown. These shows demonstrate that history isn't written in stone and the world is still full of wonder and new discoveries. When I found out that Aliencon was coming to the east coast I just had to go. Luckily, my 50th birthday was in September and my wife got me a Gold Pass as a birthday present (she's a keeper). I wasn't sure what to expect when I arrived. Would the convention be about exploring new ideas and learning about new discoveries? Would it be a big tin foil hat parade? Fortunately it was more about the former and less about the latter; although ... [read more]

All right. DJ tips in under a minute. This is WeDJ. People have asked me where I get things, this is where I get my insurance. I have a listing. You can get a free listing, it doesn't allow for insurance or you can upgrade to the -- I think the least expensive is bronze. I pay $40, $49 a year and that allows me to get discount insurance. So I use my liability insurance for all the venues that ask for it through WeDJ. I've had the account on WeDJ for probably 10 years and I've been using it for my insurance for probably three or four years. No problems, give me the $1 million liability insurance. It varies, because you can add gear to it. So I'll say rough estimate you're paying about $200 to $300 a year for your insurance. Some sites demand it. So it is invaluable. If you're a professional, you get insurance ... [read more]

Last night I had an amazing wedding. The bride and groom were super fun-loving and had invited well over 250 guests to their celebration. The ceremony was held outside in the courtyard, with the guests standing "in-the-round." When I first met with this couple, I went through my normal planning process, asking about their favorite and least favorite songs and artists. They simply told me "We trust you to do what you do best. The only thing we don't want is for a song to go on longer than a minute or two." I was super happy with that - I love quick mixing and consider couples like this to be my "golden couples." As we got closer to the wedding, they ended up gathering a sizable list of potential song suggestions from their many guests, with they shared with me. Many of them were great songs that I would be... [read more]

A question that often comes up is "how much should I charge for New Year's Eve gigs?" This is a very common question, and not a question that is easy to answer. The real answer is, it ultimately depends on you and how much you want to charge. A lot of DJs that are brand new will DJ for next to nothing, just to get gigs and get their name out there. I get it, you've got to get your name out there to get more experience, but to be honest, doing gigs for next to nothing gets old, very quickly. We've all been there at one point, but my advice is, don't stay there. Walmart has made a huge business out of being the lowest priced option. Everyone knows that you can save money buying from Walmart, but now, even Walmart is suffering since someone beat them at their own game. Ever heard of Amazon? :) These business... [read more]