Mobile Beat is proud to present the third annual “State of the DJ Industry” survey, with questions created by, and 2018 data compiled, analyzed and scribed by marketing guru, in-house economics nerd, and Mobile Beat presenter, Matt Martindale (Matt@MattMartindale.com). You may have seen it at MBLV live too! There were a total of 1,016 surveys were completed providing a tremendous amount of data to analyze and interpret. As of press time hard copies of the report are still available. Click here for more info. If you completed the full DJ survey and included your email address, you will receive a free digital copy of the full 21-page report and forec... [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. Two years ... [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. This year the content was exceptional. ... [read more]

I don’t consider myself a “control freak”, but I do like to have a lot of control over my DJ business. However, even I realize there are times when you have to let some of your tasks go and assign them to other people within your company that you trust. Today I want to talk about what you should probably continue handling yourself, and what you can possibly delegate. MONEY I’m going to be honest with you, you have to keep an eye on your money. What do I mean by this? I’m not saying that you have to be the one that sends out every contract and counts every dollar that comes in, but make sure that if you are NOT doing this, you are getting a... [read more]

It is so easy to get stuck in a rut, to keep doing things the way we have always done them—even if things are complicated, inefficient, or ineffective. Sometimes it seems easier to continue doing them the same way just because we are afraid of change, of something new. But what if you could make your business better, bigger; have more staff, a bigger office, more equipment; generate more business and more profit? But more than that, what if you could change the way you ran your whole business—from beginning to end, from sales to invoice to the event? What if you could do things more efficiently and more effectively, spending less time in the office doing paperwork and more time getting back to doing what you love: being an amazing DJ. My company, Releventful, has set out on a passionate pursuit to reinve... [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 biggest arenas in the country for sporting events and conce... [read more]

For over 20 years I’ve been doing video editing and for several years I put together photo/ video montages for my clients, which I discussed in a recent issue of MB. I started out with the traditional photo and video editors, taking classes and going through a lot of trial and error to get to the point of putting together consistently high-quality presentations. But now, putting together a creative, professional looking photo slideshow or video presentation is very simple, with a new tool called Animoto. Animoto is an online video builder that is very easy to use and provides a variety of templates to help you quickly create good-looking videos. One o... [read more]

You’re engaged. That’s great! So how much does a DJ charge? Well, it depends on you and your vision. It’s a lot like calling the doctor with a stomach ache. It could be a muscle strain, cramps, the stomach flu, serious appendicitis, or just a bad burrito. The treatment and prognosis is based on the process of a thorough diagnosis (discovery). It’s the same with your wedding. It takes time and effort to determine your vision for an accurate price quote according to that vision. Your wedding will (and should be) different than anyone else’s. (Unless you want your wedding to be “treated” with a “one cure for all” remedy above like some quack doctor might use. Yikes!)read more]

In the DJ business, things are constantly evolving. My wife and I own/manage our business Austin's Best DJs & Photo Booths, and have run it since 2012. We were both long-time DJs before we even met! I'm approaching 3 decades (yes, decades, since I started when I was a kid) and my wife is approaching nearly 2 decades! We've seen a lot of trends come and go. As business owners, we have to stop and consider the trends and evaluate whether or not we want to be a part of them. DJs seem to always want the latest, greatest new turntable or controller, or light, that just came out. It seems as if DJing has turned into another way of "keeping up with the Jones." DJs like to constantly buy new equipment, and understandably so. Sure, you have to keep up with the trends or get left behind. This brings me to the to... [read more]

When someone asks you what you do for a living, what do you tell them? I know the question can be hard for us. If we say “DJ” we inevitably get asked, “What radio station?” And if we say “Wedding DJ,” we immediately feel the need to follow that up with, “but not the cheesy kind.” Which is why I often answer: “I help people dance.” I obviously do a lot more than that. I MC and coordinate. I set up gear. I help with event planning. Etc., etc. But if you asked me what the single most important thing I do is, I’d say, “I help people dance.” Because when everything is said and done at an event, and the guests are driving home discussing the night, how much they danced and partied will be probably be the number one thing they talk about as far as the entertainment goes (right up there with... [read more]