Tips How to Be a Dance Music DJ Using CDs

• Many DJs choose to come up with the playlist off the top of their heads for a spontaneous feeling; particularly DJs with more experience in the field. Doing so requires incredibly intimate knowledge of one's music collection, but it makes for a set that fits the crowd better. It is recommended to have a playlist prepared if you're a beginner.
• Keep an ear on the main speakers actually broadcasting the music to the masses. Your headphones are most likely high-quality stuff designed to play music clearly at any levels, but the sound you hear in your 'phones does not represent the sound playing on the speakers. The same applies to booth monitors. You could be hearing a finely tuned symphony of techno-heaven in your DJ booth, and the crowd could be receiving an ear-bashing, brain-splitting train wreck.
  • A set of monitors is especially helpful for this. Monitors are speakers in the DJ booth that play the same thing as the speakers on the dance floor.
• When practicing, if your mixer allows, record your work on a computer (GarageBand, Microsoft Sound Recorder, Ambrosia Software's WireTap Pro, etc.) or through a tape-player. Listen to your mixes to figure out what needs work, and focus on that during the next practice session. Once you believe you are good enough, plan and record an hour-long mix, record it, and burn it to CDs (your new business card) for promotional purposes.
• Make sure you test your equipment before an event. You want to make sure there is nothing wrong with it. You also want to familiarize yourself with the gear if it is not the same as the stuff you have at home.
• Don't start of the dance with the volume really loud. Start with a moderate volume, and boost it up tiny bits at a time until about halfway through the dance.
• Not all DJ sets have to be planned. A great DJ will be able to read their crowd, to develop their set based on the emotion and energy on the dance floor. Tweak your set based on how people react to songs at particular times of the night.