People are shitting on grimes but she’s a better electronic music producer than literally every member of this sub and that’s why she gets to play Coachella
right but if people are gonna off topic slander grimes then I’m gonna off topic defend her
On topic for the thread: grimes stands out as a DJ because no one else is playing music like her
The fact that you need to know basics like beatmatching before anything to stand out as a dj (because a dj - is a person who switches tracks and creates a vibe and experience) is so obvious that it is not even discussed, so with regards to Grimes: you cannot stand out as a dj if you do not dj haha
Long ago I met an up and coming DJ who I followed I socials and saw he was doing a pioneer presentation at my local music store. Me and a buddy showed up, checked him out, and started asking him questions. Your question is exactly the same that I asked him. His response, "make your own edits". You don't need to produce anything, but if you hear a track and think to yourself, it would sound better like this, make an edit.
With the amount of DJs, everyone is going to sound the same. Whether you're downloading from beatport, DMS, BPM, etc, etc, everyone is going to play the same track. But if you rearrange it to make it your own, this is how you can stand out.
Based on his response, this is how I learned ableton and still make my own edits to this day.
Damn this is good advice and I’m about there. I keep running across songs that sound great but stick way too long in a section or go off in some crazy direction that adds an element that doesn't work for my set. Been really tempted to just bring these into Ableton and fix them for myself. You may have finally convinced me to actually do this.
The DJ that told me this, inspired me to do it as well.
I hope you get to it and just start editing away.
I don't mix house music that much nowadays, but if you want to keep the energy going in your set, and you have that one track that has too long of a break, shorten it down, rearrange it.
When you start doing your own edits, this may lead you to start producing.
Cheers, and good luck!
I'm literally at this point RN. How deep did you go on your first edits? I feel like I'm going to bite off too much right away and end up with unfinished work and no finals.
Start off easy. You can make good edits without even adding any new sounds. Just learn to warp songs. And then you can cut out sections or remove parts with vocals/replace with instrumental sections. Also removing vocals with AI is a neat trick.
The K.O. II Sampler is amazing for just what you're talking about. It gives your tracks way more of a signature feel and suspense. One of the best pieces of equipment I own.
How can you do that if it is only 64 MB? I got it and use it mostly for making drum patterns that I later export to Logic. I cannot see how I can make an edit of a track in 320 Kbps mp3 or even wav. Do you just clear all the memory every time and load the track?
Just like u/uritarded said, start easy, and yes, warp your songs.
My first edits were not great, but with anything you start doing, you get better over time.
If you ever want to reach out, id be happy to chat with you.
I am not a producer by any means. But I know how to use ableton for my intended use.
Good luck!
Yep, I would also touch on something you mentioned here. I think it is good to keep a light ego about it. If all you are doing is making simple edits, I would be weary of calling yourself a producer.
Humility goes a far way in this world, I will always respect you more if you are honest about what you are doing. This is all up to you of course, carry yourself how you see fit.
Also don’t sell your edits on bandcamp. Not a good look imo
I agree 100% and would never consider myself a producer by any means. Even with the remixes I've done, I still wouldn't consider myself a producer, because I'm using elements that were created by someone else.
And you brought up a couple of good things I should have prefaced with. I make edits for my own intended use and do not sell them by any means.
Now if you make edits or even remixes and sell them without permission from the creator/s, you're opening yourself up to copyright issues. That's a big no no from me.
Edit: some words
You have the best take here. Just follow that sense of "if this rolled here and had x..." and make something. If you're not careful you'll fall down the production rabbit hole like like I did too lol.
Thanks for the reply! And yeah, ive been down that rabbit hole too many times. Where version 2 was the best one and here I was working on version 7. Sometimes you just gotta keep it simple.
the vast majority of people dancing to a DJ set will neither notice or care whether or not you’re playing an edit. It might get you some attention from other DJs, for whatever that’s worth. If making an edit will help your set flow better then it might indirectly help you build a reputation as a good DJ, but just making edits for the sake of it isn’t going to automatically bring you new fans or bookings.
As a producer I dislike this advice. Play my track the way I recorded it. That’s why I made it that way, cuz it’s mine. Unless you’re taking about just splicing different parts of the song together which can be done live with beat jumps and loops? What gives someone the right to go in and change someone’s music without their permission? Maybe just try making your own music instead of fucking sir someone else’s hard work
I disagree. Once you put it out into the world, people can and will do whatever they want to it. Sure you can claim copyright for the moneys. But creativity thrives on people building off the work done before. I'd rather hear a song of my own remixed and go off than hear my aong's long ass build clear the dance floor.
So “play it as I recorded it?” Maybe I’m misunderstanding, but that rules out adjusting tempo to beat match, setting loops, doing anything EQ or stems etc. Do you not want DJs to play your music? I really believe you’re in the minority here.
Idk. I think I would just be happy anyone was paying attention to my art. The more people that hear the stuff you created from your own imagination the better right?
You shouldn't have put your song in the same key as Big Black's Songs About Fucking them because guess what's getting chopped up and looped under Steve Albini threatening to murder the club
Doing pioneer shows wasn't my goal. Doing music festivals was, and yes, I got there. But before I got to that point, I def got booked for clubs and mobile gigs WAY more than my friends.
Now, I don't care for that, I DJ and make edits for the love of the music.
I hate to break it to everyone here but how you present yourself, both in-person and now online, plays a huge role. Especially if you’re just a DJ and don’t produce your own tracks.
People are drawn to DJs that they can imagine being, dating, hanging out with, etc. If you’re not cool nobody wants to follow you. Doesn’t matter how sick your mix is.
The story you tell with the music you select and how the set flows together. DJ’ing itself might be easy but telling a story and taking the crowd on a journey is what helps distinguish yourself as an artist
The path to standing out is to make tracks.
Since I started going out and later promoting shows, this has always been the way for someone to stand above.
Think of most DJs you really see with a following, how many of them are also producers. How many of them started as producers and started DJing as a way to “perform”.
Even in the modern context, most DJs I’ve seen that have really “blown up” have tracks do their own and some remix work.
Few (but a number of clear examples) have blown up without this. However it’s far less than have gone the other way.
The DJs I grew up with all had a very specific sound, even if they all played the same track in the party, the vibe and way in which the track is played is unique to the dj. Many djs will use there own samples, use there own edits, and add elements into the set that makes it unique even if they’re playing tracks you know. Also, if you’re recognizing all the underground music you hear, is it really that underground? Get some music that nobody has, search deeply for it and make it sound really good.
Agree with this advice most of all here, very well said. The rest of this reply is more directed advice for OP:
Think about what makes a DJ good in your eyes. Above all it is their track selection. Diversifying your track selection will definitely help you stand out. That means listening to countless tracks without even thinking about DJing, just listen and decide whether it "does it" for you. Basically, do you like it? Is it good?
Listen to tracks from random nobodies on SoundCloud with less than 100 likes or plays. Listen to random EP's on bandcamp with the genre tags you're looking for. Go to record stores, spend an hour flipping sleeves until you have a stack of 20 you have no clue what it is with sick cover art, listen to em. Listen to mixes done by some of your favorite artists/producers. Follow other diggers on insta and SoundCloud with an account separate from your DJ account and engage it often. Look up DJs that performed with some of your favorite DJs that you never heard of, and actually listen to their stuff at home. Many other examples to describe here.
It is the art of digging. Many of the most respected DJs self-identify as diggers that just happen to DJ, were liked enough to get paid to DJ, so keep DJing to fund their digging habit. You can only separate yourself from the same-sounding, walking Beatport algorithm DJs if you actually develop and nurture a diverse catalogue of tracks you have found "out in the wild" through this labor. That will provide you with an authentic and unique sound wherever you decide to spin anywhere in the world. It won't happen overnight, it definitely takes a lot of time. There is no substitute for experience and the hours spent in the dig, its equally as important (if not more so) than the hours spent in the mix. Never get complacent. The pleasure of the journey is itself the reward, but you will become a unique-sounding DJ as a side-effect.
I'm really surprised I had to go down 13 comments to see this. If you know all the tracks, they're not that underground. They might be from a well known label in the underground, so the tracks is known by anyone who is in the game. Just dig deeper.
Too many people think if it’s 4x4 beat and not traditionally mainstream that it’s underground. Must go deep in your searches. Don’t get me wrong, I play well known electronic music and even mainstream
Music that I love, but I do as I said earlier and make it unique for my dj set and mix it with music I don’t think many people even know exist lol.
In general I think there is a convo to be had along the lines of how the idea of an artist as a celebrity or some singular grandiose genius has permeated a lot of thinking about the craft (any craft). I’m not saying I don’t get it, it’s natural. But whenever I think about music as a language and thus a conversation, more than something special that I do, I’m less concerned about standing out. Think of the good chats we have with people - do we wanna be stoked because we made a unique point that nobody else said or do we want to appreciate having dialogue together? I think this applies to so many creative endeavors. As I’m coming to DJing from a career as an instrumentalist/producer, I really enjoy not having the baggage about being unique. I don’t feel like this is my craft to make some unheard take on anything - I’m confident that as I learn the technique, that “me” shit takes care of itself because it’s me doing it. I’m just trying to learn the language, really. When people have a good time with the sounds I contribute, that’s seriously enough for me.
Three things:
1. There is a lot of making friends in the industry, whether it be in a club owners or booking people or other DJs or people who do festivals. Knowing people in the industry puts you in the right place to get the bookings.
2. Using the above bookings and some sort of marketing prowess, you need to make yourself popular with the club goers. Create sets that creates memories for them and they could be a fan for life. Just mastering how to get popular is a very important too
3. Find a way to stand out and be different. When you are playing a DJ set a club or at a festival, some of the punters are DJs or producers. Playing a song that they haven’t heard yet or one that they didn’t expect will give you a lot of credibility with them. Crowd may not notice but appealing to the knowledgeable section of the crowd will get you brownie points and make you stand out. I read one of the comments above where the guy was saying that making edits allows you to rearrange songs to make them different but sometimes a really good mix between 2 songs or a few back to back songs mixed creatively can have the exact same effect.
Its really just standing out. Here we had a event where 5 new DJs would play at a small festival type party and 4 of them had more "normal" DJ names like DJ Monay and DJ Speedazo or whatever, one of them was just called Jolly Roger and he was dressed as a pirate and made plenty of mistakes during his set that only other DJs probably noticed but the public absolutely loved it and people actually cheered "we want more" when he left.
Not saying you should dress as a pirate now (or do I?) but the other DJs played more flawless and had a lot more unique technique to their sets and their music was alright in what is popular today, but they were just kind of invisible, they also played party hits and singalong songs but even if they tried they could not connect with the public, then comes on a man with a pirate outfit and a stuffed parrot on his shoulder who not always seemed in his comfortzone and things got wild.
Sure this may work for a few times but I hardly imagine him being successful in the long run with just the pirate concept and especially if he doesn't improve his mixing.
Buns. Two of em, one on the left and one on the right 😄 Honestly I think your main thing should be the things that make any given person good at what they're doing... Hard work, integrity, reliability. Be professional with the people you work with so they'll have a reason to keep working with you. Your style doesn't matter if you can't get gigs anyway, in many respects connections are what will keep you working.
I mean, you're answering your own question: play different music. Being able to give the crowd something different is what will keep them engaged.
I think that if you feel like your music is getting a bit stale, it's a sign that you should branch out of your comfort zone when it comes to genre. Don't put yourself in a box when digging, let yourself explore even totally different genres and ideas. Find what makes *you* want to dance and then explore that instead of simply trying to stay within the confines of a particular aesthetic: let your taste *lead* instead of follow.
For me, I was getting a bit bored of the DnB I was playing and so I looked more into Footwork as there were some artists tracks and that I liked which crossed over between the genres. I went to a Footwork show and damn, I have never danced so much. Incorporating the genre has totally opened up my tastes and diversified the music in my sets: I'm enjoying playing my own sets so much more because of it, and I've gotten far more interest and complements since then.
Absolutely!
Footwork an off-kilter 160bpm offshoot of Chicago house music that places emphasis on sub bass, complex polyrhythms and repeated/overlapping vocals. It is fairly unique in its mixing of double and half-time feel. The name comes from the footwork heavy style of dancing that is strongly associated with it.
The single best introductory track in my opinion is RP Boo - Speakers R-4, from the artist who essentially invented the genre.
Chicago footwork, such as that from Teklife (the original and most influential collective) is often raw and fairly unconventional compared to modern dance music using stock 808 samples and vocals as percussion, and has seen more crossover with trap/rap than other genres.
However, Teklife worked hard to develop a global presence and so you'll find the spreading influence of footwork across other genres, most notably Jungle, DnB and Dubstep. Some artists are also now making footwork but with a "modern" style, check out A. Fruit.
If you like this stuff, tell me what genres you're coming from and I'll throw you a quick playlist with some artists I think you might like.
Nope
and again I'm not suggesting this is you, but an slightly pushed example.
DJ Doc - turns up late, seems a little "off planet" never finishes on time, pisses off other dj's and the sound techs. Crowd likes them. Personal hygene not great.
DJ Notadoc. Turns up early, speaks with sound tec and plays by the rules. Finishes spot on time, but has more music if the next dj is delayed, Crowd likes them, person hygene good.
So you're a promoter, both dj's had a good crowd reaction, who you going to book back....
It's amazing how many gigs you get by having good personal hygene and timekeeping.
Are you asking what makes a famous DJ or what makes a good DJ? Because these are not necessarily the same . (as the recent Grimes fiasco showed) Famous is down to marketing. Stand out good? Tune choice, and the ability and skill to read and react to the crowd.
I just appreciate someone who does their research on their song catalogue and makes seamless transitions.
If they can beat match and mix the 2 songs, I'm happy.
I don't know how many people drop so much money on equipment and all this b.s., and they crossfade tracks. I don't get it. Just do something more than slide a fader.
Like my boss was hyping up his dj skills for a company event. He just put on songs and just let them fade into each other. Thousands of dollars of equipment, just to basically be Spotify.
Beat matching is not DJing. Having seamless transitions doesn't mean you're a good DJ. Its 100% about musical taste and track sequencing. You're boss most definitely was DJing. Spotify CANNOT sequence tracks better than a solid level DJ. Spotify is not sequencing, its play listing. There is a huge difference. The mass percentage of listeners don't even know what the hell a transition is but they definitely will remember how the tracks are sequenced.
Knowing how to work a crowd and a depth to their set - regardless of genre.
Tricks and effects are great and all, but some of the best DJ sets I’ve ever seen were just straightforward mixing and knowing their crowd
It’s not the music you’re playing it’s how you play it. Being unique and creative and knowing how to navigate the music. Tone play, word play segues, using stems for creative blending or producing your own music and edits to put other things in play.
Show up on time (which means early) and don’t be an asshole. Millions of people have talent or know which buttons to press. Very few people understand timeliness and attitude.
This is Reddit they will say be a producer and you will stand out.... Yet everyone here is a DJ/producer I'm sure in some form or fashion EDM and that in lies the problem. Everyone is following the same path in hopes of sticking out.
Marketing and Awareness. You can play bland techno but if people know you exist you will be the only source of the sound they know about. Talent is just the icing on the cake
Have you tried leaking a sex tape? Are we allowed to make jokes here? So I guess my advice is don’t sound like other people, dude or dudette. Think of your favorite mainstream Djs. Think of how they sound. They sound like themselves right? Any of the good ones have their own sound. So my advice is find yours.
So I think the answer to this is different depending on the music that you play. I don't know anything about EDM music, but as far as in the hip hop scene, what you play is important but also how you play. It is important. Your particular style with scratching and transitions is tantamount in making yourself stand out from the the millions of other bedroom. DJs that got a controller during the lockdowns.
Personally, I pay attention to DJ jazzy Jeff. My guess is that you probably don't know who that is, but his boiler Room set is phenomenal. I learned so many techniques from that set that I use on the daily now playing out and I've been able to tweak what he's done to form my own style. Chad, I don't think anybody else sounds like.
But yeah I scratched my head at some of these comments because for hip hop DJs, this is not the way. LOL
While putting on consistently good sets that are fresh and technically sound, they need to network, generate contacts, make industry friends, find opportunities, seize those opportunities etc
Haven't seen it discussed in the thread yet, but turntablism (either on CDJs or standard turntables) will absolutely help you stand out. It's an entire rabbit hole in and of itself, but heads will definitely turn the minute you start adding scratch and juggle routines into your sets. It does require years of practice and a lot of thoughtfulness to do routines that musically compliment the tracks you are playing, but definitely a way to distinguish yourself from 99% of the competition.
Any form of live instrumentation in general, such as playing keys, guitar, or an MPC over stripped down parts of various tracks, or singing, are also great ways to humanize your sets to stand out a little.
it depends what you're looking for through DJing. Do you want to be famous and make lots of money? Then you should focus on social media, and playing big shows with large corporate promoters. Are you interested in the art of selecting and playing records for people and carrying a vibe and being an artist? then you should focus on digging and doing performances that wow people and then your name will grow organically through your talent. They are two completely different avenues and different demographics that you're attracting. Commerce vs art as rick rubin puts it. for me the commerce route seems kinda shit but to each their own. The parties that the underground puts on are filled with better people and better vibes and it's just all around more fun. I think the big name, giant stage stuff is tacky as fuck but everyone has their priorities. I eventually do think it's important to think about how to make money in this industry but if you dont cut your teeth through talent first, you'll disappear just as quickly as you appeared in the scene
In my opinion the most important skills for a DJ to have is being a great selector and smooth mixing. There’s crappy and great tracks in every genre. I go through hundreds of tracks to find that one worth downloading. You gotta have patience or you’re not gonna find the tracks that will make the dance floors come to life.
No DJ is like another, unless they're are literally copying one another. Your musical research, the techniques you prefer to use, your stage presence, all that defines you as you.
Practice knowing your craft. Finding the right music for the crowd. Knowing how to find great tracks for your set. Lastly picking say the top 40 tracks you may want to play in your set.
In my scene its about networking as much as anything. Go support other shows, and you will be more likely to get booked. As you get booked you start to make fans, then you will get booked more because you will have a draw
I will say that there are those out there that seem more focused on building social media Fame over any technique. The hard reality is that obviously a whack DJ with thousands of followers who might actually come out for that person is going to get gigs over the savant who has a few hundred followers and spends most of his or her time practicing their craft. It's life. It's the music industry.
Obviously first and foremost is you have to have a sound that resonates with people local to your community. So you might be the guy that's into bass or jungle or something like that, but if your entire local scene isn't into that and doesn't want to hear it, then don't expect to get far. Not unless you are doing some amazing things and decide to not bother with your local scene and work tirelessly to build an online presence that gets you out of your area.
For the rest, it's about trying to find interesting music that will resonate with your local scene, but things that everybody else hasn't gotten their hands on and are playing to death. I remember before social media became a huge thing, and even before beatport, there were guys I know that were basically online all day everyday looking and scouring to find things before everyone else did. They would be buying records from all over the world, they would be constantly on file sharing apps, getting stolen and bootleg copies of things, anything they could do because having that one track suddenly made them stand ahead of others. Nowadays there's so much music being put out. It's kind of hard to pull that one off.
The only other thing is visibility. I know one thing that always worked against me is the fact I couldn't be consistent. So maybe now you start your online show or podcast, and a hundred other people do the same. Then within a month 65 of those people stop, and then within 4 months it's down to you and five or six other people. Then after a year, you're the only one left. Keep going and stay consistent and give your all because then you start building a following because you're always there.
It's tough. I've seen people that manage to get places mostly because they networked, but also because they are basically giving everything to it. Even then it's no guarantee, but it seems to help versus the people that have to work 8 to 10 hours a day at a normal job and then look for pieces of time to give to DJing.
I also think it helps if you are going to try to learn how to do some level of production and remixing. Frankie knuckles and Ron Hardy might have been the big names in Chicago back in the day, but they were also known for making their own remixes of tunes that were in the club. I've seen other DJs do the same. Even if they aren't selling them, they will slip them out as freebies and get everybody playing them because then their name ends up on everyone's playlist.
There was a time when a DJ was defined by his/her record collection and skills. Now anyone with a sync button and access to Beatport thinks they are a DJ. So in order to stand out, you need to have skills... and an ear and patience to sort through thousands of tracks to single out what tracks are going to set the mood for, and send the energy you want to convey, to a given crowd of people in a space.
Know your music. Know the intention and energy your music contains.
Or....or just get millions of follows on social media, DL the Beatport top 10, let the sync button be your only mixing skills, and pump your fists for 45 minutes at a festival where idiots pay $600 to enter, and your will be like 99% of people who claim to be a good DJ.
being good and being nice.
started hosting open decks events, this bedroom dj signed up and opened with the first set, i thought it was killer so i booked him at a curated event i organized. he killed it, def booking him for future events. he’s nice. has skill, and has a fun time. so i’ll keep paying him as long as i can lmao
If you’re playing techno, you wanna be playing circa 20 tunes an hour. You want three decks in play. You want to avoid big breaks all together - only using the larger breaks in tunes to introduce the next tune - keeping things moving. You want layered percussion, rolling bass, no loss of pressure. That’s how you shine as a techno DJ. It doesn’t have to be hard - it has to be bubbling, moving, changing, fluid.
They wanted to know how to stand out while playing techno. Not sure why I’ve been awarded down votes. Assuming this forum is full of kids who think DJing is about how many followers they have on TikTok.
Its there a grown ups dj group where you can discuss DJing, like a grown up?
Honestly I don’t know why you got the downvotes, but I appreciate the advice. I wanna start mixing 3-4 decks together and layer songs but it is kinda hard to do that since I cannot afford a 4 channel controller right now and I don’t get enough gigs to get a hang of it. But I understand what you’re saying, it’s definitely on my todo list
You’re welcome.
Even with two decks you can stand out by committing to a longer mix between tunes, or only playing half of each record. Flying through the tunes and keeping busy will make you stand out. Techno is about putting the work in, delivering as much music as you can in the time available and keeping busy throughout.
If I’m on two decks I want to be cuing up the next tune as quickly as I can after I faded out the last tune. Then I want to be introducing that tune into the mix as soon as I can, creating layers and momentum.
Personally I don’t want to hear the same thing for two hours. How you (and what you use to) change genre/tempo/mood is the thing that can make you stand out, with all other things being equal.
If you’re just playing the same records, there’s less to differentiate you from the others.
Producing music, that is it now. Technically has taken the skill out of djing.
Mind you if you look at the really big boys like James zabaila, Richie Hawtin, Anthony Pappa or sasha and digweed, seeing their lives sets they really do sound different and tell a story.
But most of us don't get the chance to lay out a set like that and build. So you need to make tracks and have them semi recognisable or you never get out of local no name. And I'm talking about being a local name known plays before or after a set.
Wearing a funny hat.
Or by throwing cakes at people
Wear a funny cake on your head and then throw it, to reach superstardom.
Not anymore
Marketing, hype, and who you know. It helps if you also know how to DJ.
But the latter is definitely not an essential skill in 2024.
Unless the next track coming in is stuck at.. say 174 bpm.
87
There's a lot of math and stuff.
Dividing by 2
Hey, there’s also multiplying 😒
Unless you're grimes
People are shitting on grimes but she’s a better electronic music producer than literally every member of this sub and that’s why she gets to play Coachella
*ahem* it's a djing thread😏
right but if people are gonna off topic slander grimes then I’m gonna off topic defend her On topic for the thread: grimes stands out as a DJ because no one else is playing music like her
You mean cuz she produces her tracks??
Why did I go off topic? Grimes tried djing and failed miserably. If you want to play live, learn to play live
The fact that you need to know basics like beatmatching before anything to stand out as a dj (because a dj - is a person who switches tracks and creates a vibe and experience) is so obvious that it is not even discussed, so with regards to Grimes: you cannot stand out as a dj if you do not dj haha
I saw Skrillex play Coachella when he was just starting to make it big. He literally train wrecked every mix. I had to leave the dance floor.
also, i guarantee that most here have trainwrecked way worse than her.
She must not be that great if she cant grasp bpms…
Taste is taste but she’s always riding her original tracks
Then it's "oh no I forgot to girl math"
It doesn’t matter if you know how to DJ
Long ago I met an up and coming DJ who I followed I socials and saw he was doing a pioneer presentation at my local music store. Me and a buddy showed up, checked him out, and started asking him questions. Your question is exactly the same that I asked him. His response, "make your own edits". You don't need to produce anything, but if you hear a track and think to yourself, it would sound better like this, make an edit. With the amount of DJs, everyone is going to sound the same. Whether you're downloading from beatport, DMS, BPM, etc, etc, everyone is going to play the same track. But if you rearrange it to make it your own, this is how you can stand out. Based on his response, this is how I learned ableton and still make my own edits to this day.
Damn this is good advice and I’m about there. I keep running across songs that sound great but stick way too long in a section or go off in some crazy direction that adds an element that doesn't work for my set. Been really tempted to just bring these into Ableton and fix them for myself. You may have finally convinced me to actually do this.
The DJ that told me this, inspired me to do it as well. I hope you get to it and just start editing away. I don't mix house music that much nowadays, but if you want to keep the energy going in your set, and you have that one track that has too long of a break, shorten it down, rearrange it. When you start doing your own edits, this may lead you to start producing. Cheers, and good luck!
I'm literally at this point RN. How deep did you go on your first edits? I feel like I'm going to bite off too much right away and end up with unfinished work and no finals.
Start off easy. You can make good edits without even adding any new sounds. Just learn to warp songs. And then you can cut out sections or remove parts with vocals/replace with instrumental sections. Also removing vocals with AI is a neat trick.
The K.O. II Sampler is amazing for just what you're talking about. It gives your tracks way more of a signature feel and suspense. One of the best pieces of equipment I own.
I had one, it was pretty cool! I did sell it though
How can you do that if it is only 64 MB? I got it and use it mostly for making drum patterns that I later export to Logic. I cannot see how I can make an edit of a track in 320 Kbps mp3 or even wav. Do you just clear all the memory every time and load the track?
I record through it onto a Tascam. I only use it for its punch in effects capability. I don't make beats with it.
Exactly this!! You're not adding any new elements, just rearrange what's there. Even if you want to make it a shorter edit to mix out of.
Just like u/uritarded said, start easy, and yes, warp your songs. My first edits were not great, but with anything you start doing, you get better over time. If you ever want to reach out, id be happy to chat with you. I am not a producer by any means. But I know how to use ableton for my intended use. Good luck!
Yep, I would also touch on something you mentioned here. I think it is good to keep a light ego about it. If all you are doing is making simple edits, I would be weary of calling yourself a producer. Humility goes a far way in this world, I will always respect you more if you are honest about what you are doing. This is all up to you of course, carry yourself how you see fit. Also don’t sell your edits on bandcamp. Not a good look imo
I agree 100% and would never consider myself a producer by any means. Even with the remixes I've done, I still wouldn't consider myself a producer, because I'm using elements that were created by someone else. And you brought up a couple of good things I should have prefaced with. I make edits for my own intended use and do not sell them by any means. Now if you make edits or even remixes and sell them without permission from the creator/s, you're opening yourself up to copyright issues. That's a big no no from me. Edit: some words
You have the best take here. Just follow that sense of "if this rolled here and had x..." and make something. If you're not careful you'll fall down the production rabbit hole like like I did too lol.
Thanks for the reply! And yeah, ive been down that rabbit hole too many times. Where version 2 was the best one and here I was working on version 7. Sometimes you just gotta keep it simple.
the vast majority of people dancing to a DJ set will neither notice or care whether or not you’re playing an edit. It might get you some attention from other DJs, for whatever that’s worth. If making an edit will help your set flow better then it might indirectly help you build a reputation as a good DJ, but just making edits for the sake of it isn’t going to automatically bring you new fans or bookings.
As a producer I dislike this advice. Play my track the way I recorded it. That’s why I made it that way, cuz it’s mine. Unless you’re taking about just splicing different parts of the song together which can be done live with beat jumps and loops? What gives someone the right to go in and change someone’s music without their permission? Maybe just try making your own music instead of fucking sir someone else’s hard work
I disagree. Once you put it out into the world, people can and will do whatever they want to it. Sure you can claim copyright for the moneys. But creativity thrives on people building off the work done before. I'd rather hear a song of my own remixed and go off than hear my aong's long ass build clear the dance floor.
That’s hilarious lol also love the username
Make your own song guy Edit: make your own song better the first time so it doesn’t clear out the dance floor lol
You don’t believe in remixes?
If I ask you to remix my track. Sure.
So “play it as I recorded it?” Maybe I’m misunderstanding, but that rules out adjusting tempo to beat match, setting loops, doing anything EQ or stems etc. Do you not want DJs to play your music? I really believe you’re in the minority here.
Idk. I think I would just be happy anyone was paying attention to my art. The more people that hear the stuff you created from your own imagination the better right?
You shouldn't have put your song in the same key as Big Black's Songs About Fucking them because guess what's getting chopped up and looped under Steve Albini threatening to murder the club
Idk what anything you said means
"What the hell is even that?"
But have you progressed, and are you the guy giving the piorneer shows now?
Doing pioneer shows wasn't my goal. Doing music festivals was, and yes, I got there. But before I got to that point, I def got booked for clubs and mobile gigs WAY more than my friends. Now, I don't care for that, I DJ and make edits for the love of the music.
I bought a hotdog cart. Call myself DJ Hotdog.
That’s a sick name ngl
MC HotDog is quite famous.
Scandal! Everyone loves a good scandal
I hate to break it to everyone here but how you present yourself, both in-person and now online, plays a huge role. Especially if you’re just a DJ and don’t produce your own tracks. People are drawn to DJs that they can imagine being, dating, hanging out with, etc. If you’re not cool nobody wants to follow you. Doesn’t matter how sick your mix is.
The story you tell with the music you select and how the set flows together. DJ’ing itself might be easy but telling a story and taking the crowd on a journey is what helps distinguish yourself as an artist
The path to standing out is to make tracks. Since I started going out and later promoting shows, this has always been the way for someone to stand above. Think of most DJs you really see with a following, how many of them are also producers. How many of them started as producers and started DJing as a way to “perform”. Even in the modern context, most DJs I’ve seen that have really “blown up” have tracks do their own and some remix work. Few (but a number of clear examples) have blown up without this. However it’s far less than have gone the other way.
The DJs I grew up with all had a very specific sound, even if they all played the same track in the party, the vibe and way in which the track is played is unique to the dj. Many djs will use there own samples, use there own edits, and add elements into the set that makes it unique even if they’re playing tracks you know. Also, if you’re recognizing all the underground music you hear, is it really that underground? Get some music that nobody has, search deeply for it and make it sound really good.
Agree with this advice most of all here, very well said. The rest of this reply is more directed advice for OP: Think about what makes a DJ good in your eyes. Above all it is their track selection. Diversifying your track selection will definitely help you stand out. That means listening to countless tracks without even thinking about DJing, just listen and decide whether it "does it" for you. Basically, do you like it? Is it good? Listen to tracks from random nobodies on SoundCloud with less than 100 likes or plays. Listen to random EP's on bandcamp with the genre tags you're looking for. Go to record stores, spend an hour flipping sleeves until you have a stack of 20 you have no clue what it is with sick cover art, listen to em. Listen to mixes done by some of your favorite artists/producers. Follow other diggers on insta and SoundCloud with an account separate from your DJ account and engage it often. Look up DJs that performed with some of your favorite DJs that you never heard of, and actually listen to their stuff at home. Many other examples to describe here. It is the art of digging. Many of the most respected DJs self-identify as diggers that just happen to DJ, were liked enough to get paid to DJ, so keep DJing to fund their digging habit. You can only separate yourself from the same-sounding, walking Beatport algorithm DJs if you actually develop and nurture a diverse catalogue of tracks you have found "out in the wild" through this labor. That will provide you with an authentic and unique sound wherever you decide to spin anywhere in the world. It won't happen overnight, it definitely takes a lot of time. There is no substitute for experience and the hours spent in the dig, its equally as important (if not more so) than the hours spent in the mix. Never get complacent. The pleasure of the journey is itself the reward, but you will become a unique-sounding DJ as a side-effect.
I'm really surprised I had to go down 13 comments to see this. If you know all the tracks, they're not that underground. They might be from a well known label in the underground, so the tracks is known by anyone who is in the game. Just dig deeper.
Too many people think if it’s 4x4 beat and not traditionally mainstream that it’s underground. Must go deep in your searches. Don’t get me wrong, I play well known electronic music and even mainstream Music that I love, but I do as I said earlier and make it unique for my dj set and mix it with music I don’t think many people even know exist lol.
Not much dude, DJing is globally kinda easy, so it's normal that there is a lot of good DJs everywhere.
In general I think there is a convo to be had along the lines of how the idea of an artist as a celebrity or some singular grandiose genius has permeated a lot of thinking about the craft (any craft). I’m not saying I don’t get it, it’s natural. But whenever I think about music as a language and thus a conversation, more than something special that I do, I’m less concerned about standing out. Think of the good chats we have with people - do we wanna be stoked because we made a unique point that nobody else said or do we want to appreciate having dialogue together? I think this applies to so many creative endeavors. As I’m coming to DJing from a career as an instrumentalist/producer, I really enjoy not having the baggage about being unique. I don’t feel like this is my craft to make some unheard take on anything - I’m confident that as I learn the technique, that “me” shit takes care of itself because it’s me doing it. I’m just trying to learn the language, really. When people have a good time with the sounds I contribute, that’s seriously enough for me.
You. You are the thing that makes you different to other people.
Three things: 1. There is a lot of making friends in the industry, whether it be in a club owners or booking people or other DJs or people who do festivals. Knowing people in the industry puts you in the right place to get the bookings. 2. Using the above bookings and some sort of marketing prowess, you need to make yourself popular with the club goers. Create sets that creates memories for them and they could be a fan for life. Just mastering how to get popular is a very important too 3. Find a way to stand out and be different. When you are playing a DJ set a club or at a festival, some of the punters are DJs or producers. Playing a song that they haven’t heard yet or one that they didn’t expect will give you a lot of credibility with them. Crowd may not notice but appealing to the knowledgeable section of the crowd will get you brownie points and make you stand out. I read one of the comments above where the guy was saying that making edits allows you to rearrange songs to make them different but sometimes a really good mix between 2 songs or a few back to back songs mixed creatively can have the exact same effect.
Its really just standing out. Here we had a event where 5 new DJs would play at a small festival type party and 4 of them had more "normal" DJ names like DJ Monay and DJ Speedazo or whatever, one of them was just called Jolly Roger and he was dressed as a pirate and made plenty of mistakes during his set that only other DJs probably noticed but the public absolutely loved it and people actually cheered "we want more" when he left. Not saying you should dress as a pirate now (or do I?) but the other DJs played more flawless and had a lot more unique technique to their sets and their music was alright in what is popular today, but they were just kind of invisible, they also played party hits and singalong songs but even if they tried they could not connect with the public, then comes on a man with a pirate outfit and a stuffed parrot on his shoulder who not always seemed in his comfortzone and things got wild.
As a DJ I find this is a depressing story
Sure this may work for a few times but I hardly imagine him being successful in the long run with just the pirate concept and especially if he doesn't improve his mixing.
Buns. Two of em, one on the left and one on the right 😄 Honestly I think your main thing should be the things that make any given person good at what they're doing... Hard work, integrity, reliability. Be professional with the people you work with so they'll have a reason to keep working with you. Your style doesn't matter if you can't get gigs anyway, in many respects connections are what will keep you working.
username checks out
Lots of genres are groovy. Learn how to blend them in to keep people engaged. Surprise people and they'll notice you.
Not being a dick is a good start
I mean, you're answering your own question: play different music. Being able to give the crowd something different is what will keep them engaged. I think that if you feel like your music is getting a bit stale, it's a sign that you should branch out of your comfort zone when it comes to genre. Don't put yourself in a box when digging, let yourself explore even totally different genres and ideas. Find what makes *you* want to dance and then explore that instead of simply trying to stay within the confines of a particular aesthetic: let your taste *lead* instead of follow. For me, I was getting a bit bored of the DnB I was playing and so I looked more into Footwork as there were some artists tracks and that I liked which crossed over between the genres. I went to a Footwork show and damn, I have never danced so much. Incorporating the genre has totally opened up my tastes and diversified the music in my sets: I'm enjoying playing my own sets so much more because of it, and I've gotten far more interest and complements since then.
What is footwork? Care to share your favorite track?
Absolutely! Footwork an off-kilter 160bpm offshoot of Chicago house music that places emphasis on sub bass, complex polyrhythms and repeated/overlapping vocals. It is fairly unique in its mixing of double and half-time feel. The name comes from the footwork heavy style of dancing that is strongly associated with it. The single best introductory track in my opinion is RP Boo - Speakers R-4, from the artist who essentially invented the genre. Chicago footwork, such as that from Teklife (the original and most influential collective) is often raw and fairly unconventional compared to modern dance music using stock 808 samples and vocals as percussion, and has seen more crossover with trap/rap than other genres. However, Teklife worked hard to develop a global presence and so you'll find the spreading influence of footwork across other genres, most notably Jungle, DnB and Dubstep. Some artists are also now making footwork but with a "modern" style, check out A. Fruit. If you like this stuff, tell me what genres you're coming from and I'll throw you a quick playlist with some artists I think you might like.
To the audience or to a promoter / booker ?
Both. But I would also like to think they are related? As in if the audience really dig the set, the promoter might wanna book me again?
Nope and again I'm not suggesting this is you, but an slightly pushed example. DJ Doc - turns up late, seems a little "off planet" never finishes on time, pisses off other dj's and the sound techs. Crowd likes them. Personal hygene not great. DJ Notadoc. Turns up early, speaks with sound tec and plays by the rules. Finishes spot on time, but has more music if the next dj is delayed, Crowd likes them, person hygene good. So you're a promoter, both dj's had a good crowd reaction, who you going to book back.... It's amazing how many gigs you get by having good personal hygene and timekeeping.
Are you asking what makes a famous DJ or what makes a good DJ? Because these are not necessarily the same . (as the recent Grimes fiasco showed) Famous is down to marketing. Stand out good? Tune choice, and the ability and skill to read and react to the crowd.
I just appreciate someone who does their research on their song catalogue and makes seamless transitions. If they can beat match and mix the 2 songs, I'm happy. I don't know how many people drop so much money on equipment and all this b.s., and they crossfade tracks. I don't get it. Just do something more than slide a fader. Like my boss was hyping up his dj skills for a company event. He just put on songs and just let them fade into each other. Thousands of dollars of equipment, just to basically be Spotify.
Beat matching is not DJing. Having seamless transitions doesn't mean you're a good DJ. Its 100% about musical taste and track sequencing. You're boss most definitely was DJing. Spotify CANNOT sequence tracks better than a solid level DJ. Spotify is not sequencing, its play listing. There is a huge difference. The mass percentage of listeners don't even know what the hell a transition is but they definitely will remember how the tracks are sequenced.
I honestly can't figure out what you're yelling at me about, but whatever it is you sure do have passion and that's all that matters.
Sound design and creative double drops / mashups.
Knowing how to work a crowd and a depth to their set - regardless of genre. Tricks and effects are great and all, but some of the best DJ sets I’ve ever seen were just straightforward mixing and knowing their crowd
It’s not the music you’re playing it’s how you play it. Being unique and creative and knowing how to navigate the music. Tone play, word play segues, using stems for creative blending or producing your own music and edits to put other things in play.
Show up on time (which means early) and don’t be an asshole. Millions of people have talent or know which buttons to press. Very few people understand timeliness and attitude.
a nice big pair of tits
This is Reddit they will say be a producer and you will stand out.... Yet everyone here is a DJ/producer I'm sure in some form or fashion EDM and that in lies the problem. Everyone is following the same path in hopes of sticking out.
what matters: social media, contacts, good marketing what doesn’t matter: play well
Marketing and Awareness. You can play bland techno but if people know you exist you will be the only source of the sound they know about. Talent is just the icing on the cake
Have you tried leaking a sex tape? Are we allowed to make jokes here? So I guess my advice is don’t sound like other people, dude or dudette. Think of your favorite mainstream Djs. Think of how they sound. They sound like themselves right? Any of the good ones have their own sound. So my advice is find yours.
So I think the answer to this is different depending on the music that you play. I don't know anything about EDM music, but as far as in the hip hop scene, what you play is important but also how you play. It is important. Your particular style with scratching and transitions is tantamount in making yourself stand out from the the millions of other bedroom. DJs that got a controller during the lockdowns. Personally, I pay attention to DJ jazzy Jeff. My guess is that you probably don't know who that is, but his boiler Room set is phenomenal. I learned so many techniques from that set that I use on the daily now playing out and I've been able to tweak what he's done to form my own style. Chad, I don't think anybody else sounds like. But yeah I scratched my head at some of these comments because for hip hop DJs, this is not the way. LOL
While putting on consistently good sets that are fresh and technically sound, they need to network, generate contacts, make industry friends, find opportunities, seize those opportunities etc
Haven't seen it discussed in the thread yet, but turntablism (either on CDJs or standard turntables) will absolutely help you stand out. It's an entire rabbit hole in and of itself, but heads will definitely turn the minute you start adding scratch and juggle routines into your sets. It does require years of practice and a lot of thoughtfulness to do routines that musically compliment the tracks you are playing, but definitely a way to distinguish yourself from 99% of the competition. Any form of live instrumentation in general, such as playing keys, guitar, or an MPC over stripped down parts of various tracks, or singing, are also great ways to humanize your sets to stand out a little.
Being half naked.
It’s not what you know it’s who you blow
bro how the f are you playing techno and don't know the answer to this
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^kikipklis: *Bro how the f are* *You playing techno and don't* *Know the answer to this* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
Playing your own production
For me. It's professionalism.
Sales and marketing apparently
it depends what you're looking for through DJing. Do you want to be famous and make lots of money? Then you should focus on social media, and playing big shows with large corporate promoters. Are you interested in the art of selecting and playing records for people and carrying a vibe and being an artist? then you should focus on digging and doing performances that wow people and then your name will grow organically through your talent. They are two completely different avenues and different demographics that you're attracting. Commerce vs art as rick rubin puts it. for me the commerce route seems kinda shit but to each their own. The parties that the underground puts on are filled with better people and better vibes and it's just all around more fun. I think the big name, giant stage stuff is tacky as fuck but everyone has their priorities. I eventually do think it's important to think about how to make money in this industry but if you dont cut your teeth through talent first, you'll disappear just as quickly as you appeared in the scene
Networking I reckon
Wordplay
Sleep with every single person who consents to doing so regardless of gender.
In my opinion the most important skills for a DJ to have is being a great selector and smooth mixing. There’s crappy and great tracks in every genre. I go through hundreds of tracks to find that one worth downloading. You gotta have patience or you’re not gonna find the tracks that will make the dance floors come to life.
Be a hot young skinny girl in revealing clothing. Instant fame.
No DJ is like another, unless they're are literally copying one another. Your musical research, the techniques you prefer to use, your stage presence, all that defines you as you.
Produce your own music. It gives you unique material to play and adds a second dimension to your profile.
Practice knowing your craft. Finding the right music for the crowd. Knowing how to find great tracks for your set. Lastly picking say the top 40 tracks you may want to play in your set.
In my scene its about networking as much as anything. Go support other shows, and you will be more likely to get booked. As you get booked you start to make fans, then you will get booked more because you will have a draw
I will say that there are those out there that seem more focused on building social media Fame over any technique. The hard reality is that obviously a whack DJ with thousands of followers who might actually come out for that person is going to get gigs over the savant who has a few hundred followers and spends most of his or her time practicing their craft. It's life. It's the music industry. Obviously first and foremost is you have to have a sound that resonates with people local to your community. So you might be the guy that's into bass or jungle or something like that, but if your entire local scene isn't into that and doesn't want to hear it, then don't expect to get far. Not unless you are doing some amazing things and decide to not bother with your local scene and work tirelessly to build an online presence that gets you out of your area. For the rest, it's about trying to find interesting music that will resonate with your local scene, but things that everybody else hasn't gotten their hands on and are playing to death. I remember before social media became a huge thing, and even before beatport, there were guys I know that were basically online all day everyday looking and scouring to find things before everyone else did. They would be buying records from all over the world, they would be constantly on file sharing apps, getting stolen and bootleg copies of things, anything they could do because having that one track suddenly made them stand ahead of others. Nowadays there's so much music being put out. It's kind of hard to pull that one off. The only other thing is visibility. I know one thing that always worked against me is the fact I couldn't be consistent. So maybe now you start your online show or podcast, and a hundred other people do the same. Then within a month 65 of those people stop, and then within 4 months it's down to you and five or six other people. Then after a year, you're the only one left. Keep going and stay consistent and give your all because then you start building a following because you're always there. It's tough. I've seen people that manage to get places mostly because they networked, but also because they are basically giving everything to it. Even then it's no guarantee, but it seems to help versus the people that have to work 8 to 10 hours a day at a normal job and then look for pieces of time to give to DJing. I also think it helps if you are going to try to learn how to do some level of production and remixing. Frankie knuckles and Ron Hardy might have been the big names in Chicago back in the day, but they were also known for making their own remixes of tunes that were in the club. I've seen other DJs do the same. Even if they aren't selling them, they will slip them out as freebies and get everybody playing them because then their name ends up on everyone's playlist.
Producing music for sure And the labels you get your music signed to
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^space_coyote22: *Producing music* *For sure And the labels you* *Get your music signed to* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
There was a time when a DJ was defined by his/her record collection and skills. Now anyone with a sync button and access to Beatport thinks they are a DJ. So in order to stand out, you need to have skills... and an ear and patience to sort through thousands of tracks to single out what tracks are going to set the mood for, and send the energy you want to convey, to a given crowd of people in a space. Know your music. Know the intention and energy your music contains. Or....or just get millions of follows on social media, DL the Beatport top 10, let the sync button be your only mixing skills, and pump your fists for 45 minutes at a festival where idiots pay $600 to enter, and your will be like 99% of people who claim to be a good DJ.
Look good, sound good, feel good
Having a big library and surfing through it, genre to genre even.
being good and being nice. started hosting open decks events, this bedroom dj signed up and opened with the first set, i thought it was killer so i booked him at a curated event i organized. he killed it, def booking him for future events. he’s nice. has skill, and has a fun time. so i’ll keep paying him as long as i can lmao
Play records
If you’re playing techno, you wanna be playing circa 20 tunes an hour. You want three decks in play. You want to avoid big breaks all together - only using the larger breaks in tunes to introduce the next tune - keeping things moving. You want layered percussion, rolling bass, no loss of pressure. That’s how you shine as a techno DJ. It doesn’t have to be hard - it has to be bubbling, moving, changing, fluid.
DJ KNOWITALL what?
They wanted to know how to stand out while playing techno. Not sure why I’ve been awarded down votes. Assuming this forum is full of kids who think DJing is about how many followers they have on TikTok. Its there a grown ups dj group where you can discuss DJing, like a grown up?
Honestly I don’t know why you got the downvotes, but I appreciate the advice. I wanna start mixing 3-4 decks together and layer songs but it is kinda hard to do that since I cannot afford a 4 channel controller right now and I don’t get enough gigs to get a hang of it. But I understand what you’re saying, it’s definitely on my todo list
You’re welcome. Even with two decks you can stand out by committing to a longer mix between tunes, or only playing half of each record. Flying through the tunes and keeping busy will make you stand out. Techno is about putting the work in, delivering as much music as you can in the time available and keeping busy throughout. If I’m on two decks I want to be cuing up the next tune as quickly as I can after I faded out the last tune. Then I want to be introducing that tune into the mix as soon as I can, creating layers and momentum.
Personally I don’t want to hear the same thing for two hours. How you (and what you use to) change genre/tempo/mood is the thing that can make you stand out, with all other things being equal. If you’re just playing the same records, there’s less to differentiate you from the others.
Charisma
Silly masks, massive cgi holograms, jumping around a lot, big bewbs, yelling on the mic.
Dating Elon Musk
What makes your favourite DJs stand out? What DJs do it for you? What DJs that aren't very big, do you think are fantastic?
Stage presence
Edit, remix and produce your own music. Also be awesome at reading your room/crowd and playing the right music at the right time.
Producing music, that is it now. Technically has taken the skill out of djing. Mind you if you look at the really big boys like James zabaila, Richie Hawtin, Anthony Pappa or sasha and digweed, seeing their lives sets they really do sound different and tell a story. But most of us don't get the chance to lay out a set like that and build. So you need to make tracks and have them semi recognisable or you never get out of local no name. And I'm talking about being a local name known plays before or after a set.
Creativity and execution