3 Easy Habits To EXPLODE Your DJing in 2024

Your Blueprint for DJ Success in 2024

Happy Festivus Slip Mode Sensei’s

This month’s newsletter is a few days later than usual due to some major annual events. But however you did/didn’t celebrate I hope you had a good one.

2023 is coming to a close and it’s been a crazy year for DJing.

• AlphaTheta (Pioneer) buying Serato

• About 4000 new Pioneer DJ controllers

• (Not very good) stems coming to standalone gear for the first time

• Software that can auto mix an entire DJ set

• DJ Carlo replying to one of my comments 🤩

The technology is moving fast and it can seem like it’s hard to keep up.

But the good news is that the fundamentals of DJing never change. Great track selection, responding to the crowd and truly understanding your music.

This time last year I made a video about some simple habits you can build into your routine to level up your DJing - in only 1 hour a week.

In this newsletter we will take a look at 3 of these, updated for 2024.

If you incorporate these into your routine I guarantee you will look back on next year as your best DJ year ever.

🚨 I’ll be steaming on Twitch for New Years Eve (UK Time) - More details at the end of the newsletter!

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Habit 1: Eating more musical treats

Photo by JACQUELINE BRANDWAYN on Unsplash

It's easy to get stuck in our musical comfort zones, but the real magic happens when you step out of them.

I used to mix Trance. That meant long blends that lasted longer than the attention spans of 28 Tik Tokkers combined.

But I eventually started gravitating towards Drum & Bass. Fast blends, double or triple drops, absolute carnage.

I basically had to learn DJing all over again.

Different genres need a different approach. You'll be amazed at the creative sparks that fly when you experiment with different mixing styles.

There’s a great article from the BBC which makes the argument that genres are becoming less and less relevant to listeners.

Spotify and co have popularised music recommendations based on mood, time of day or occasion and audiences in turn are becoming more exposed and more willing to try different kinds of music.

I think this trend will continue into 2024.

Artists are experimenting too. For example, D&B big shot Dimension has been trying his hand at House.

As DJs it’s our job to be aware of music and listener habits so we can remain relevant - and most importantly give people a great time.

But genre-hopping isn't just about business; it's about discovering hidden musical treasures from across the spectrum.

Sometimes dedicating a small portion of your set to something different might be the special sauce you need to take it from forgettable to legendary.

💡 The Tip: Once a week, do a 20 minute set with a genre you wouldn’t usually play

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Habit 2 - Beat-juggling your library

Photo by Jan Antonin Kolar on Unsplash

DJs love learning or watching cool DJ transitions. My YouTube analytics show it, comments on videos show it and I like watching them too 🫢

If you appreciate the craft, or just find it intrinsically satisfying to learn there’s nothing wrong with this at all.

But if you really want to play better sets, your time may be better spent on your library.

I get it, organising music sounds BORING.

Doing cool stuff on the decks is way more fun and it makes it 4% less likely other DJs will hate on you on instagram.

But trust me, it's actually the key to keeping your focus on performing.

Efficiently organised libraries save time when it counts.

It sounds counterintuitive, but the more time you spend preparing, the less you have to prepare.

Let me explain.

Once your library is effectively tagged, you can unlock powerful automation features like Intelligent Playlists which can pull together tracks automatically, based on certain criteria.

After they are set up, there is no further work required on you to populate them beyond tagging any new tracks you add to your library.

Instead of creating each playlist from scratch, you can use these as a starting point to find exactly the right track for the moment.

💡 The Tip: Tag 10 tracks three times a week. By the end of 2024, you'll have an extremely powerful library. And remember, any new track that enters your library gets a tag or sits out the party – I'll be keeping an eye on you!

➡️ If you need help getting started with tagging then check out my video here for a guide.

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Habit 3 - DJ in your pyjamas

Not every DJ’s goal is to play in a club. I’ve done it before - but now at 2AM I prefer watching….let’s say Netflix.

But there is one invaluable skill that club DJs get which can’t be learnt by playing in a bedroom, and that’s reading a crowd.

So how do you find an audience from your 1 bedroom flat in Stoke-on-Trent?

In the past few years, I've taken my mixing global without leaving my kitchen.

I'm talking about the magic of live streaming.

During the pandemic, many people (including me) thought live-streaming could significantly replace clubbing and be a viable new career path for DJs.

For most DJs I now believe that is not true. The audience has fallen off, and the earning potential isn’t there unless you are live streaming 24/7.

However, live streaming remains a brilliant choice to improve your DJing in 2024:

• It's the perfect playground to experiment with new genres (see habit 1)

• Dealing with tech hiccups on the fly in front of a virtual crowd is like DJ boot camp – it toughens you up for anything you might encounter in the wild

• In the last newsletter we spoke about how pressing record can make you a bad DJ. Livestreaming is like the record button on steroids - giving you countless deck hours under your belt to avoid stage fright at the crucial moments.

Ok, nothing is going to beat playing in real life in-front of a crowd. There are some things you can only learn by staring into the whites of someone’s eyes or their suspiciously over-dilated pupils.

But you’d be surprised at the amount of transferrable skills you will pick up by pressing that go-live button.

On New Years eve, i’ll be doing this myself - more details below..

💡 The Tip: Every two weeks, drop a 2-hour live set.

If you need some help getting set up with livestreaming you can try my course for FREE with one month access on Skillshare: https://skl.sh/3tpxNYa

*With a one month free Skillshare Trial. I earn a small commission if you take out a Skillshare membership via this link

Other News

• As is tradition, on New Years Eve I plan to do a live stream on Twitch to bring in 2024 (UK time). It would be great to say hi to a few HotCue readers or YouTube viewers if you are around! It’ll kick off about 9pm GMT.
  ➡️ You can follow me on Twitch to stay updated.

• What would you like to see me cover in the newsletter in 2024? Hit reply and let me know!

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Have your say

My goal is for this to be the most valuable DJ newsletter in your inbox. Let me know how I’m doing 🙏

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