You may not be leaving for the office every morning, but you still have to put in the hours. You won’t be able to perform well as a DJ unless you treat it as your job. There may not be any bosses looming over your head most of the time, but you have to fill in for them and motivate yourself to do something, every day, working on your music career.
Here are some things you can do:
Make yourself seen
Whatever thoughts you may have about Facebook, it’s a great tool for getting people to see you. If you’re active on social networks and the updates you share are relevant, you'll garner a lot of attention as a DJ. To get other to read your updates, it’s a good idea to pay some attentions to others as well. Leaving positive comments and engaging in quick conversations is sure to score you more friends, followers and fans. It’s just as important to show your support offline, as it is online. Show up at other DJs’ events to help them out or simply act positive. Even if you just greet a couple of people, compliment the event and leave, it will count.
Release new mix CDs
Getting to run an event may be your ultimate goal, but being a DJ is still about music. When you’re having a break between (or before) events, put your spare efforts and creative energy into mixing new music CDs. When you’ve produced a mix, direct that energy towards promoting it, both online and offline. If it’s any good, this could improve your chances of being noticed.
Review other music
Mixing all those tracks might not have made you a famous DJ just yet, but you’re already, in some way, an expert on music. If you’ve caught yourself analysing the music you hear, don’t hold it back and start writing it down. Your review might find its way to some publication, but it would work just as good if you started your own website or blog to post your latest reviews on.
Consider sending some of those directly to the artists whose work you’ve reviewed. This might get your name out there in a way you didn’t even imagine. They don’t even have to be reviews in the traditional sense of the word. The bottom line is to keep trying to do something related to music, even if you can’t throw an event just yet.
Throw an event (if you can)
This is actually not the recommended course of action for anyone who hasn’t dealt with organizing events on their own. If you still feel like doing it, at least try to find someone to mentor you and give some advice. After all, you don’t want to announce an event and then bear the humiliation of no one going there.
Then there’s the financial concern to consider, but there are definitely worse ways to spend money than on throwing a music event. The location, equipment, drinks, and staff will all cost you. While you’re at it, you might as well throw in an established DJ to spice things up, but don’t do it just because you can. Instead, focus on making your event better and make sure the crowd is having a good time (if you get that far). People will like you for it and you could score a few more fans during the night.
Do a studio production
If things are not looking up event-wise and there’s still extra time on your hands, use it to start a studio record project. DJs are known by their tracks and it may be time to record one that can be considered professional. Of course, you shouldn’t do it if you don’t feel like it and know that you won’t produce anything good anyway. There are plenty of bad studio productions out there, so don’t go about making bad tracks and ending up paying for it. Still , if you can think of a worthy potential production or have a desire to record something you’re already playing, go get it done!
Compile music lists
People are always looking for new music to listen. They often turn to their friends for suggestions and find them online message boards, but nothing can persuade them so much as a top music list compiled by an artist or DJ from their favourite music genre. Being a DJ makes you an authority of sorts, so try to use it. The plan is that posting monthly or weekly music lists and top ten’s will garner some attention to your own name and give readers an impression of what kind of music you play at your events. It could work, or not. But you won’ for sure unless you try.
Do a photo-shoot
Some DJs are not really into photo-shoots, but once their career takes off, they’re soon forced to reconsider. Promoters always take note of the photos you’ve made of yourself and often push new artists to do photo-shoots. That’s because photos as a visual medium are very good at conveying the unique style of the artist and help fans recognize them. If your photo-shoot turns out successful, then so will your name.
Stay active
Nothing discourages your fans from regularly following your career more than a lack of frequent updates. It takes some deal of effort to not only start, but also maintain your online presence. If you have decided to create a Facebook page and point your fans to it for regular updates, you can’t let it go dead! If you’re not currently planning any events for the nearest future, it’s no reason not to update with other things, like new photos, mix samples or reports on your upcoming music productions.
Keep them guessing
You can’t just come up with new CDs every once in a while and expect hype to build around your name. Your fans should anticipate your next release and speculate about its contents. In order to make them start guessing, you first have to give them some hints and pointers as well. Share sneak peeks of your future flyers and posters, occasionally drop seemingly irrelevant, but engaging comments on what you’re currently working on. What gives you trouble and what’s coming along nicely. It will give your fans a sense of involvement that will reflect well on your popularity.
Plan ahead
Fans like to follow artists who know what they’re doing, or at least seem to know what they’re doing. That’s the impression you need to deliver, so work on it constantly. Arrange your updates on specific weekdays or hours of the day. That way, your followers will look forward to them and know that you’re worth their time.