Becoming a DJ is a dream come true for many, but those who have the courage and persistence to pursue this are few. In reality, if you have passion for this work and talent for the same, it takes some effort and time to get there – but it will certainly pay off.
Statistics show that DJs earn an average of $31,990 per year, while the top 10% earn up to $72.500.
Today, most events and parties include a freelance DJ. For bars and nightclubs, this is a way to diversify their offerings and attract more people. Others employ freelance DJs to make their parties and corporate events unforgettable. Top established DJs such as Midland DJs know exactly what it takes to be successful in the freelance industry.
There are many settings for a DJ. If you strive to become a freelancer in this profession instead of a permanent employee, you’re in for a real adventure. But first, you need to get started.
Below you’ll find some excellent tips on building your DJ freelance career from the ground up.
If you haven’t worked in the freelance industry before, there’s a lot you need to learn to avoid mistakes and problems. For starters, you need to craft a ‘bulletproof’ contract for DJ services, one that will ensure that you get paid on time and the client fulfills your requirements.
Moreover, you need to decide if this is something you can take on. Being a freelancer means that you get all the freedom you want, but also all the responsibility. Since you have no fixed employee, it is you who has to do the scheduling, charge clients, organize things, promote your services, and more.
For all this, you’ll need a good strategy. You’ll need to learn where you’ll promote your services, how much you’ll charge, as well as find a great way to keep track of your schedule. This industry allows for no mistakes – not if you want to be considered a serious DJ and frequently hired.
Doing this alone at home and doing it in front of an audience is not the same. Many jump at the opportunity thinking they are at their best when it comes to this career. However, many things make a good DJ other than equipment, music, and talent. There's also the matter of who your audience is, what type of event you're working on, etc.
In this as in many other industries, practice makes perfect. DJ work appears glamorous and easy to many, but it calls for tons of commitment and hard work if you want to become skilled at it. One crucial aspect of being a skilled DJ is mastering the art of mixing music, and a comprehensive mixing tutorial can provide invaluable guidance and techniques for aspiring DJs to elevate their craft to new heights.
Here are some tips that can help you improve your deejay skills:
In case you didn’t know this, there are actual DJ schools across the US. Some of them include the DJ Academy in New Jersey, Full Sail University in Florida, Dubspot in New York, F.A.M.E Disc Jockey School, etc.
Naturally, such education comes with tuition fees that many cannot afford. As an alternative, you can consider affordable virtual classes and free online courses. The more you work on your skills, the better and more successful you can become in your career.
Gigs won’t come rushing to you as soon as you decide: I’ll be a freelance DJ from now on. You need to first establish your presence in the industry – and get your creations out there. This means working on your network and meeting other deejays, building connections with national and local bars, and working hard on your online image.
Here are some marketing strategies that you might want to use:
Having a great website and a growing number of followers on social media won't instantly land you gigs. Thankfully, you can help this process, too, and speed things up for your new freelance career.
Nowadays, people will hire a DJ for many occasions such as school events, weddings, anniversaries, christenings, and even funerals. Many of these will search for DJs on forums and social media. This is your chance to get to them – send them a link to your site or some posts to get them acquainted with your work.
In addition to this, you can check out freelance platforms like Upwork and Fiverr. This is where people post freelance gigs that you can apply for.
Great DJing is highly dependent on the software you are using. Today, there are many options for this. The top three choices right now are:
This is not the time to be picky about where you'll play. You'll need to gradually grow in this industry. Clients will prefer freelance DJs with more experience and a better reputation online even if you have the best site and online presence.
So, at this point, you need to gain experience and get a rating. This is not immediate, but there are some things that you can do to speed it up. For example, you can offer to warm up for local DJs for free or at a highly discounted rate. If you're called to an event, you can hand out cards with a discount so that others are prompted to call you at their events.
Widen your horizons. You don't have to just attend events and do your work there. You can try grand openings, street fairs, fashion shows, etc. And of course, try and hand out your business cards to everyone you meet – friends of your clients at the events, promoters, other DJs, etc.
Plenty of things can affect your freelancing strategy in this industry. There’s the matter of experience, education, professional background, contact lists, and budget. Before you start your journey in this career, work on your leads and set your priorities straight. Being a freelance DJ can be a highly rewarding path, but only if you are patient and smart about it.
