Become a Mobile DJ

Mobile DJing is a lucrative and fun job. Your job is to facilitate events for clients bringing the music, sound reinforcement and working with the client to bring the party to wherever they are. Weddings, high school dances, birthday parties, backyard parties and many other social functions are business opportunities for a mobile DJ.

Steps

  1. Find a company near you that offers DJ services and talk to the owner. Find out if they are hiring or are willing to train you. Most mobile DJs start by working for another company and learning from them. Often you will get paid a lot less than you could make on your own but you have to pay your dues somewhere and gain experience.
  2. Start by helping out other DJs. See if you can help them with their equipment and watch them. Many DJs use digital equipment now and start to learn how they work, how they talk to clients and what kind of events they do.
  3. Save up money and buy your own equipment. This is the key to making more money and starting to get better. You can use the computer you have at your house. Start reading mobile beat magazine or checking out DJ forums to learn more about the business.
  4. Find out the top songs from the past 50 years from Billboard or any other of the charts. Make lists of the top 200 songs from each decade and acquire the music either by CD or through iTunes. Systems like Napster, Spotify, and eMusic can also be a great place to have a huge library and only have to pay a monthly fee. However, make sure to check the laws in your area. In Canada, you are not supposed to use music downloaded from the internet. A.V.L.A rules are very strict on this. Remember, you must be A.V.L.A Licensed to run off of MP3 technologies.
  5. DJ for friends. This is a great place to start as you get more jobs or as you get better start to charge money. 100-250 is a good starting range. Many experienced DJs with good equipment and years of experience command $700-$1500 for most events.

Tips

  • Don't get ripped off by low-life DJ companies; get everything in writing. Find out who pays the most in your area and will work with you so you get better.
  • Do your research in your area. Ask local DJs for their prices to get an understanding of the pricing structure in your area.
  • Your friends are your biggest form of advertising starting out, so are your past clients.
  • Create a website and market through Craigslist, Myspace and Facebook.

Warnings

  • Use contracts! Don't trust your friends, business and friendships are gray territory. If it's in writing and it's agreed upon, then it's real. Contracts help both parties understand what is expected and eliminate a lot of misunderstanding.
  • People who are reluctant to commit in writing are often shady folk and you should not deal with them.

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Sources and Citations

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