Find a DJ Name That Isn't Taken

Were you born to make the crowd move? Have you always known that you've wanted to spin the ones-and-twos? If you want to make it as a DJ, you've got to stand out from the crowd, and if you want to stand out, you've got to have a catchy, unique, memorable name. Unfortunately, with millions of amateur DJs across the globe, many of the most obvious names have already been taken. This means that checking to make sure your name is truly unique is an essential part of starting successful a career as a DJ.

Steps

Checking for Existing Names

1. Run a simple search engine query. By far the quickest, most direct way to see if a DJ name is taken is to do a thorough search on your search engine of choice. If another DJ has already chosen your name, his or her website or social media page will usually be included in the results. Keep in mind, however, that obscure artists may not appear on the very first page.
   • Remember that the absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence. While seeing another DJ pop up in the search results can be a strong hint that the name you've chosen is already taken, not seeing another DJ isn't necessarily proof that the name isn't taken. For definitive proof, it's best to couple your initial search with one of the other methods below.
2. Use a name-finder utility. One way to check whether a certain name has been taken is to use an online name-finding site. These sites usually check large databases of site listings to tell whether the domain name you input has already been registered. Best of all, many of the best name-finders are 100% free.
   • Note again, however, that just because someone hasn't already purchased a website that uses your stage name in its address doesn't mean that no DJ has already taken your name — someone using your name may just not have a strong online presence.
3. Use a social network search utility. In the modern world, even the smallest bands and musical artists often have pages on social network sites like Facebook. Searching popular social networks for usernames or pages that match your DJ name is one great way to check whether it's been taken. Since the most popular social networks are free to join, you have a good chance of uncovering even the most obscure artists this way.
   • While Facebook is the most popular social network site on the planet, it's far from the only one. Thus, you'll save lots of time by using one of several online utilities that instantly search multiple social network sites (like namechk.com) rather than searching each individually.
4. Search a trademark database. Musical artists' names can legally be trademarked by their owners — this includes names like R.E.M., which have alternate meanings, names like Paul McCartney, which are simply the artist's actual name, and, of course, DJ names. Thus, searching a trademark database is one fairly definitive way of determining whether a name is already taken. If you can find a trademark registered for the DJ name you've chosen, this means that someone else has already taken your name and has legal grounds to force you to change yours if there's a likelihood you may be confused as artists.
   • Some trademark databases are free to search, while others may cost a small fee. For a fairly definitive list of trademark databases, consult uspto.gov, the official site of the US Patent and Trademark Office.
5. Understand the legal protections trademark holders have. If you find out that the DJ name you want for yourself has already been trademarked, you may be out of luck. Trademark owners have a legal claim to their trademark, especially in cases where you are likely to be confused with the trademark holder (like, for instance, if you are both active musicians in the same geographical area). This risk increases if your logo, font choices, and aesthetic direction seems to match or imitate the trademark holder's. Musical artists can (and have) sued rivals who were unwilling to cooperate with a name change.
   • Luckily, there are ways around this sort of trademark infringement. The most direct is simply to change your DJ name. You may also be "off the hook" if you can prove that you don't directly compete with the trademark holder — for instance, if you're only well-known in New York State and the copyright holder is only well-known in Florida, you may not need to change your name until one of you begins touring and promoting your act on the other's home turf.

Picking a Great DJ Name

1. Keep things short and sweet. Try to think of famous DJs with names that contain more than four syllables. If you can think of any, there are probably only one or two in your mind. Most DJs don't have especially long names, and with good reason — the longer your stage name is, the harder it is for people to remember and the less likely it is that it will sound "catchy".
   • For example, imagine that a new DJ who specializes in spinning diss tracks wants to call himself "Diss-establishmentarianism". While the "diss" pun is amusing, this name will have a hard time catching on — if the DJ's fans have a hard time remembering his name (let alone pronouncing it), his word-of-mouth potential is seriously limited.
2. Pick something timeless. Don't name yourself after a passing trend, a sub-genre of electronica that may not be popular in a few years, or anything else that doesn't have long-term appeal. These sorts of names immediately date you and make it harder to capture new listeners' attentions after your name loses significance. Instead, pick a name that has lasting relevance — something that won't sound silly a few months or a few years down the road.
   • For example, imagine that an up-and-coming DJ named himself "DJ Harlem Shaker" during the height of the meme's popularity in February 2013. This a bad move — within just a few months, the meme's popularity had faded dramatically, so this DJ's name would probably sound hackneyed.
3. Consider the aural effect your name creates. Ideally, the syllables in your DJ name should complement each other and produce the effect you want to convey when spoken. Some names sound smooth and pleasing, while others sound cold and sinister — depending on the type of music you play, you may want to choose to use softer or harsher sounds in your name.
   • For example, words with g's, k's, z's, t's and hard c's tend to be hard and edgy and are considered cacophonous, or phonetically unpleasant. In contrast, words with many l's, w's, long o's, y's, s's, and soft c's tend to sound soft and fluid and are considered euphonious, or phonetically beautiful. A DJ might want to go with either of these styles, so choose your own sounds accordingly to make the name appropriately gritty for your persona.
4. Make sure your name passes the radio test. In radio broadcasting, the names of people, places, and events that are being promoted on-air should ideally pass something called the "radio test". This isn't as complicated as it sounds — the radio test is just a simple way of telling whether your name will be intelligible to listeners who can only hear it spoken — not written out. Generally, the more complex your DJ name is, the harder it will be for people to understand on the radio.
   • A name that passes the radio test should be easy to understand just from the way it sounds while spoken. It shouldn't be hard for the announcer or the listener to pronounce or spell — remember, people who will be hearing your DJ name on air may not have ever heard of you before.
   • For instance, imagine that there's a DJ named "DotComrad3." This name would have a hard time passing the radio test. Someone reading it on-air might have to say something like, "If you liked the song you just heard, check out the artist's website — www.Dotc0mrad3.com. That's w, w, w, dot (as in a period), "Dot" (as in the word "dot"), c, zero (not o), m, r, a, d, 3 (not e)." This is a serious mouthful for the radio announcer to get through — if he doesn't make a mistake, there's a good chance many of the listeners will.
5. Consider logo/artistic design when picking a name. If you're looking to make a career out of your DJing skills, you may want to consider a potential name's aesthetic qualities before making a final decision. Some names naturally lend themselves to good-looking logos and on-stage designs, while others may require you to do a little more work to pick visual components that "fit". There's no right or wrong answer here — this is just a question of how far you're willing to go in service of your image as a DJ.
   • For example, a DJ who calls herself "White Tiger" might naturally want to use lots of tiger imagery in her on-stage show. She might, for instance, wear a tiger mask on stage while she spins her music. If she has access to a projector, she might even project psychedelic tiger designs onto herself during her show.
   • On the other hand, a DJ with a name like "DJ Palindrome" has a logo that practically designs itself. Since palindromes are words that are spelled the same way forwards and backwards, DJ Palindrome's logo might look like this: PalindromemordnilaP — basically, as if it's reflected in a mirror.
6. Decide whether or not to include “DJ” in your name. This is the age-old question that every DJ has to face at one point or another: whether or not to include "DJ" in his or her name. There's no right or wrong answer here — many of the modern world's most famous DJs (like Tiesto, etc.) have decided to forego the "DJ" prefix, while many others choose to keep it. It's up to you!
   • In general, including the "DJ" may give a slightly more "old-fashioned" or "classic" flavor to your image because of the tendency of old-school hip-hop DJs to include "DJ" in their stage names (see: DJ ). This is by no means universal, however, so try to consider each name on a case-by-case basis.

Getting Inspiration for a Unique Name

1. Use a musical reference. One old standby for any musician's name is to make a reference to a musical concept or piece of terminology. Some of the most famous artists of all time have used this well-worn trick (see: The Beatles, The Moody Blues, etc.). Ideally, if you do this, you might want to make reference to musical terms that are likely to be understood by a wide audience — for instance, while almost everyone knows what a "beat" is, not everyone will know what the term "syncopation" means. Below are just a few ideas for the types of words you may want to incorporate into your name:
   • Musical terminology (beat, note, tempo, chord, song, symphony, etc.)
   • Music genres (rock, disco, techno, etc.)
   • Specific songs or bands (for example, Radiohead, Phoenix, and The Rolling Stones are all named after other bands' songs).
2. Modify your own name. Some musical artists, including DJs, choose to simply use their real name as their stage name. Others, however, modify their name in a way that makes it catchy or memorable. Some even choose to change their name in a way that makes it a pun or play on words — your ability to do this, obviously, depends on what your actual name is.
   • For example, M.I.A, the Sri Lankan rapper with international hits like "Paper Planes", uses a name that is a play on her own (Maya), as well as a reference to the abbreviation for the term "Missing in Action".
   • Another well known example is Eminem — this name is a reference to the artist's initials (MM, for Marshall Mathers) as well as the phonetic pronunciation of his old stage name (M&M).
3. Include ideas that are important to you. If there are certain things, places, people, or ideas in your life that are extremely important to you, consider referencing them (or just outright including them) in your DJ name. There are a huge range of possible topics to draw from that range from silly to grim — whatever is important to you in life is fair game. Below are just a few ideas of the sorts of things you may want to consider using in your name:
   • Religious references (see: Matisyahu)
   • Political references (see: Rage Against the Machine)
   • Literary references (see: Modest Mouse, As I Lay Dying)
   • References to specific people or places (see: Lynyrd Skynyrd)
4. Be familiar with the world’s most famous DJs. Sometimes, it's easiest to come up with a good name simply by studying other people's name. However, when you're trying to get inspiration from the names of great DJs, remember that your ultimate goal is to stand out from the pack — not blend into it. Just a few of the most influential DJs and beatmakers ever from the worlds of dance music and hip hop are listed below — there are many, many more:
   • DJ Shadow
   • Tiesto
   • Belleville 3
   • A-Trak
   • Grandmaster Flash
   • Diplo
   • Jam Master Jay
   • Deadmau5

Tips

• Keep building a list of ideas. It can take weeks, months, or even years to come up with a name you like, and even more importantly, that others like.
• Use alliteration and other writing techniques to make your name more interesting.
• Get clever with your moniker. For example you might try using the name of the street you grew up on followed by the name of your first pet, replacing each "i" with the letter "y".
• You could also try combining a super hero name with a type of food, music, matter, idea, animal, season, or random word. Try switching letters up with similar sounding ones. C and K. G and J. Y and I. F and Ph. Etc etc
• Using the letter "x" is attractive as well as the letter "z".
• Get creative: Hypo Statik, Drexo, Flextra, Toxic Summer, Trapsyklez, Kya Lagoz, Watzit, Weiner Chinos, etc etc.
• It can be crude, funny, and serious, but it needs to be original in such a way that it has a catchy ring and your audience can easily remember it.
• You could use your initials as your DJ name. For example DJ A&K or DJ A.K. Make sure your DJ name is not offensive in any way or you could get into serious trouble.

Warnings

• Don't get too crazy with the names. If you choose something like "DJ Commander Transverse Pyjama Anthro-Hippopotamus," people won’t be able to remember it or take it seriously.
• If you plan on producing, check out the "big names" in digital distribution (such as Beatport, iTunes, etc.) to make sure your name isn't already being used so you don't get mixed up with other artists!

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