DJing Discussion

Forum
 DJing Discussion
FOR ALL THE MONEY MAKING DJ'S
This area is for discussion about DJing in general. Please remember the community rules when posting and try to be polite and inclusive.

FOR ALL THE MONEY MAKING DJ'S

DJ_QB 12:10 AM - 5 August, 2006
what has been the best source of advertisment/promoting that has brought you the best and most buisness/profeits.

example: passing out buisness cards at club 30% to 40% of my buisness. 30% is just casual discusiong that involve throwing out that i am a dj everytime i here of a party or anything to do with it. one other thing that i have been thinking about is out here in the inland empire there is alot of car dealer ships i was thinking about going out and promoting there. hit up all the new and used car dealers about possible dj'ing for them at a discount simply for the fact that most likely i will be able to still book a night gig. also the fact that i rent out kids jumpers/bouncers might help me get a foot in the door book them for both possibly a jumper and dj at the same time haha
Teknikscian 1:31 AM - 5 August, 2006
word of mouth
Julls 1:31 AM - 5 August, 2006
Those planes you can rent to write in the air.
DJ_QB 1:34 AM - 5 August, 2006
haha julls i tried that but the day i picked was cloudy and windy so didnt work well for me haha
Julls 1:36 AM - 5 August, 2006
Oh damn, that sucks. QB what kind of DJ'ing do you do, mobile or club? There are a few advertising options.
DJ_QB 1:43 AM - 5 August, 2006
i used to do clubs but me and my dad opened a boxing gym and i run it so now i dj here and do house parties and stuff like that i also got into renting jumpers just because its easy money you get paid for like 45 minutes of work
Julls 1:53 AM - 5 August, 2006
Well, here are some things to get you started. MAKE A WEBSITE!!!

www.wedj.com - Pretty good, free listing.
www.partypop.com - Kinda wack, free listing.
www.gigmasters.com - Never tried it, gotta pay.
www.decidio.com - Pretty good, gotta pay $1 per lead.
www.directcatering.com - Never used this one.

If you need more, let me know. Also try google local and yahoo local, they are both free.
DJ_QB 2:04 AM - 5 August, 2006
cool thanks julls anyone else what works for you guys just getting ideas though a forum topic about ways to get buisness would be a good idea to see peoples diffrent ideas that have and havent worked
DJ_Mike_Coquilla 2:47 AM - 5 August, 2006
there's this website where u can order fireworks and bottle rockets (heavy duty) that'll shine your name up in tha sky at night.
Dj Chinn 3:30 AM - 5 August, 2006
Evertime I know im Djing somewhere Big I get mad fliers made.. Not cheap one I fork out about $150 bucks and flier up a town or where ever im out... That Myspace, and mad word of mouth
DJ Limelight 8:15 PM - 5 August, 2006
The best promotion is to do your best when you spin. You NEVER know who may be in the audience listening. A lot of my business has come from people coming up to me after a set and asking for my contact info. That's more effective to me then any mixtape because it's live. That way, you have them behind the 8ball so-to-speak as far as pricing because you know they know that you're dope.
hologram 8:34 PM - 5 August, 2006
Quote:
The best promotion is to do your best when you spin. You NEVER know who may be in the audience listening. A lot of my business has come from people coming up to me after a set and asking for my contact info. That's more effective to me then any mixtape because it's live. That way, you have them behind the 8ball so-to-speak as far as pricing because you know they know that you're dope.


Good advice!

For me it's this but I need to make a Demo.
andrew b 8:34 PM - 5 August, 2006
the best promo is phone book.... phone book djs rock !
thenewyorkgiant 10:16 PM - 5 August, 2006
limelight hit it on the nose. treat every gig you do as an impromptu audution.
earwolf 10:31 PM - 5 August, 2006
i stand naked in the street and shout at passers by
Julls 10:31 PM - 5 August, 2006
Quote:
i stand naked in the street and shout at passers by


Hows that working for you? Everytime I try that, I get arrested.
DJ_Mike_Coquilla 10:37 PM - 5 August, 2006
Quote:
the best promo is phone book.... phone book djs rock !
for reals? how much does that cost?

btw, andrew b, i too used to live in san mateo a decade ago :)
djskeetz 10:49 PM - 5 August, 2006
hot white girls in san mateo.
DJ SPAIR 2:31 AM - 6 August, 2006
Quote:
hot white girls in san mateo.


hahahhaa..yeah there's some hot mexican ones to,but seriously though it seems like you got some great ideas QB.. I dont do much mobile and I'm assuming thats what your getting advice for. How to generate more business for your mobile dj services?? one idea would be to hit downtown and solicit the bussines district. they got money and they always need dj's for holiday parties or what have you..
DJ_Mike_Coquilla 11:47 AM - 6 August, 2006
Quote:
there's this website where u can order fireworks and bottle rockets (heavy duty) that'll shine your name up in tha sky at night.
here's one comany u wanna avoid Watchwww.youtube.com
Freedom 12:50 PM - 6 August, 2006
Avoid one night stands with ugly chicks
Melissa 2:37 PM - 6 August, 2006
Quote:
limelight hit it on the nose. treat every gig you do as an impromptu audution.
Absolutely agreed... Most of my gigs came from people who heard me play elsewhere... and I KNOW my website helps... I also have cool buisness cards (that promote my website)... and have a profile and links on www.femaledjs.com and thesituation.co.uk (both uk sites)...
juanvaldez 2:55 PM - 6 August, 2006
coffee!!!
DJ_Mike_Coquilla 4:08 PM - 6 August, 2006
Quote:
coffee!!!


:)
Melissa 5:41 PM - 6 August, 2006
Quote:
Quote:
coffee!!!


:)
oh yeah, that too, me three!
djtripp 5:53 PM - 6 August, 2006
I get alot of business from having a website with my music, what I offer, a list of my past clubs/parties and such.

I suggest the BIGGEST problem with people trying to book a DJ is the DJ's lack of self promotion. If you play a party for friends, have them send you an e-mail about what they thought. Post it on your site. If you have a weekly gig, link to your name in the clubs adds, even if it's in the "Weak"ly free paper. Make yourself look bigger than you are. Even big name DJ's do it. That's how they get bigger.

And last but not least. Learn to play as many genres as you can. Know your music and always have fun.

:D

Tripp
Clark @ Breakin-Records.com 6:42 PM - 6 August, 2006
Hire a promotions monkey.
perish 4:44 AM - 7 August, 2006
Being a good DJ, getting to know some promoters club owners. A CD is always a good help to let them know what type o shit you play. I also think it's a good idea to show you have some diverse tastes and some nice nuggets in your crate. Who wants to see someone who sounds like everyone else?
hologram 8:03 AM - 7 August, 2006
Also have contracts. Working with contracts can avoid ugly situations like the one I just went through this weekend.
And for as long as I have been doing it I should have known better.
But my point is that with a contract you can avoid having a misunderstanding that could possibly give you a bad rep or push business away from you.
Clark @ Breakin-Records.com 4:29 PM - 7 August, 2006
Quote:
Also have contracts. Working with contracts can avoid ugly situations like the one I just went through this weekend.
And for as long as I have been doing it I should have known better.
But my point is that with a contract you can avoid having a misunderstanding that could possibly give you a bad rep or push business away from you.


A-a-a-a-a... *PAUSE* ... A-A-AAAAA... *PAUSE* *COUGH*...

Amen!
a-swift 6:22 PM - 7 August, 2006
Quote:
Maybe i am a retard but what are jumpers?


jumper also known as a bouncy house. big ass inflatable houses that parents rent for their kids so they don't have to spend any quality time with them. actually, it's probably better than sitting them down in front of the tv and watching spongebob or whatever kids watch these days. i guess excercise is always good. my bad.
Dj KaGeN 6:40 PM - 7 August, 2006
I'm thinkin about getting one for my next b-day.. end of month?
Who's comin over ??
earwolf 11:03 PM - 7 August, 2006
bouncy castles you heathens
mArtian! 11:28 PM - 7 August, 2006
Hear hear: Bouncy Castles!!

When he talkin' about "Jumpers" I thought he meant like Jerseys and Sweaters...lol - then I started thinkin' "Hey, now how many times have you lost a sweater at a club, and perhaps got a little cold, and just wanted to hire one for a little"
Melissa 11:58 PM - 7 August, 2006
moon bounces! jumpers! bouncy castles! yippie!
Clark @ Breakin-Records.com 1:12 AM - 8 August, 2006
Melissa! Yippie! HAHA!
sgvxcheese 2:21 AM - 8 August, 2006
yo QB, where u from?
DJ_QB 1:44 PM - 8 August, 2006
just moved from south el monte to chino, ca
Chris Dilla 6:55 PM - 8 August, 2006
I just recently provided a sound system for a DJ that was playing out for a fan appreciation day in Oxnard for the Dallas Cowboys training camp. He had to have gave out about 400 mix cd's that day with his contact info. The whole time he was announcing free cd's on the mic and people just came in droves. We got to talking and he said that those mix cd's account for about 85% of his business. He said business cards no longer work for him. He also mentioned that DJing was his only source of income. He also had the stickers on his car advertising himself as well.
djxatl 7:07 PM - 8 August, 2006
thats a lot of cd's, expensive marketing, hey Dilla were they professionally made cd's?
DJ_QB 7:14 PM - 8 August, 2006
that is alot of cd's i wonder if he would have been able to sell them for a dollar or 2 at least than he would have had a very good day even though its a dollar or 2 thats alot of cd's make a little off it at least cover cost but hey if its his only income and he is making it work than the free cds must work,
Chris Dilla 8:24 PM - 8 August, 2006
It looked like all the blank cd's were bought in bulk and he printed out all of his own paper labels. It looked semi-professional. The labels were pretty plain. It was his name, his contact info, and a logo on a white background. He had good tracks on the cd but he also had the DJM909 on that gig and it sounded like he didn't know how to use it. Also, for some reason, he wouldn't mix on the break he would mix on the first verse after the break. But he is making money so I can't hate on that.
djxatl 8:55 PM - 8 August, 2006
damn thats a lot of time i spent printing and puttin on those labels
djxatl 8:55 PM - 8 August, 2006
take out that random "i" hhaha
ejayian 9:00 PM - 8 August, 2006
isnt giving away recorded music still piracy?
ejayian 9:08 PM - 8 August, 2006
to answer your question, just do a good job & be approchable, my dad started us out in the mobile business & never did any tradiontal advertising, we did the basics, cards, tshirts, keychains but i cant say anyone ever hired us just because they saw someone using one of our shirts, its been all word of mouth, although i do want to try the wedding expos to get more higher paying gigs...... word of mouth works great & make sure everyone you know or come in contact with knows what you do..
DJ_Mike_Coquilla 10:01 PM - 8 August, 2006
Quote:
I just recently provided a sound system for a DJ that was playing out for a fan appreciation day in Oxnard for the Dallas Cowboys training camp. He had to have gave out about 400 mix cd's that day with his contact info. The whole time he was announcing free cd's on the mic and people just came in droves. We got to talking and he said that those mix cd's account for about 85% of his business. He said business cards no longer work for him. He also mentioned that DJing was his only source of income. He also had the stickers on his car advertising himself as well.


dang, only source of income. now that's what i'm talking bout!

gonna give that cd thang a try
Chris Dilla 4:19 AM - 9 August, 2006
Yeah I thought about doing the same thing but than again if you're in a business environment and someone asks you for a business card for a corporate DJ gig I wouldn't say "Oh sorry I don't have any cards, but you can take this mix cd. It has all of my contact info on it." I definitely think it would be benificial to have both. I'm gonna try it and see if it works. Let me know if anyone else gets any success out of it.