I like sleeping in and smoking trees. :D

Well that's a problem. Why did you even go to college if you didn't want to get anything out of it?

I would probably say that about 80-90% of the DJs here actually have day jobs in addition to DJing. Having to rely only on DJ money to live is extremly hard and few and far between. Not unless you just want to get by, but having an actual life, I think you will need more income. I do all mobile work and I still have a 9-5.
I think you might be in for a rude awakening.

sacrilicious, I've been doing this professionally (not counting the additional 5 years of kicking around the house contemplating it) for 5 years, played a ton of gigs, played with a ton of "huge" people (no homo), and there's NO WAY I could do it without a 9-5.

Not saying it's not possible, but even a lot of the "big" people I've done shows with don't really make a ton of scratch doing this. If they weren't jetting around, partying it up, and living in hotels on someone else's dime, they wouldn't have 2 nickels to rub together.

The image vs. the reality are two completely different things sometimes. I suppose if I wanted to finish out my 20's couch surfing and living out of my car I could go full time. Doesn't interest me.

You have a couch in your car? :)

hahahah. yeah it's secondary income. but i must include that it does add to your bank significantly. for example: i do have a 9-5 and dj 1-2 times a week. because of this, i never ever ever have to withdraw from an atm. i always have 20s and 100s in my pocket. the only time i go to the atm is to deposit left over cash that is accumulating. there's no way i'd ever live a normal life from djing 4-7 gigs a week. i'd be straight retarded.

having the 9-5 and the other 9-5(pm-am) helps out with the savings.

get a job, bro. you just graduated from college. if you don't, you will just have wasted all your time......

1) Yeah, Im with the consenus. Your gonna need a day job.
2) This is kinda off topic, but this thread made me think about this. I graduated college with a marketing degree. Ive had several different types of jobs since I graduated college. And DJing is a lot more relative to my major in college than the desk jobs Ive had. Kinda ironic how things work out sometimes.

i've been juggling day job and djing for years now and i will admit - it's draining. On the flip, my income at work combined with my DJing has pretty much helped me break the 6-figure mark the last couple years which has been pretty sweet.

Unfortunately, it's looking like my whole department could get laid off in a few months so I figured I'd take a break, live off my severance for a few months and really give it go with music full-time. I'm not getting any younger and I figure if I don't try now, i'll always regret it... that and I have 10 years in the video game industry so it should be too hard to get a decent job if i have to...

soo - how old are you bro? if u dont mind me asking...

lulz. You know what I meant. OTHER people's couches. OPC.

I didn't go to college for job placement, but rather to study what I was interested in (liberal arts--classics, political science, philosophy, Latin, literature, music) and to placate my folks. Music is my driving force--



--and this is a lot of what I'm thinking. My lifestyle isn't particularly costly. I live downtown in a transit and pedestrian friendly city without a car, my rent is a bargain, I have no dependents, etc. I like nice things and I can foresee my expenses increasing but I've got enough of a safety net that I think I have to chase it.

I should probably start recording and promoting myself ;)

ya you can use it to make ends meet, i graduated from college and most djs on here make more just DJing than i do at my 9 to 5 BUT....DJing jobs can be pulled out from under you at the snap of a finger, undercutters, clubs closing, new talent ect ect and new dj jobs dont open every day. Also with a 9 to 5 your going to have things like a 401 K a retirement account and youll be gaining acutual work experience. Eventually youll want to do more than just make ends meet, youll want someplace to live that isnt charged by the month and youll meet a girl who likes to eat more than chef boy R D and Ramen. At that point when you start looking for real world jobs to make real world money most employers are going to look down at the fact you put off working a real job to go play for so long and when you do find someone to give you a chance youll start out at the bottom pay grade when you should already have worked half way up the laddder

I think if you are in your 20s and maybe live at home, you can certainly live off club djing. But if you live on your own, unless you are a Top 5% dj in your market, I think it would be next to impossible. If you can do a combination of mobile and club, you can do it.

As I have gotten a lil older, I have noticed that I dislike my mobiles for the most part. There's more glamour and fun doing the club after a hard week at the 9-5. But after a hard week of 9-5 who wants to do a 13th bday party or a 12 hr day with a wedding?

One thing you have to think about to is your market, do you think you can pull mon tues wed night gigs. I know most places ive worked have really only needed a thurs fri sat DJ.......if your only workinf thurs fri sat night at roughly 5 hours a night your really wasting ALOT of potentially producive time

hmm...well hold on a sec everybody. With the economic situation the U.S. is in, maybe now is the time to give it a try. Your just graduated college and there arnt meany 9-5's out there anyways.

I did this for a good period of time in my 20s (in fact I paid for graduate school by DJing) - this was in Miami (hopping club and party scene), I had a residency at the top West Indian nightclub in south Florida (Lime Cay) and played with the biggest "uptown" Jamaican soundsystem of the time (Medusa DJs, also of Waggy T and Gary Hart of Stages/Absolut fame) and also had the college scene on lock- FIU, FAU and UM Caribbean Students Association - so used to play out regularly Thursday - Sunday.

Later, while living in the Bay Area and having a fairly successful DJ run out there too in the Caribbean community, I realized that in that market, there is no way I could have done the same thing - clubs and parties are smaller, promoters are cheaper, audiences are WAY easier to please (no Guiness bottles thrown at all the crappy reggae DJs in SF) - no way to make a real living there.

The moral is ?????

sorry meant Lime Key (Lime Cay is on my brain for other reasons)

You said you really don't have any responsibilities, give it a go. Why not! Like some guys here said, even some of these powerhouse DJ's don't really make too much cash. Alot of those guys at a certain point jump into production work. Those royalties plus djing is probably what helps them get by. If you can though give it a go.

acutually the economic situation is perfect for him, some areas are harder than others but there are jobs out there and in this economic climate which do you think a company will prefer to hire, the guy with 10 years experience who has been making close to 100 grand already and will expect at LEAST that same salary or the college kid you can teach who you can get away with paying 40 to

you guys need to contact

www.suzeorman.com

try do both....
dj'ing is one of the few jobs where experience counts more than book knowledge. u probably will have to start doing opening sets at like 8pm for 2hrs a night, once a week if your lucky. it'l get ur foot in the door, plus you will have time to concentrate on a 9-5.

old enough :p - i'll be 33 this year :-\

the club scene is not for everyone- club owners are shady, promoters are even worse and crowds will be sketchy. things could be going great for a few months and then everything can come to a halt.

as we all know pulling the gigs is more about who you know and not skillset.

IMO go for it but make sure to get a part time job at the mall or somewhere where you interact with alot of people on a daily basis (in turn to promote). try it out for 6-12 months and if you are not making progress- you will know this is not for you.

in 2005 my company got bought out and i was without a job and because i was a resident in a few clubs (plus did mobile as well) i was able to support myself throughout all of 2005 and part of 2006. Thankfully we had an indian summer that winter so the party scene never really slowed down. I did cave in though and found a real job as gigs started to slow down for me in 06 put definitely kept djing as my second income

Its possible...just takes a lot of hard work and connections.

Especially in a smaller market like Portland. Everyone knows everyone.

Real jobs are good. Especially right now. If your still in college you should try to score an internship with a company around town and work your way in. Job market here sucks right now.

hmm...theres a store at the mall that has a DJ in the window, cant remember the name of it but that might be a cool part time job for networking and promoting.

work for a record label. that's what i did.

what did you do?

I only dj

hows that worken out?

I told myself i was gonna just be a DJ and that was it... But I didn't seem to work out that way. I was making money but only enough to get by... By the end of the month i was still struggling..

So i went back to school.. Bout to get my degree in computer science.

Sure it sounds nerdy compared to music.. but the two have become so similar the past 10 years it's the only viable option.. Plus it helps me better understand the software that i use for music purposes.

hell even the top Djs in the world have a second job and/or hustle, Either in the field or not. it just makes Djing seem more like a treat and not a job..

Last year my bar gig on Friday and Saturday nights alone earned me $35,000.00 If I was single I could have lived off of that with no problem. But since I'm married with 2 kids I had to maintain a good paying day job. It is possible, but like someone else said earlier, it all can disappear at the drop of a dime. One day in December I came in and was told that they were not gonna need a DJ anymore. No severance pay no two week notice. Just instant unemployment.

Hello,

I'm Michael-David from Belgium.. sharing my experience here with y'all:

I'm 21 years old, no degree.. currently in a dream-situation I think.. worked for 3 years as a bartender at the biggest club in Belgium, met lots of people.. made great connections.. Currently I am the marketing manager (organising events etc) for a new Club (+- 800 people capacity).. it's a part-time job, pays okay .. comes with a new phone, gass for my car payed, .. and it pays my monthly bills (car, laptops, savings, subscriptions to dj-pools, insurance, etc..) .. besides that I'm also the Resident DJ in that club on Saturday & Sunday (pays very good) .. and I also got another residency on Thursday & Friday, and another one on Tuesday..

So overall:
- Part-time job as marketing manager for the club
- 5 residencies / week as DJ

Things are going great atm.. hope I can keep it up! I don't really need the part-time job.. it doesn't pay well compared to my DJ.. but my DJ is "black money" .. the part-time job is official .. big diffirence.

Listen been doing djing full tiem 90 percent clubs and bars n even with limited expenses r not even close to gettin by have to help friend with bread route to get by.

I've been slugging it out for about 10 years with djing as my primary income.

There's a couple things you should really consider that have already been mentioned.

It's good to have other hustles. I also run a small record label, and I do promotions and internet marketing for some music/club related businesses.

You should not write off mobile gigs, if you're planning on DJing full time. There's just too much money. If you don't like weddings, focus on corporate, or special events. Have regular club residencies for "steady" income, and do mobiles as well.

Another big thing is, when you do what you love for a living, it can make you hate it. I love djing, but when you rely on it solely, it becomes a job and you start to really hate aspects of it. There are a million nights I've walked out the door on Saturday nights looking at my roomates, or my girlfriend sitting on the couch and thought, "WTF am I doing. I hate djing!!"

You give up a lot of your social life, because you work when you're friends and girls are socializing. Especially as you get older, it puts A LOT of strain on relationships.

I'm 30 now, and I'm starting to look for career day jobs, because I want to buy a house and get married. Try getting a mortgage when you're self-employed, and you've been claiming barely anything on taxes, and pocketing your cash. Even though, when the economy was good, I was making more than a lot of my friends with real jobs, it's an up and down business. One week you're rich, one week you're broke.

All that being said, I am very happy that I've made a run of it for so long. It's been a hell of a fun ride!! Just be careful, and realize it might not be a career til you retire, although I know a couple guys doing it!

You're young, get your hustle on. You'll learn a lot about business, and you'll learn it the hard way, which is the best way!!!

ps, I live in Toronto, which is a big market with lots of clubs and bars, and big corporate money.

I don't know much about Portland, but it's not a big city right? Less than a million? That could make a BIG difference. The greater Toronto area has about 6.5 million.

See, that's what I would be concerned about. You can be on top of the game from the age of 20 to 35 for example, but what happens then? You're 35 and have no formal work experience. Unless you've been logging hours doing music production / working at a radio station / etc, you really have no easy transition to a decent day job.

i worked for sonybmg as a royalties administrator.

It fucking sucks out here right now though. I've been doing this forever and it's my main income. I still get gigs but the pay rates right now aren't near as much as they used to be. Everybody in Toronto is the promoter/dj/host/etc now. And we're roughly the same age so you know how alive the district used to be, now it's a ghost town. All the crowds moved to the little lounges on College and King St. etc and that's where the venues want the all-in-one solution


I was recently contacted by a company big in our city, well known promotions company (not team but company) when I was shopping around for a management/promoter team and they were only interested in what I could bring out numberswise myself. Mothafucka you the promoter!! Isn't that your job?


Once I said "look, I've been around long enough that I'm not interested in hustling for exposure or Djing for drinks" it's exactly what they DIDN'T want to hear and they were out. The joke is, THEY contacted me. It's not like I was looking for an "in" with them.

I'm living it homey!!!

It's tough, but you can put spin on your work experience.

hahah....umm mr locdawg it says here under work experience drinkin smokin and all kinds off ill shit...could you ellaborate??

I feel you man!!!!!!!

I have pretty much completely stopped chasing club work now. If it comes, I take it. Everyone is interested in your promotional power, not your crowd pleasing ability, or professionalism. There has been a serious drop off in the level of professionalism in general.

I can live with that, it's business, I'm just focusing elsewhere. Plus, I don't like the King St scene. So, I'm pretty happy to let it go.

The only way to go is with a close relationship with a promoter. You used to work with Blast Off, right? I'm assuming you're the same guy. But the TO promotions game has changed dramatically. I can go on forever about this shit.

For a long while, even though I had a 9-5, I was still making as much money djing as the 9-5. The money is there, but you really need to be connected into the scene and non stop marketing. And when you are not djing, you should be out there networking.

Yeah I used to work with Blastoff and since everyone went their own seperate ways it's been tough to find a family unit like that again, so I've been slugging it out on my own. Thing was I went back to school for two years so with the exception of stuff I was doing for Liberty Group last year I was not very visible on the scene (I was still working 2-3 nights a week, just in more low key spots)

I agree with King St, was out there recently and wasn't a fan, Dj's were trying the mash ups for the sake of mashups (but don't get the point of them) while the crowd stood around not dancing but looking important, total suckfest. I wore a blazer and my buddy is cracking on me until we get there and he's like "fuck, I'm the only one without a blazer!"


I've been talking with that same friend (who used to promote well back in the days and we still do an annual theme party), but we've been thinking about creating a service for corporate functions based on themes, he's the face, I'm the music. Just so sick of the "rented red carpet outside of Republik" scene and the like. Want to get back to some fun.

That's the toughest part if you're gonna work the mainstream club circuit.

But sacrilicious, you're young. Get out there and have some fun, it can be done and I don't think the ratios presented in here are accurate, there are lots of Dj's just doing music (although the image vs reality was right) and if you're smart you can make a go of it.

But my suggestion, think ahead. Things can get yanked from right under you without any notice, always keep that in mind. Be conservative with your money. Don't think that you can spend a few hundred a night drinking while Djing, and have that last forever.

The part I hate. I do it, but it's one thing I'm really tired of.

Thanks for all of the advise/feedback/perspectives so far.

I'm tossing around the idea of being a teacher--assuming my genius isn't recognized and I don't end up with hella loot and international fame ;)--so I don't think when I enter matters, except lack of pay increases and seniority within the school and union. Class in the morning plus clubs at night seems terrible, however.

you can do it.i suggest making music along with djing they go hand in hand.just be consistent and make alot of connections.i would not rely on just club gigs.do private parties weddings and what ever gigs you can get your hands on.


for me im not a wedding dj.but the money is great.im thinking about taking a few to get money.but my soul is into djing in the club atmosphere and making music.im gonna keep doing what i feel im here for and stay on the grind.

if you believe in your self and do it for the right reasons it will work out.

My best advice: Get a 9 to 5 and spin on the side.

THE BEST advice: Get a 9 to 5 and don't even DJ professionally.

Now with that said... you most certainly could DJ for a living. And live a decent life style (not great). But the dumb, stoopit and ignorant s**t you have to put up with on daily basis is rediculous. Since you mainly want to do club work, you have to put up with drunk people all night. And a few that are on other drugs too. Then there's the club owner who's not sure how he wants the night to run on any given night. It can get VERY irritating.

Obviously you'll get used to it. Now ask your self "is this how I want my job to be"? On that note....

I love being a DJ (with a 9 to 5 lol)!!!

I plan on stepping up my production game. Not just edits and refixes but full on songwriting. I also have a secret plan to make shit tons of money with remixes that I will not post here.

Yeah, I could/should probably take on other events for the big bucks. That seems like a step to take later? I have top level customer service skills some I'm sure I'd kill any event where I'm interacting with those folks. My heart is not in it at all of course; I think of Big Ron a la RRollerGod when I think mobile work :/

As far as teaching: drunk people are a lot like children--I can use that in making my experience pitch when I head to the classroom ;)

that sounds legal hahah JK.....also i could be wrong but when interviewing for any job involving kids try to not bring alchohol and drunks into the conversation haha besides that it sounds like youve got a good idea on the direction you want to take

provided you put out quality work (and get the backing of some bigger DJs and/or labels) this isn't a bad route to go - theoretically - mind you if it turns out that you suck at production then it's not going to help. That being said, unless you make it to major-label producer status, you're really not going to see much money from your music. In today's age, the tunes end up being more for marketing for the gigs itself. Like most of the music industry nowadays, the money isn't really coming from the music sales anymore and it's mainly coming from the gigs itself. Most of the full-time guys I know make their cash from the gigs and the use their tunes to get the gigs.

Granted, if you manage to get a tune licensed or something that helps too...

In addition to my DJing and my 9-5 I also license some of my music for TV/Radio and Video games. I've been getting royalty checks on a regular basis for the past 2 years. No one will probably ever know my music or recognize me as the composer of those tunes, but as long as the checks keep coming who cares? The lesson is to keep creating various streams of revenue from what you do.

of course, if you're goal is to license music, be sure to clear all your samples :)

I just got a few from a 10 year old series that ended up in reruns last year, it made me really start to take that option seriously again. It's always been something I've dabbled in but after going back to school it's become more of a goal.

Check your PM's Logisticalstyles

being canadian, if your tunes are registered to SOCAN, you should be getting cheques from them too? Not sure how it works, but don't they act as some canadian music licensing pool or something? I know a few of my buds get steady cheques from SOCAN due to that...

Yeah if I were to license any of my music that has been registered through SOCAN to TV or Film, generally that's who does the collecting, that is a pay per play right down to the number way of doing for the most part.

However outside of TV/Film, if a song is played on the radio, they only monitor certain stations quarterly, you have to have a hit song during reviews to even make their radar. The only radio station that is constantly monitored by each play is CBC radio (it's national and regulated by the government)

The thing with most of my music though is it's not radio friendly whatsoever (major contrast to how I Dj clubs) so TV/Film is more of a realistic option for me since I can do instrumental styles specific to whatever they're after.


But SOCAN in general is the Canadian version of ASCAP and BMI

here is my humble opinion
don't discount mobile work---it pays well---lord knows i hate weddings--so i do barmitvahs,corporate parties,sweet 16's,proms---etc but that's not my main focus i also do some club work but not alot (again not main focus)
i see alot of people talking about working for clubs,bars--etc & to me that's doing what you love (provided u love dj'ing) but having a boss---telling u how, why & what to play for me that's the reason i limit club play,bar play---etc
i haven't seen anyone yet mention running your own night/nights
renting a hall/club/bar/throwing events for people with your taste in music--buliding up a following so club owners,promoters---etc approach you about doing gigs for them--that way you have the power to demand more pay----& still can play what you like
i'm no spring chicken (42 in less in 2 mths)but as long as you have the passion & skill i see no reason why you can't dj well into forever---
that's the route i'm currently taking
your still young & if you still live at home then it makes it easier
for you cats who have families i understand why u can't soley rely on dj'in
i'm married/no childern & my wife works---so for me it's not that bad
at the end of the day even if you make only what you would at a moderate paying job your still living your dream---doing what makes you happy & earning a living off of it---how many people can say that---?

Lol at the Rrollergod stereotyping.. LMAO i love it!
:)

if there is anything else you can do (real job wise) do it!
DJing for a living is a HUSTLE!
you've been warned =)

DJing has been my only income for the last 18 years, and it has been working out fine so far.

I had a 9-5 forever.. then started djing full time, now I'm back in college and djing part time.. with the intention of going back to the 9 - 5

good

Word

i've been DJing full time for a year and a 1/2 now. b4 that i had a lil' food delivery job, but most of my income came from DJing.

all i do is club gigs, and 1 lounge gig. i did 7 nights a week for about 9 months straight, and recently got it down to one night off a week.

i've done a few weddings, pool parties, school functions here and there, but being in the club is where it's at. most club gigs you don't have to drag out all kinds of equipment, meet with spoiled, annoying brides, weeks and sometimes months ahead of time, you don't have to have a bunch of clean music, etc.

the trick is to find a spot that is doing millions of dollars per year, so they can afford to have you even on the off nights like mondays, when almost nobody has a dj... the place i work at the most is like that, they are tied into 2 other clubs on the main street here, and they take the door money made from thursdays, fridays, and saturdays, and use that for their entertainment for the following week. so even if monday night is slow as all hell, it doesn't hurt them, they like being able to boast having some kind of entertainment 7 nights a week.

i own a house, upgraded my car, got health insurance, made a production studio, upgraded my entire lifestyle, from DJing. i did upwards of $75k last year off DJing strictly. i am in tight with the 3 places i work so it's likely i'll be there long term. but even if not, the name i've made for myself around here would allow me to go find more work almost instantly. i feel like i have job security, watching most of my peers lose their jobs left and right that they went to school for. even when the country is in a recession, people go out and cry in their beers still. clubbing, entertainment in general, is a pretty safe bet, job wise.

that being said, i have a lot of free time, so i am looking into making some investments, getting into real estate, and i'm working hard on a music production project, to take everything to the next level. my homeboy is 1/2 of the electro group LA Riots, and he made an average of $20k a month off DJing last year. producing music, getting famous off that, that is the way to go. and you're not even necessarily gonna cake off the tunes you make by selling them, it's hard to sell music anymore, you might as well put most of it out for free, because the dj gigs you get from that popularity is where the money is.

so moral of the story is, you can do it, but you do gotta spend some time working at it. once i started to take DJing seriously as a way to make money, it took me a couple years b4 i was able to let go of my other job, but i did, and you can too! and i don't regret a thang, school and 9-5's aren't for everyone, you CAN go other routes and be successful, don't let people tell you otherwise. a lot of times school and a 9-5 can lead you nowhere, i've watched it happen to several of my close friends. DJing is what i'm best at, it's what i LOVE to do, so i'm doing it.

and about getting burnt out, yeah, it happens to the best of us. but i think you can get burnt out at any job, no matter how awesome it is.

i just think, would i rather be a lil' burnt out from this job, or some dead end office job, some sales job, or whatever else?

playing for a big crowd, giving them their getaway from their own jobs, school, making them have a good time, being creative with music, playing music you love (not all the time, but sometimes you can, and if i play my cards right i'll be playing strictly music i love soon), looking at hot chicks all the time, and getting paid really well to do it? naw, you may get a lil' burnt out, but it ain't nothing really...

I read half the responses and agree with a lot. I really think it's a bad move to ONLY DJ...you gotta do SOMETHING on the side. DJing is a great secondary profession, but I'd ONLY do it as a primary job if I made $120,000 a year from it...and that would mean $2,400 a week guaranteed, which isn't likely at all, especially for me.

As for not having a car, I guess you can hop on a taxi or bus real fast, but that's still a risk to me.

Also, maybe I'm wrong, but I don't know of a SINGLE DJ who DJ's full time that DOESN'T do mobile gigs....that is really where a lot of the money is, surprisingly. I think it's retarded, but me and most DJ's I know that aren't major names make 2-3 times as much doing these vs. Hollywood clubs...and low key, I enjoy some of them more, because I don't have to deal with politics, or them saying "you can NOT play this song/artist" because of personal reasons or crowd control. Barely anyone is really gonna pull in $1,500+ EVERY night doing a club.

Proto J, after reading your response... I'm about to quit my job and DJ for a living! lol. Just kidding. =)

+1 LOL

thanx guys, haha, but really tho... i know a handful of guys who've made very successful livings off DJing... myself included. you CAN do it, full on, legitimately, all the way.

only drawback i've found is not having paid vacation time, but c'mon, i have SO much free time. i work 4 hours a night, i have all day to do whatever else. that's worth it imo...

Damn. I live off of DJing full time these days. I'm lucky enough that I am tight with the club owner and the manager; promoters don't get to bring in DJs at this one club I play 3x a week - I have a very little chance of losing the gigs there; I've turned down bigger gigs to stay there simply because I know they won't get rid of me and those bigger gigs often disappear quickly. Quite simply, I play 4-5 days a week and I'm very happy with it. I am quite comfortable with my life; I also do video editing on the side, but that's tied to my DJing as well. Do I get burn out? Yeah, a little bit.

I had a 9-5 for about 7 months but was laid off (along with the rest of my department) and decided to just DJ full time and have fun. I buy my own health insurance, own my car, and so on. I claim a full 28% of my income on my taxes - I am not cheating on that shit. I contribute to a 401k and I have both Roth IRA and regular savings accounts.

It is possible to do this; you have to be disciplined and work hard. It sucks sometimes, but my girlfriend is in full support.

I am looking at doing more private events these days and have started talking to event planners locally about this - as others have said, that's where the money is.

LOL

nice nice...good that it works out for u and good that it shows that it is possible

What can I say - I am very careful, especially since it's my only source of income. It would look fishy if I was spending what I was and living how I am if I was making $30k.

When I had a day job, or when I was doing a lot of freelance work along with DJing, I didn't always claim every penny.

It is, but you HAVE to be disciplined. I stop at the bank on the way home from my gigs every single time to put money in the bank and I have automatic savings and 401k plans set up. I don't even get to touch that money.

Let's put it this way - I'd rather spend a little less money now if it means retiring at 60.

got cha

Proto J, definitely some inspiring words, brother...

It would be fair to point out, though, that you have been working for YEARS to get to the level that you are at now. I can remember seeing your name on flyers around NC waaaaaaaaaaaaay back in the day, and I know that there have been a lot of nights where there was little or no pay. You have at least a decade worth of work culminating into your current situation. Landing in the position that you are in as a DJ didn't happen overnight. To let this kid think that he can just network for a few months and count on the same level of success that you have achieved is silly.

To the OP, I am not suggesting for even a second that you shouldn't go for it, I am just suggesting that you should be prepared for a lot of ups and downs and a lot of very hard work. If that is your dream, however, than the reality of the situation is that if you don't try, you will regret it for the rest of your life.

Good luck!

p.s. Proto, I don't know if you ever checked out that HearYourself site for the custom earbuds from a while back, but I still really enjoy mine, although I don't use them to perform, primarily just for laptop production.

Also to put it in perspective Joe Francis now owns an island becasue he was able to film girls flashing and sell it to the world, you can make a good living doign ANYTHING as long as you put some work into it dedicate yourself and have ALOT OF LUCK on yuor side....no matter how good you are youll always need that 1 big oppritunity that everyone dosent necessarily get

i also seem to see that people making remarks about "burning the candle at both ends" and lack of sleep which contributes to unhealthiness are noticeably absent in this thred. i am considering, and most likely about to, leave my day job, mainly for this reason,, something's gotta give,, and i have too much of a passion for djing to stay at my dead-end job... anyone else considering giving up their day job (or their djing gigs) because of sleep depravation,,, or just not enuff hours in the day type stuff?

I feel your pain. I work as an on call IT specialist.. So even when I am not at work, I am at work.....when i am doing a weeknight gig my phone mysteriously "isn't around me". Its a balance... but like they say.. "do it while your young..." The only bright side is that I work an odd shift ( 10-5) So it gives me that few extra hours of sleep before work.. Also.. the average adult only really gets between 5-6 hours of sleep a night.. i am not saying that it should be a permanent lifestyle, but if you are able to find that balance of sleep work and Dj.. you can keep it up for a lil while..

thanx! i started djing in 1996... and was on tons of flyers for tons of events in the d&b scene mostly... but almost none of that has anything to do with my club djing success in the last 5 years. the only thing it helped with really was learning to mix my ass off, understanding measures, phrasing, using the e.q.'s to avoid bass distortion, etc... i will admit that i'm far beyond better than most of the club dj's around here, most of them do not understand how to mix at all. they think matching the beats up is all there is to it (and even that they do poorly), and it really shows (i've seen regular people that don't really understand music, much less djing, totally notice a dj mixing in way off measure, and completely throw off the dancefloor... i've heard dj's pay no attention to verses and choruses and watch people singing along get thrown completely off and have a sour look on their face like "wtf is this dj doing"... in fact, i had a guy hire me to do his wedding after going around and listening to tons of other dj's, he said my set was the only one that seemed to "flow right")... not even trying to sound cocky about it, just being honest. i used to think being really good wouldn't matter, and sometimes it still doesn't, but there are times when it pays off, and regular people do have a clue how good you are, and that you have something that sets you apart from the rest (although being good should be the standard, not mediocrity/sucking)...

and yeah, i had tons of nights djing at raves where i didn't make a dime.

but these club owners, managers, and bartenders, they don't know, nor care about my prior d&b success... most of my success comes from networking, knowing people that work there, or selling them on me, getting my foot in the door and really blowing them away. plus, at my very first top 40 club gig, my manager there really schooled me on working the bar, making people go from the dancefloor to the bar without losing people, and i have developed quite a mic persona, which i use to make people tip the bartenders, get girls up on the bar, get the crowd hype, etc....

as for those in-ear headphones: i bought a pair os sennheiser hd-25-1 II's, and haven't felt it necessary to go in-ear yet... they magically block out so much sound on the ear i wear them on, i never have ringing in that ear. and i wear a custom molded ear plug in the other. maybe if i were to be playing these HUGE shows with extra crazy sound systems, i might go in-ear, but for what i'm doing right now, i just haven't needed them...

nice one proto

ya know i'm right jade, our d&b mixing roots have given us quite an advantage in the club scene...

Luck is the residue of design...

You're young dude. In this state of economy, just make sure you have a roof over your head, food, etc. I started DJing full-time a little after college b/c I was laid off from my 9-5. All I can say is that it becomes work as you get older, you're going to be tired, and this game isn't for the weak.

My inspiration to keep hustling is just the love of music and the challenge of educating the crowd with what you have.

Besides that, knowing this business in and out has made my skin as thick as an ox. It has made my networking skills top notch (i.e. networking) in every scenario imaginable and I regret nothing.

If you don't really know anybody in the business, you might have trouble getting your foot in the door and you're going to have to hustle like a mad man to just actually get a gig. You can do pro-bono work, make mix tapes, etc. Best mindset to have is that when you start out, you are doing this b/c you LOVE spinning.

did it for a long time. paid for college, cars, living, etc.
was making & still making great money dj'ing...but why stress it?
even being booked anywhere from 2 - 4 days in a week, and w/ what my management and agents ask for (and i'm on the low end of the spectrum... not above saying what I get:
$600 - NJ [excluding Atlantic City] per 3.5 hours
$750 - NYC per 3.5 hours
$1000 - $1500 elsewhere [excluding vegas] per 4 hours
Event Hosting - $2000 per 4 hours
Sporting Events - depends on market
On-Camera Personality - depends on network airing the material),
I can be completely comfortable.
But then you pay for insurance, health, dental, etc. lack of a 401k and retirement plan.... doesn't make sense.
I went to college for a reason.
so why not work from 9 - 4, still be able to DJ & b.s.
I have tons of time left to still do things like strength train 2 hours 5 times a week. play 4 rounds of golf in a week.
and relax...
if you're young and you can afford to get it out of your system now..and not have to stress the ups & downs...then go ahead and do it.
and proto hit it right on...
network yourself to the bone. one day a contact you meet in the club, on the street, playin ball, wherever can be the next person paying your bills for the month.

Are the rates here the average or are yours higher than normal due to skill and playing for an NBA team??

Hard drives of sorted music?

lol!

lol @ hard drives of sorted music. lol

Just curious, but what city do you dj in? i'm of the opinion that what you labeled should be a pre-requisite for any DJ before they try to play out - not just something the top DJs should be doing - and to be frank, it's not *that* hard to understand measures, bars, phrasing, keys etc.

It make me pretty sad that this is not the norm in a lot of spots but i guess it's par for course in this industry where actually taking the time to perfect your craft is pretty much ignored by many nowadays...

incidentally, I'm another dnb DJ turned club/multi-genre DJ here...

you're right, it should be the standard. that's why it frustrates me when i call these things out, people act as if i'm being cocky for saying such things. but the reality is i don't think i'm special at all, it just saddens me that i'm one of the few who seem to care about being good. these things should be a given, like learning to play any instrument, there's basic things you have to get down to be considered good, or a professional (i've had some accuse me of taking it too seriously, like the fact that i pay attention when i mix, and sometimes get super focused to pull a sick mix off, but ironically they're usually the ones who suck the most).

i live in raleigh, nc. and while we do have a few good dj's around here, we got a lot of bad ones (i'm talking about guys who've been doing this shit for years and years, in their 30's now, who consider themselves music connoisseurs, veterans, and walk around with chips on their shoulders like they're way cooler than you, and still don't understand something as simple as mixing on measure). cats out here getting money that don't deserve it imo (i think the bad ones are in it for two things, money and fame, they didn't spend enough time in the lab, paying attention to the music itself, perfecting their craft, they just jumped right out there like "hey, i'm gonna be cool and make money because i'm a dj now"... and then some just suck, and no matter how much time they spent practicing, it's not in the cards for them to be good, but that doesn't stop them from going out there and getting money as a dj). however, fortunately for them, a lot of club owners and managers have no idea what makes a dj good or not. they just know they're playing the songs that have to be played to keep girls in the building.

even in the d&b scene tho, most dj's don't understand nor care about mixing in key, and some of the superstar dj's of the scene don't even mix on measure all the time. and 99% of them don't use their e.q.'s for anything other than to look like they're doing something while they have the beats locked (meanwhile they have these huge basslines riding on top of eachother, distoring the living hell out of subwoofers... i know a guy who reconed subs for years and he said bad dj's who don't use their e.q.'s and let basslines hit at the same time is what kept subs blowing in clubs and kept him in business, LOL).

Actually I lost my job as in IT so now In collect unemployment and dj........still paying the bills...

ffft whatever man - you're just jealous of my double-dropping prowess

as far as I know, the standard pay rate of dj'ing a club in Jersey is:
$300
NY $400.
We base the rates on market size, size of the venue/event, scope of the event, promotional "spin" value for P.R. purposes, and how well we know the promotional group.

I'll still get down and do a pro-bono event here and there...or drop the rate for a promoter I've had a long-standing relationship with.
If it's a market that I've never been to, and I want to establish a relationship with a promoter.... then I'll tell them:
handle transportation, hotel, per diem, food, and a smaller fee for myself and agent and or manager, and we'll do a test run.
In exchange....we have to approve the marketing of the event and the scope of it to spin it for future events....

and don't be scared to sell "package" deals.
we normally do something like...we'll drop the rate by a few hundred if you sign onto a long-term deal of 6 months to a year.

When you're at each event....invite other tastemakers, promoters, club owners and managers. If they say no, they say no... but more than likely, they'll be glad to come hear you play since it's business for them.

when I say lower your rates a little....doesn't mean who*e yourself out there for $250 a night.... just means be picky on the situation of when to do so.

In aspiring to grab more gigs.... realize what your strengths are for the night.... I may not be the dopest DJ out there scratch wise, but I'm confident in what I bring: an all-around show. showmanship, cleanliness of the mixing & scratching, timing and mic skills get you a LONG way.
it's not a DMC battle... it's a club/event... unless the situation is called for.... then you don't need to kut during every song.
I appreciate a DJ that has skills... but don't over-do it.
don't be scared to play sh** you like.
Sure I have to play the same commercial sh** over and over each night...but at some point in the night..I'm playing sh** I like that they might not really know about...
I'll drop funk, soul, breaks, disco...a bob marley track..as long as it's played right.... you'll get a reaction.
Talk on the mic. get the crowd into it.
I always invite birthday celebrants to have a drink with me, then you can shout them out... then they're forever thankful... and will mention your name and the club they heard you at...further putting your name out there.

It really sucks that the economy is the way it is. I've seen tons of clubs close in the past year... spots that I heavily relied on for guaranteed bookings at least 3 times a year...when there's 10 spots that closed down... that's 30 less checks...
and when negotiating your pay.... don't be scared to go $100 more than you want or if it's a spot like Vegas, Atlantic City, Foxwoods, a resort in the caribbean, mexico, etc.... swing for the fences... either they'll say
YES and you're making bank on the event
or they'll say that's out of our budget...
then say something like:
well we understand the economic times, and i'd love to keep an open relationship with you...so what type of budget are you looking at, and let's make it a long-term thing instead of a 1-off.

If any of you are ever out in NY or Jersey... let me know a few weeks ahead... I'll definitely try to hook you up with something...and if not paid..then on some promo sh** and you can network with promoters/club owners and managers.... networking is what gets you paid.... skills come 2nd.....

hahahahaha. It helps to be able to read. :)

Yoshi and everybody else thank for the posts. There's some really solid insight/advice. And, as far as figures go, a lot of those quotes look pretty nice, no misquote.

My equipment is dead (my 1200 MKIIs have some -pitch on the +pitch side so as that +1% might actually play -3% but are otherwise on, generally wobble a bit, and one of the decks has a RCA in need of replacement. My Vestax PMC 275 bleeds and jumps around on the left and right channel and they sometimes go mono if they get bumped, and the center channel only plays left all the time) and I'm about to rebuild with a 57 and 1210 M5Gs after selling some mutual funds.

My folks and I are having dinner to discuss finances or something tangential to DJing so I'm going to try to quit my shitty mall job and find some other employment with my bachelors and hustle DJing as hard as I can on the side. A friend in art school who is acting as my manager is filming a documentary for class on me and the release of the mixtape I'm preparing, to be released the same day (June 16th, I think--watch out) and I'll be sure to post it for your laughs :D Anyway, I'll probably follow the advice of people here and some pressure from my dad to start working 40 or so hours
and see what buzz I can get.

I think I've been slacking because I haven't put out my mix because my equipment is rough (it's hard to make anything that sounds clean) and without a good product that's up to date I can't really approach any promoters or venue operators. If I can get my shit going ASAP then I can hand out a solid product to everyone I can get a hold of. I'm pretty eager to go.

---

Also, really good piece in the NY Times about the value of working with your hands. I'm obviously no pro yet, but I thought this translated nicely to DJing www.nytimes.com

wow....you may possibly be my clone....I have a bachelors I work at the mall I dj...my mixers bleeding I have 1 with bad pitch and wobble and 1 with a bad rca.....weird

M.Bezzle, it's a holy day (RAmen!) and you know how his noodliness has a sense of humor and a way of confusing and enlightening us!

Tis the holiday weekend isn't it I had almost over looked it....time to break out the eye patch and my pirates of the careabean dvd set to celebrate....ramen to u my brotha

Haha I didn't even realise it was you.....that just makes the situation that much weirder

politicals.com

New rig today. 57 & 1210 M5Gs

Like I mentioned before, take advantage of still being in college and get an internship with a company you find interesting. Hopefully you can work your way in there and not end up another one of us unemployed college grads...Portland job market = crap

Yeah, I'm to stop in with the PSU career center and see what I can find. I'm basically earning an intern rate right now and I may as well plug in somewhere that I'm interested in moving up.

I'm also leaning toward being a teacher, but that'll hardly pay for the lifestyle I imagine.

what did you major in? You went to PSU I take it?

I grad'd from Reed college...

Reed?? You hippie...lol

I went to PSU business school...marketing major

wasn't much of a hippie myself but i certainly hung out with them...

definitely miss portland sometimes tho...

Bachelor of Arts in "Arts & Letters" aka Liberal Studies. My focus--if you can call it that--was on philosophy, political science, classics, English lit., history, and economics. Also took a few music courses and sang in the PSU chamber choir...so all of the good stuff.

I don't really think of Reed as a hippie school as much as a school for slightly abnormal but extremely gifted types with a solid dose of counter culture. My parents lived a bit north of the campus and I've spent a little bit of time there between friends that attended and various seminars/symposiums/festivals (not Ren-Faire, unfortunately!) Friggin' awesome school, but I'm not that diligent of an academic.

remember all the awkward yet brilliant nerd/geek types in high school?

picture 1200 of them in the same school with an intensely rigourous and traditional academic program and then toss in an extremely lenient/liberal drug and alcohol policy.

Those were some good times.

Renn Fayre was the bomb. First time I ever saw Q-bert was in '94 at Reed. One of the student groups brought him in to do a demo for Asian American week or something. That was my first real exposure to turntablism and pretty much changed my life...

btw, liberal arts degree won't get you much in the real world but the skills you learned in terms of critical thinking will help a little bit...

anyway, shit - i should come back down to portland sometime to visit a few old friends - anyone able to hook up a gig? :D

Get out of my thread!

lol

One of my friends is trying to get a job in charge of promoting one of the nights at one of the new trendy spots. If it goes ahead (uncertain at this point) I'll step aside for one night (I plan on having him book me every week of course) and let you throw down some rekkids for sure

records? they still make those things?

Just got like 20 new (old) from a friend just last week! 4th copy of Thriller included, just in case.

I graduate today...next time I'm not partying until the night of.

I was in the same boat on Thursday. Commencement speehes are painful as hell when you're hungover.

Beingg stoned and drunk helps

lol I feel ya... I had 4 hrs of sleep before my graduation, with goose in my stomach, and then another 4 hrs that night to get to a gig the next morning.

Less rockstar, yes, but mobile gigs sure pay well.

Thats funny, I just wrote on a very similar (but different) subject on nycelectro.com and posted about it on the forums here: serato.com. Check it out

i dont think i can live my life solely on the money i make djing, unless i get paid like pauly d :P