Disco Genie Beginner DJ's page, how to be a mobile DJ
Check out our list of equipment needed by a DJ from amateur to professional
The top 6 most important things to remember when performing at a disco
1.
You are playing for the crowd not your self look at your audience and judge what music you think they would like if you are not sure you can always go round and ask if they have any requests to get an idea.
2.
Always introduce yourself to the person you are doing the event it just gives it that more friendly touch.
3.
Be confident when talking on the microphone introduce disco dance songs to your audience and encourage them to dance just don't talk to much it can get annoying.
4.
Remember you want to make an impact on your audience and make them remember that night for the rest of their lives.
5.
The more you please your audience the more business you will get from that event that's always a good sign you did a good job.
6.
Make sure you have public liability insurance if not you will be more than responsible if someone trips on one of your wires.
First off if you don't already know some DJ's then try and meet a few alot of DJ's tend to know alot of other DJ's and this will help you to meet some. Try and go along to a few disco's with them to see if DJ'ing is definitely what you want to do before you go and start spending loads of money on equipment only to find out its not for you.
The first thing to do is to start building up your CD collection or other method if you choose.
The choices are:
CD - Most popular, Most versatile, Easiest to use and lots of choice regarding players.
Vinyl - If you want to do mixing and get club scene work i would consider this. For mobile discos it is not ideal because you don't always get a raving party.
MD - Mini disc is alright but getting hold of the songs and a cheap set of MD decks is next to impossible i would advise CD.
MP3 - A Professional DJ MP3 player with pitch control etc (i.e. PCDJ Red). If you are just starting out consider going down this road, a laptop or PC can be accessed cheap and mp3's can be bought for next to nothing but a CD deck is advisable as back up if it all goes downhill.
How many tracks you will need to start DJ'ing will depend largely on what sort of work you want to do. If you are young you probably want to start off dj'ing for your own age group, which means you wont need too much apart from current chart stuff and the cheese collection (party songs).
Having decided which method you want to use, get building up a collection of what you need, the next step is to get your CD players and a mixer. DJ equipment can be bought cheaply second hand or off of the Internet you just need to shop around.
Practice makes perfect. When you are performing in front of a crowd it needs to be second nature... you will make mistakes, but if your quick enough to rectify them you will probably be the only one to notice!
Theres a few other things you will need, Several extension leads and some 4-way trailing sockets are a must, as is an RCD safety adapter.
How much should I charge for a disco?
Hourly Rates and Fee's
Most D.J's tend to be working for themselves they then choose a base fee. The the best way of finding out how much mobile discos charge in your local area, is to phone and ask how much it would cost you to book a disco.
The best way to start out is to charge just below the average for the area. This way your not to expensive, and not too cheap either. To work out the average you need to contact 4 local D.J's with an enquiry for a typical event, say a Wedding Reception, at a local hotel for 7pm to 12.00 finish. Write down the four quotes, and then do a basic bit of Maths.
Say the Quotes from your local dj's are £140, £190, £145 and £160
Add these Together:- £140 + £190 + £145 + £160 = £635
Divide this total by 4 (or the number of quotes you got) = £158.75
Round up to the nearest full £10 figure, so £158.75 round up to £160
Charge your own clients £160, which would be an average fee.
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