BRODYR’s 5 Top Tips to Becoming a DJ

DJing may have been your life long dream, or for some, it may be a newly discovered interest. You may even find yourself wanting to DJ to win a bet (This is a true story for us – but we will save that for another time). Whatever the reason may be, it’s important to know that there are no limits on who can become a great DJ.

After a number of years in the music scene, we want to share our knowledge and help aspiring DJs get a head start towards achieving their goals. Listed below are some crucial tips that we found very useful when we started on our DJ journey.

Whilst there are definitely hundreds of great tips out there, some of which we cover in our one to one coaching, we were able to narrow it down to what we think will help lay the foundations of a future in the industry, but often get overlooked when first starting out – Take a look!

CREATING YOUR BRAND

It probably comes as no surprise that creating your “brand” is top of the list. Finding your image is bound to take some time, but that’s ok, it’s definitely something that should not be rushed!

The main aim with creating your image is to look professional, be different and most importantly, be memorable! With so many talented DJs about, the key is to stand out from the crowd and show potential bookers that you mean business. A well-written bio, (Jack Broom and Tony Allen), good quality photos (Luke Curtis & Hannah Metcalfe) and a top-class logo (Glen Brooks), will definitely help to do the trick!

Creating your name can be challenging, so don’t worry if it takes you a while to think of one you like. It took us many attempts before deciding on a name that was right for us. We eventually picked the name BRODYR, which is the Welsh meaning for ‘Brothers’. We felt this name ticked most of our boxes and represented us well. We are proud of our Welsh heritage and are both fluent in the language; not to mention our unbreakable bond as brothers. The only downside is, we’ve now realised it’s much more difficult for others to pronounce – but hey, it’s unique I guess!

Figuring out what’s unique about you is never easy, but once you’ve found it, you’ll be on the path towards creating the perfect brand!

SOCIAL MEDIA

It’s no secret that social media is taking over the world.

There was a time when handing out a mixtape would have easily bagged you a number of gigs. However, nowadays with social media playing such a big part in our lives, it’s important to use this necessary tool in order to remain relevant and visible in today’s busy online world!

The entire point of social media is to put you in contact with your best audience. It has the power to reach and connect with audiences all around the globe creating a magnetude of opportunity.

As a DJ, social media will enable you to do a number of useful things. It will allow you to network with other great DJs and gain more exposure, as well as build valuable new relationships!

Beyond that, it can open an exciting window of communication between you and your fans. Being able to connect with your followers on a more personal level will definitely help towards maintaining a strong and loyal fan base. It’s also good to remember that your audience loves to get to know the real you, so always try to portray a true image of yourself.

Whilst retaining your current followers, don’t be afraid to continue striving for new ones. The key is to stay current and interesting with fun and engaging content. Posting good photos and getting some professional videos (James Barnes comes highly recommended), are ideal ways of keeping your fans involved with what you’re up to!

It goes without saying that these are only a few of the great benefits that social media has to offer, but one thing is for certain…Social Media is the ultimate way of securing yourself a platform to be able to share your love, music and talent with the world!

GOAL SETTING

Without setting goals, how do you know what it is you are trying to achieve? A question that everyone should ask themselves.

Goal setting has been proven to be one of the most powerful things you can do in order to achieve great success. Writing down your goals provides you clarity to help visualise what it is you are working towards. With a clear aim and vision, you are able to decide and focus on what’s really important to you.

When we first started DJing, we discovered the extensive amount of research behind goal setting and were amazed to see the astonishing results others had achieved through doing it.

You may have heard of the term “S.M.A.R.T.” goals: S (Specific), M (Measurable), A (Accountable), R (Realistic) and T (Timed). This is known to be one of the most effective structures to use and should be applied to each and every goal you set.

Since first sitting down and goal setting, we have gone on to DJ in Space Ibiza, Manchester’s Warehouse Project and obtained a large number of followers across the globe, ticking each one off our list as we go. Of course, at the time, writing such goals seemed almost impossible for us to achieve, but no matter how unimaginable a goal can seem, it is never that far out of reach.

Once you’ve mastered the art of goal setting, you can apply it to every aspect of your life. Always remember to aim high and dream big!

PROTECT YOUR EARS

The most valuable tool a DJ has at their disposal is their ears. Unfortunately, it’s also the tool that gets abused the most. This should come at no surprise given the loud environments DJs frequently find themselves in.

Prolonged exposure in loud settings is very hard on the ears and if you aren’t careful, you may risk damaging the only set of ears you have. To protect your ears and hearing (and quite possibly your sanity later on), it’s a really good idea to start using earplugs!

Earplugs help relieve and avoid audio stress on the inner ear. You’ll find many DJs are willing to pay out thousands for the best kit and equipment, but all too many forget about the one thing that allows them to DJ in the first place.

Our best advice is to invest in a pair of good quality ear plugs and protect your most important asset – I promise you’ll thank us later!

BE SUPPORTIVE

Last but not least, always try to be supportive!

In the music business, it’s easy to look at other DJs and want what they have and jealousy can start to show, but other DJs are NOT your competition! The main thing you need to focus on is how to be the best version of yourself.

The DJ world is a small community and so the more you put in, the more you’ll get out. Support other DJs and help them wherever you can. There’s enough room for everyone at the top so comment on other people’s posts, listen and share their music, take the opportunity when it’s there because there will more than likely be a time when the favour is repaid.

The music industry is all about the love of the music, so don’t be afraid to share the love!

We hope you’ve found our top tips useful, and they’ve helped give you an insight into the DJ world. Whilst they’re just the tip of the iceberg, they’re a good place to start. It goes without saying that mixing and track selection is just as important, but music is also down to personal choice. Be sure to figure out your style and then find your audience. Once you’ve mastered these 5 TOP TIPS, you can begin to focus on the greatest thing there is – music!

FOLLOW BRODYR ON INSTAGRAM @BrodyrOfficial or if you have any questions you can reach out to us here