DJ. How do DJs live?

In the Moscow crowd, every second guy with an account on SoundCloud For some reason he considers himself a DJ. But DJing is a very delicate matter, and real professionals who are loved and appreciated by everyone from Shahri Amirkhanova(38) to store employees Prada V Stoleshnikov Lane, you can count on your fingers. That's what we do. We also explain what to prepare for if you have never been to their parties.

ABOUT Kozake there are legends. Firstly, he is the founding father, which thundered back in " Solyanka" In 2014, however, the shop was closed, and Vitalik’s love boat migrated from China-Cities on Stoleshnikov Lane, and now periodically passes in Denis Simachev shop & bar, where Kozak is accompanied by a combat friend Natasha Turovnikova and another girl who remembers the very first “love boats”, shocking Eva Vostroknutova. And almost every Friday Vitalik plays at parties in a five-star Ritz-Carlton on Tverskaya.

However, Vitalik also plays in bars from time to time (quite often) alone. Today he may be in Noor Bar on Tverskaya, tomorrow at Mondriaan on Pokrovka, and the day after tomorrow - all in the same native " Simacheve" The capital’s partygoers have long learned his playlist by heart: here you can Alla Borisovna (67) with her " Iceberg", And Vetlitskaya (52) with his " Who did you exchange me for?", And (34) With " With my eyes", and Vitalik's absolute favorite Musya Totibadze (20) which was a couple of months ago. And it’s not even worth saying that Kozak can play this song up to 10 times a night.

If you have ever been to Stoleshnikov Lane and its famous bars, then I probably saw this guy in a white baseball cap (he always wears it). Even if he doesn’t have a DJ set scheduled today, then at the “checkpoint” in “ Enthusiast“He’ll definitely stop by. His repertoire includes selected house, and he mixes all the tracks (this is really important) like clockwork.

The list of his devoted fans includes such people as lead singer SBHR Kirill Ivanov, band member Pompeya Sasha Lipsky and many other handsome men from the capital who dance until the morning to Mark’s sets in “ Strelka" - that's where he plays music most often.

– these are five old friends: modest and super calm Ivan, long hair Arthur with a languid look from under his glasses (he periodically takes photographs of his party guests and hides in the crowd), smiling Arseny, always serious Lesha And Marco with perfect hair (and at birthday parties, he pours all the guests a shot of “ Absolute" and does not leave until they drink to his health). In the summer of 2012, they organized their first party at Strelka- and away we go.

Now these five friends are playing opening of the skating rink in Gorky Park, they tell The Village about how to organize the perfect party and delight everyone with new music on your weekly Telegram-channel. In short, today the entire Moscow crowd knows them by sight and dances until the morning to their sets, where hip-hop touchingly goes hand in hand with good pop and new items from the album Mac Miller (25). Yes, DFF They periodically “tour” bars and even cities, but let’s face it, it’s best to dance to their music where it all began – on the summer veranda of the Strelka bar.

Fedor Fomin

Fedor Fomin- it's about pop music. And yes, we are not ashamed to admit that we love to dance to it most of all. Fomin himself once stated: “ I don't go to parties because there is no second Fedor Fomin».

And in general, he has something to do in his free time: Fyodor, by the way, is an exemplary family man, a loving husband and father, and at his parties he plays whatever the heart of the capital’s drunkard desires: and “ Mushrooms", And " Caspian Cargo", And Robin Thicke (39), And (35) .

In short, there is never a dull moment at his parties. And he usually plays either “ Simache", or in " Clave" on Patricks.

Let's be honest: only a tenth of the public goes to DJ sets for the sake of American pop music of the 2000s, while the rest go to see Emily Ratajkowski(25) local spill and her endless legs. After all, it’s doubly nice when such a beautiful girl puts on good music.

True, in Moscow she gets behind the controls less and less often. After all, now she is a sought-after DJ, who can have up to 10 flights in a week: then Tbilisi, That NY, That Ekaterinburg.

But if Dasha does get a chance to play in the capital, she usually stays at the same “Simachev”.

Another beauty on the list of the most popular Moscow DJs will very soon become our “girl of the week,” but that’s not about that now.

You probably saw her in the video Lazareva (33) to the song "Straight into the heart" or in the lookbook of some brand (with such a figure it would be a shame not to advertise it), but believe me, this is not all that she can do.

Wake her up at 4 am, she'll tell you a story straight away a (39) and write a review of the album A$AP Mob, - all because she is a true hip-hop professional. When she plays at parties in " Lisitsa», « Nure" or " barely", to the songs of Kanye, A$AP Rocky (28), a (30) and a dozen more hot rappers dance absolutely everything. And not only because hip-hop has somehow become incredibly fashionable lately, but also because Karina dances super-fiery.

This guy, unlike the others, is not at all about pop, not about hip-hop or even about house, but they still know him, love him and dance to him. His name is, and he is the face of the domestic techno scene. Nikita himself also said that techno is the most understandable and convenient genre for the embodiment of his ideas.

In this article we will look at how to become a DJ at home from scratch. After reading the material, you will take the first steps towards becoming an ace in the field of music playback.

According to experts, being a DJ is not a profession, but a state of mind. A real DJ does not seek to transform his favorite pastime into a commercial activity. He is not interested in the salary level. It is important for him that a sincere smile shines on people’s faces.

It’s safe to say that these words have found support among many DJs, regardless of age and area of activity. It is these fans who become legends and achieve financial success.

Many people who go to nightclubs dream of becoming a DJ, at least for a moment. My friend is a professional DJ who started from scratch. He first tested his strength behind the controls at the age of fifteen. Over time, having gained valuable experience, he began working in the most popular clubs.

If you want to do what you love, there are several options.

Selfeducation . In this case, you will have to buy equipment with which you can hone your skills.
DJ school . If you want to enroll in such an institution, first read the reviews of graduates. Based on them, select the best school.
Lessons with a teacher . Together with the teacher, you will be able to master initial skills and gain first experience. After this, you can meet people who will help you get into the club. There will be no problems with the equipment, but finding a good teacher is not easy.

Many people confuse DJs with electronic musicians. Often people who write music in electronic format call themselves DJs. In reality they are just musicians. Not all DJs write music; most often they mix ready-made compositions.

At first, the salary will be modest, but they will demand a lot. Don't prioritize earning money when you gain experience and your fees increase.
Arrive at the club earlier than expected to prepare before the party.
A DJ's job isn't just about playing music. He must interact with the audience, strive to lift the mood and turn the performance into a show.
Don’t forget to remind club visitors about yourself. Otherwise, after a few weeks they will forget your name.

Useful video tips

Imagine your dream, get the equipment and move towards your goal without stopping or hesitating. After a certain time, you will become a favorite of the club audience.

At school, some dreamed of becoming astronauts, others - doctors, and still others - police officers. Time has passed and now many schoolchildren want to become a famous DJ. It’s not surprising, since it’s the 21st century, when people listen to music in electronic format using players and smartphones.

What does a DJ do? The work comes down to a selection of musical compositions so that individual songs fit well with others. What else will you need?

Register on a thematic portal or forum. On the pages of Internet resources, a novice DJ will find useful information, recommendations and advice.
Install a special application on your computer. It will help a beginner understand the equipment and learn how to use it. One of the popular solutions is TraktorDJStudio.
Over time, the beginner will acquire skills that will have to be put into practice. You can throw a musical party at home and offer your guests a set of songs.
You can make acquaintance with an experienced DJ who will help with advice and share his experience.
Be sure to practice the game. Practice will teach you to understand dancing people from a musical point of view.
Don't ignore the dance floors. You can safely perform at charity parties, warm up the audience before a disco.

Video tips

The information given above will be the starting point in the great life of a DJ. Once you get the hang of the equipment, there's a long way to go.

What does a good DJ do?

DJing is a fascinating, interesting and multifaceted profession. And if it is impossible to get it at a university, this does not mean that a person will not become a professional in this field.

Many people believe that becoming a good DJ at home is easy, and their lifestyle is bohemian. In reality this is not the case. For example, you came to the club and listened to a set lasting 120 minutes. You don't even realize how much time and effort the DJ spent creating it.
As practice shows, a novice DJ, after playing a couple of sets, considers himself a professional. If you go this way, you can lose close and true friends.
The best way to advertise is to create a promotional disc. It's a good idea to include your name, contacts, and project name on the box. The disc needs to be given to the right people.
Many DJs, when choosing a style of music, are moving towards mass production. It is not right. You need to play music that you like. If you play music that makes you sick, people dancing on the floor will immediately notice it.
Most DJs have gone through a thorny path to achieve their goal. At the same time, there are people who, having made a small set, want to play in the most popular clubs. Not so simple. You need to record your creation and compare it with the work of other specialists. The difference will be obvious.
After gaining a little experience, some people stop learning. This is due to the feeling of significance and coolness. As a result, the rating is rapidly falling.
Compiling tracks alone is not enough for career growth. You will have to master the art of writing music and strive to create a label.
Some DJs only play music. This is not enough. We must strive for all-round development. As a result, the knowledge gained will help you move up the career ladder faster.
Many DJs have mixing techniques. However, not everyone can boast of originality. You need to not just spin a record, but enjoy the music, using your imagination and soul.
A professional DJ differs from an ordinary colleague in the way he selects material and performs the technique. He constantly improves his taste, follows the hits and does not forget about old songs, among which there are “diamonds”.

If you want to engage in creative activities and delight club visitors with music, achieve results.

How to become a club DJ

The word “DJ” was first used by Walter Winchell, a radio commentator from the United States. This is what he called the famous radio announcer Martin Block.

Now DJs play music in public using sound media and technical means that change the musical material.

You won’t be able to get a profession at a technical school or university. Officially there is no such specialty. When you find a job as a DJ, you will be listed as an announcer or sound engineer in your work book.

What does a DJ need?

Equipment. At the beginning of your career, you can do without equipment, but in the future you will have to purchase it. Not every hall boasts the necessary equipment.
Music library. Each club DJ has his own music library, which is systematized and replenished. Don't limit yourself to your favorite songs. The main goal is to please the club's audience.
Personal qualities . Sense of rhythm, ear for music, mastery of the subtleties of music. Skills will have to be constantly developed. You can do without musical education, but musical erudition will not hurt.
Audience Sense . We'll have to get people excited, and not mechanically stage the compositions. There is no ready-made recipe, the feeling will come with practice. You can’t do without experiments, passion, humor and artistry.

In the first couple of years it is better to perform for free. If possible, borrow experience from experienced DJs. Plus, schools are opening to teach basic knowledge.

What do radio DJs do?

DJs make a living by playing music in clubs and on the radio. They do not belong to the league of musicians, since in most cases they do not use original songs, but compositions from third-party performers compiled into sets.

Some DJs work in clubs, others on the radio, and others like mobility. First of all, decide on the type of music media you will use. Play on:

optical disks,
vinyl records,
laptop or PC.

Equipment that reproduces musical compositions using computer equipment, disks and records simultaneously is also sold.

DJs are also divided by style of music. True, this is too labor-intensive a concept. In addition, professionals work with various musical styles.

Radio is meant to entertain people. It is turned on at work, in the car and taken outdoors. Music distracts from worries and problems. Only the speaker will make listeners prefer a certain wave and radio station.

Anastasia Sergeeva

How to become a DJ: a guide for beginners

Despite the fact that the profession of “DJ” does not officially exist in our country, many people engage in this type of activity not only as a hobby, but also as their main job. Clubs, concerts, holidays, radio broadcasts - there are many options where DJs are important and needed. Although many people think that there is nothing complicated or special about becoming a DJ, this work still requires certain knowledge, skills and dexterity.

How to become a DJ from scratch

If you decide to become a DJ and you need to gain the relevant knowledge and acquire the necessary skills, then there are three ways to do this:

study at a DJ school;
study privately with a teacher;
study on your own.

The advantage of studying at a DJ school, of which there are quite a few now, is that in addition to presenting systematic material and directly combining theory with practice, you do not have to worry about purchasing special equipment, at least at first. Private training with a professional DJ is effective because, unlike school, here you will receive an individual approach.

The third method is more long-term and difficult, but it may ultimately prove to be the most effective - self-learning using a variety of information on the Internet. If you don't have the opportunity to study at school or with a teacher, then this is your only option.

The best DJs in the world agree: a person can be taught to use equipment and special programs, taught the basics of mixing, etc., but it is impossible to teach how to create good music - a novice DJ comes to this on his own if he makes the proper effort and practices long and hard.

The first step to understanding how to become a DJ is to determine what kind of DJ you want to be. Think about what styles of music you want to play and where.

What style of music to choose

When you are just starting to master DJing, it would be best to choose one direction in music. Tracks in the same style are more similar to each other, so as a beginner it will be easier for you to understand the intricacies of mixing music.

However, over time, you need to expand your musical boundaries, and here's why - this will not only develop your DJ skills, but will also allow you to reach the tastes of a much larger audience, and learn to “read” them better. If you are going to work at different events, then the need to master different musical styles will sooner or later make itself felt; for example, music in lounge bars, at student parties and weddings requires clearly different music.

Where can you work as a DJ?

There are several options where you can use your DJ skills. And although the essence of DJing is generally the same everywhere, depending on the place, its own specifics of work appear.

Radio DJ

A radio DJ can perform a fairly wide range of tasks. It selects what music to play during a radio broadcast and provides listeners with information about each song; he can also interview guests, report traffic conditions, tell the weather forecast and inform radio listeners about breaking news. A radio DJ needs to have a pleasant voice, good diction, and be able to speak quickly, for a long time and coherently.

Club DJ

The club DJ compiles a playlist of exactly those songs that can create the right atmosphere on the dance floor. DJs put in a lot of time to develop their skills enough to create the perfect party mixes with subtle transitions between songs. Some of these DJs end up becoming producers and making their own music.

Mobile DJ

This name exists all over the world for those DJs who work at individual events: parties, weddings, proms and various holidays. Such DJs work with their own equipment, because it is rare that a customer can provide it.

If you want to become a DJ, make sure you can multitask.

The radio DJ constantly coordinates with directors, editors and technicians to ensure that every broadcast goes off without a hitch. Club DJs do not just act as a music player, but entertain the audience and communicate with them so that they do not leave the dance floor for as long as possible. Mobile DJs work independently, so they need to be able to actively promote themselves and have excellent people skills to find new clients.

It will be quite difficult to get a job in a club and on the radio without relevant work experience, and it will not be easy to get by as a mobile DJ without a track record. Therefore, a good option for beginning DJs might be to work on an Internet radio, where you can get there without any special skills, gain experience in radio broadcasts and work with music.

Selecting an audio medium

Depending on what types of music media DJs use when working with music, they are divided into those who play on vinyl, on CD and on a computer/laptop.

The advantage of a CD over vinyl is that one disc holds two and a half times more music than a vinyl record, but the sound quality is slightly inferior. You can carry an even larger volume of music with you by playing music on a laptop and using the mp3 format, but since it compresses the track lossily, there’s no point in talking about better quality either.

Each DJ decides independently which musical medium he wants to use. Although now there are types of equipment that allow you to work simultaneously with different types of media.

DJ equipment

When choosing DJ equipment, you need to start from what kind of music medium you have chosen to create music.

If you decide to become a DJ and make music using a PC, then finding minimal equipment will not be problematic: you will need a computer or laptop, headphones, DJ software, a DJ controller in order to control this software tactilely, and speakers.

To work with CDs, you need to purchase two CD players and a mixing console, or a combined CD player/mixer.

Working with vinyl will cost the most: in addition to a mixing console, you will have to acquire a couple of vinyl players, which are significantly different in price from their CD counterparts, plus subsequent expenses on vinyl records can cost a pretty penny.

Once you have found the necessary equipment and software, you should study it thoroughly and figure out what functions it performs and how you will use it all in your work. How to adjust volume and speed, how to use scratch mode, how to set up and record loops, how to work with built-in effects and much more - all this is what you have to master to become a DJ.

Looking for a music library

Collect a collection of music, in different styles and on the music media that you have chosen to create mixes. The larger this collection is, the better - the variety of compositions will allow you to create interesting and original tracks in your own way. Look for rare recordings, but don't forget about everyone's favorite and well-known songs.

All sorts of online resources will help you collect your music library. Particularly popular sources of music and inspiration among DJs are such popular sites as Youtube, Soundcloud, and Beatport.

However, if you plan to create remixes of other people's compositions, remember: using them without the consent of the author is considered a violation of copyright. Therefore, it would be nice to think about creating your own music and writing your own songs in the future.

Learning to work with music

The most important and time-consuming part of becoming a DJ, and the reason it was all started, is learning how to work with music. Initially, the main task of the DJ is to mix two songs, which he does with the help of his equipment.

The theoretical part cannot be avoided - to become a DJ, you will have to learn what a track consists of and what beats, quarters and bars are, how to mix tracks, what types of mixing are considered undesirable, what is the difference between mixing club mixes and studio mixes, how to choose the speed of tracks, what means “to fall into the square,” etc. This work is not just mechanical - the DJ must have a developed ear for music and a good sense of rhythm.

It’s better to reinforce your training with practice and try your hand at the equipment right away. We suggest watching the following video for beginners, which explains how to mix tracks.

Contact with the public

To become a really good DJ, you need to learn how to interact with the audience through more than just music. Learn to attract attention to yourself.

If you have access to a microphone, communicate with the audience, but do not overdo it with shouts, this is often not worth doing. The rest of the time, don’t forget to communicate using gestures and visual contact with the audience. And smile more often! Don't retreat into your own world, hiding behind the DJ console. Try to interest the audience, and, of course, anchor everything with good tracks - and then the dance floor will not be empty.

Take it for yourself and tell your friends!

DJ

Income

150,000 rubles

Spending

32,000 rubles

flat rent

5,000 rubles

35,000 rubles

food at home and in cafes

20,000 rubles

going to the cinema

38,000 rubles

musical equipment

20,000 rubles

How to become a DJ

As a child, I studied at a music school and graduated with grief. I hated piano lessons so much that I never thought that I would ever connect my life with music. After graduating from regular school, I studied at RGIIS. It was the only law school in Moscow where the main specialization was copyright protection and intellectual property protection, which is what attracted me to it. The knowledge was very useful and helps me to this day to defend the rights to my music and not be deceived, because I have encountered such cases more than once.

In 2008, dubstep reached Moscow. I really got into it and started going to all the parties where they played that kind of music. But its quality left much to be desired. And I decided not to show off anymore, but to learn how to play on my own and give everyone a hard time. At that time I was 17 years old, and I had been successfully weaving dreadlocks for two years. For that age and time, I earned good money, 3-4 thousand rubles a day. My parents helped me and added the missing money to buy the first equipment. There were speakers, I didn’t have to buy them. I bought a pair of Technics vinyl turntables for 30 thousand rubles, a Korg KM-202 mixing console for 15 thousand rubles, a Serato Scratch Live 1 vinyl emulator for 20 thousand rubles, Shure M44-7 turntable needles for 5 thousand rubles and started practicing. But he treated all this as something temporary.

After six months of practice, I was finally invited to play! It was a tour in Yaroslavl. At that party, I played for two bartenders and a cleaning lady, since not a single person showed up the whole time. But I was still very happy, I felt like a megastar, because they paid for my travel and gave me food. Then there were several more such parties, but I did not lose heart. I liked to hang out in a musical environment, communicate with musicians, and constantly discuss music.

In 2009, normal parties began, where there were 200–300 people. There I met a DJ who at that time had been making music for ten years. I really liked her, and I watched with envy as people swayed to his tracks. Then it began to seem to me that I was doing complete garbage and that I should start writing music and playing my own. Everything turned upside down in my head - I sold my DJ equipment for about the same amount as I bought it. I used this money to buy everything I needed to write music. So I became not only a DJ, but also an electronic musician.

At this time, I signed up for a course on Ableton Live software at DJ Groove's school. They didn’t teach me how to write music there, because it was a course only according to the program and all the examples were based on music with a straight kick (when the beat falls on the first beat. - Ed.), which didn’t interest me at all then and still doesn’t interest me. My further training was carried out at random.

At that time, I really loved computer games, so my first tracks contained a lot of sounds from the games Bioshock, Half-Life, American McGee’s Alice. The tracks immediately became hits, because schoolchildren were very interested in this feature - they, like viral advertising, began to appear everywhere. One of my tracks became the anthem of Russian dubstep for several years; I still receive a lot of letters of gratitude. They even write that he changed someone’s life.

After these tracks appeared, I began to be invited to play at serious events where there were from 400 to 1,000 people, and for three years I toured almost every weekend. I played all over Russia, Ukraine, Belarus. Since my tracks were released on foreign labels in America, England and Germany, they naturally invited me to play there, but due to problems with the army, I could not fly out of the country. Although I had enough of touring without it.

Later I founded my own audio production company. It's been around for two years now. My team and I write custom music for television advertising, light shows, video mapping and various performances. Still, you can’t earn much from DJing alone; in most cases, DJs are also electronic musicians. That's how I became.

Features of work

The main thing in DJing is to arrive at the club on time, set up your equipment and play your set well. It usually lasts an hour, but there are exceptions. All parties take place at night, after 23:00. The best part is that you can’t call it work: it’s like you’re having fun all your life. They pay you for all your whims and also pay on top for hanging out with you - isn’t it a fairy tale? At the performances themselves there are various funny incidents. One of these happened to me in Kaluga.

I was driven to the club, and I saw that there were a bunch of people smeared in paint standing at the entrance. It turned out that they decided to make the party in Indian style with Holi colors. I definitely wasn’t prepared for this, because I had to travel back by train for several hours, and I didn’t take clothes with me to change into. In addition, I was carrying a bunch of equipment that should not be dirty, and in general no one warned me about this. I told the organizers that this wouldn’t work: they couldn’t dirty me and the equipment. They replied that they would think of something, went to the club and returned 20 minutes later with a huge garbage bag. I was asked to make holes for my arms and head and perform like that. I decided to go as is - I thought that everything would work out.

We entered the club. There were a lot of people inside, and because of the smoke machine almost nothing was visible. There is liquid paint several centimeters thick on the floor, the walls are covered in paint, people are covered in paint - everything is covered in paint! In the middle of the hall, like the horseman of the Apocalypse, a naked woman is galloping on a live horse. Of course, I was stunned by all this and didn’t know what else to expect, but it only got more interesting from there. I go into the toilet, and there is a pooped live pony standing there. I didn’t feel like going to the toilet right away. In the dressing room, the same kind of wildness was going on, except for the addition of drunken people lying on the newspapers. In the end, I told the organizers that this was complete crap and I refused to play. But my train was only at six in the morning, and so after some time they finally persuaded me to try to play a set. I wish I didn't agree!

I went out, started playing, and for the first 20 minutes everything was very cool: the whole club was dancing, paint was flying in all directions, and I even stopped paying attention to the fact that I was all dirty. Everything was fine until two guys came out, painted like Hulks, and started randomly pouring paint on everyone from large buckets. I stood and prayed that they wouldn’t hit me. And as soon as I lowered my eyes to change the track, at that same second half a bucket of paint flew at me. Everything was covered in paint: my face, my clothes and my equipment. They flooded my MacBook and controller, and the music immediately stopped. I angrily went to deal with the organizers. Naturally, they were not going to pay for my repairs, and in general they did not consider themselves to blame. But then the owner of the establishment appeared, reprimanded the organizers, and in the end they paid me 30 thousand rubles for repairs and a fee of 15 thousand rubles, and also paid for a taxi to Moscow. In general, both laughter and sin.

As for my audio production, the main and most important responsibility is not to miss deadlines and do what is asked the first time, without imposing my opinion on anyone. If you don’t create unnecessary problems and don’t make customers worry, and you do everything on time, then you’re worth your weight in gold. A huge advantage of this job for me is that I am not tied to anything. I work remotely and that's why I love my job. I have two studios: one at home, and the second in the Moscow region. And if I have to work outside the studio, then I just take one of my laptops with me.

My schedule is more nightly, as is the case with DJing. I often stay up until six or seven in the morning with orders, but I still try to wake up no later than noon, otherwise the whole day will go down the drain. All important matters, deals and negotiations are always completed in the first half of the day, so I don’t allow myself to sleep until lunch. Our clients are different. The most memorable sound design project was for the Ministry of Education. We had to record the sounds of Moscow and make a track out of them. We had a pass everywhere and had a lot of fun! We rode on the Radisson motor ship and recorded the sounds of its engine, we were in the Spasskaya Tower - right inside the mechanisms with the chimes - and recorded the sounds of gears, we rode in an ambulance and recorded sirens. In general, there are enough memories to last a lifetime.

Salary

For DJs and electronic musicians, there are two options for earning money: either stable little or unstable high. This is my second case. I can earn 100–200 thousand rubles in a month from orders, or I may not receive anything for a couple of months. But now this happens less and less often, since over time there have been more customers, and there is always small part-time work on mixing and mastering. At parties I get 12-15 thousand rubles per hour of playing.

The minimum payment for which I undertake to work in audio production is 30 thousand rubles. This amount includes only sound design without music, no more than a minute. For 80–100 thousand rubles I make two or three minutes of music and sound design. For mixing a track I get from 3 thousand rubles, for mastering - from 1.5 thousand.

I make money from my own music when I sell tracks for advertising, games, or somewhere else. Here's how you agree. For example, I sold tracks for various flash games for 30-40 thousand rubles, for YouTube advertising - for 60-70 thousand rubles. From label releases I make between $200 and $500.

I'm happy with this arrangement, but I'm always trying to figure out how to make this amount increase.

Spending

I don’t go out often: I’m always either working or writing my music. I don't really care about anything other than sound. The only thing that can get me out of the house is a trip to my parents, a longboard and a movie. I feel uncomfortable without music, I always need to write something. That's why I'm mostly a homebody.

Housing costs 32 thousand rubles a month along with rent. I mostly take a taxi, so on average I spend about 5 thousand rubles a month on transport. I buy food for 20–25 thousand rubles a month and spend 10 thousand rubles on dining out. I go to the cinema with my girlfriend quite often - one trip costs us 3 thousand rubles, including popcorn, tickets and other things. In general, cinema costs about 15–20 thousand rubles a month.

I have never taken out loans. In terms of clothing, the most expensive thing I have bought recently is a jacket from CODERED for 16 thousand rubles. Only my girlfriend can save money. I've never succeeded. Now we are saving up for a trip to America. One of the special expenses is vape liquids; we already have about 100 cans of different flavors at home.

Illustration: Nastya Grigorieva

Let's go back to the day when the thought of putting your hands on a vinyl record was practically sacrilegious. Back then, early DJs like Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash, and Grand Wizard Theodore pioneered a new way of interacting with records that is now taken for granted, captivating huge crowds. Breakbeats, scratching, looping, and punchy phrasing are the DJ skills you need to master to immerse yourself in this culture. Find out what equipment and basic skills you need and with their help you can gain crowds of grateful fans, experience and a potential career.

Steps

Part 1

Equipment selection

Let's start with the basics. Being a DJ requires you to do more than just play songs. By learning set structures and mixing on the fly, you'll be able to rock the crowd with your beat. In the future, you'll be able to purchase more powerful speakers, a monitor, MIDI controllers, a mixer, microphones, and a host of other bells and whistles, depending on what you're playing. Basic DJ equipment is:

Two turntables or two CD players
2 channel mixer
Headphones
Columns
Mixing software (optional)

Choose analog or digital. Traditionally, DJs use two-turntable setups with an analogue connection to play vinyl records, but most often use CD players with a digital connection. Both methods are widely used in DJ practice, although each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages.
- An analog setup will allow you to go the traditional route, where you will learn the basic skills of scratching vinyl with a stylus. To do this, you will need to collect a good vinyl collection, which can be financially expensive.
- A digital installation is easier to transport and requires less training time. For example, learning beatmatching and transitions is much easier with a BPM counter and software.
Let's look at mixing programs. Serato Scratch and Traktor are good programs that read all music formats, and allow you to select any song through the software interface. You might also like Pioneer and Numark.
- These programs allow you to access a library of MP3 files on your hard drive, which can complement your vinyl and CD music collection. Most often, these programs allow you to do live looping, scratching, delays, reverb, video management and karaoke in real time.
- Ableton is a program that will allow you to connect mixers via USB, making you feel like a real, traditional DJ. This method is good for beginners and as a budget solution.
Be frugal. Don't invest in the most expensive equipment right away. The majority of your investment should be in turntables and a mixer. Forget about the rest for now. Spend your money wisely - buy used turntables and new mixers.
- If you're serious about becoming a DJ, chances are you know of a few other enthusiasts in your area. Ask them to tell you and show you how they do it! You may be doubly interested if this is a mutual exchange of experience.
Don't forget to create a studio at home. Most DJs create their demos, sets, and original music right from their home. Make sure that the equipment you bring to the club is of the same level as what you have at home. For example, if you're a hip-hop DJ, you'll probably buy a scratch/battle mixer for your home to replicate the competitive atmosphere of battles.
- This will be especially useful if you plan to start producing your own music in the future. Of course, this may be expensive, but it is something that will help you make a career in the long run.
Find out what you need for concerts. If you plan to play where there is already a DJ setup, all you will need is a laptop with music mixing software. If you plan to play at private events, you will most likely have to bring your own equipment. Find out exactly what you need and don't need for a particular gig.
- Some mixing software is very difficult to learn. Look for good textbooks on the Internet. As a last resort, enroll in a DJ school, they will teach you all the advanced techniques, but remember that you can master all this wisdom on your own.
Create a large music collection. Do you know what else you need? Music. And you shouldn't collect terrible, third-rate songs in mp3 format. To be a legal DJ, you have to pay for the music you get. For now, you can use what you have, but keep in mind that later it may result in serious expenses. You must be a music expert. Chat with friends, follow the top charts, watch record campaign channels on YouTube, browse DJ-related websites (eg Beatport). Here is a list of genres to explore:
- House
- Trance
- Techno
- Electro
- Glitch
- Dark Alternative
- Progressive
- Breakbeat
- Hardstyle
- Hardcore
- Downtempo
- Jungle
- Drum and Bass
- Dubstep
- Hip-Hop
Part 2
Working on Music
1. Determine the BPM of the songs you play. The number of beats per minute (BPM) in your song determines how easily and smoothly it can be combined with others. You can calculate the BPM yourself using a stopwatch, but it's quite tedious. Some mixers have a built-in BPM counter, although this kind of solution does not always give an accurate count and sometimes it is better to calculate it yourself.
  - You can use the playback speed change to match the BPM of 2 songs. Use this method on tracks without a vocal track, as in this case the tonality will change, which can be very noticeable to listeners.
2. Study intros and endings. Most dance songs have an intro, which contains music but no vocals, and an outro. Typically, mixing involves superimposing the intro of one song onto the ending of another. Knowing where the outro and intro begin is key to mixing.
  - Wedge in the next song. Have a second song ready when the first one ends. Keep one hand on the turntable or CD player's speed control to adjust the speed (if your BPMs don't match) and the other on the crossfader to fade out the volume of the first track and bring in the second.
3. Learn how scratching is done. You can use the turntables to find a place in a song where you want to scratch while another song is playing. There is baby scratch, scribble scratch, scribble drag, and scratches that use different playback speeds. Master all these techniques before you go to the concert!
  - Every song has places that are good and bad for scratching. Knowing exactly when to scratch is the same skill as knowing how to make a joke at the right time. With practice, you will learn to grasp the moment when it is worth doing and when it is not.
4. Keep it simple at first. To begin with, try to mix tracks that have a BPM difference of no more than 3. Also remember that the songs must be in the same key. Your software should tell you this. When you cut a track, experiment with looping, switching functions, and add effects.
  - Also experiment with methods of interacting with the mixer. Most effects can be done in at least one alternative way. Find what suits you best (usually one method is proprietary, and the other is more general, automated).
5. Transition between songs smoothly. Some of the most important skills in DJing are transitioning between songs and matching BPMs so that people don't have to stop dancing. Using regular DJ equipment, you need to listen to the intro of the second song in headphones, moving the playback speed slider until the BPMs of the songs are equal, and only then begin to smoothly wedge in the next track. Knowing how to do this smoothly is one of the most important skills of a DJ.
Part 3
Learning a craft
1. Decide whether you want to be a crowd pleaser or a music expert. Some gigs will require you to make some compromises. For example, a college bar will demand Katy Perry after you try to switch from Last Friday Night. And if you are a specialist, you will have a more respectful relationship with other DJs, but concerts may become an increasingly rare pleasure for you.
  - Crowd pleasing involves including songs that appeal to the majority of those present and suit their tastes. This style of DJing is well suited for small parties and weddings.
  - A music specialist sticks to a specific genre of music, regardless of the demands of the crowd. Typically, such DJs work in nightclubs that play music of certain genres, or for fans of a certain type of music.
2. Explore. Find a DJ whose style you admire and explore his work as much as possible. Track his song structures and the crowd's reaction to his techniques. After you've watched the DJ a few times, approach him after the show and ask him a few questions and ask for advice. Most DJs will be happy to help you if they know you are serious about it.
  - Get inspired by great DJs. Sometimes it's worth looking at such professionals as: Headhunterz, Tiesto, Avicii, Knife Party, Sebastian Ingrosso, Deadmau5, and Skrillex.
3. Be a versatile DJ. You can be both an expert in your field and have a good supply of genres in your pocket. Most DJs are only good at one genre; being diverse automatically makes you elite.
  
  Keep up with current music trends. To be relevant in a modern, rapidly changing world, follow the tops and trends. You must be in all these tops, and constantly improve in order to remain in them tomorrow.
  - You should constantly write notes to yourself, write down all the interesting points that you liked in the song you heard, make a list of ideas that you can implement as you work. Keep your phone or pen close to you at all times, because inspiration can come suddenly. Let's listen to your new tracks to your friends whenever they want, to find out their opinion about your work.
Part 4
Creating an Audience
1. Work for several hours at a time. Just like a pilot who needs to time a flight, you need to be able to calculate the timing and repertoire of a concert. The best way to seriously learn to do this is to perform many times in front of the same company, and not at one-off concerts.
  
  Know what kind of audience you are dealing with. Having an idea of what kind of crowd you'll be performing in front of is a critical component in DJing. For example, if you're playing at a wedding, you should be prepared to provide more slow songs than usual and find out about the bride's musical preferences in advance. If you're playing in a nightclub, find out what the owner and the regulars like the most. Regulars are the ones who keep the club afloat, and ultimately pay your salary; learn to please them with your work.
  - Be careful with requests. If you're playing at a hip-hop-themed nightclub, and some random visitor asks you to play something in a different genre, then think carefully before turning it on. Remember, your job is to consistently keep your audience happy so that repeat visitors want to come back next time.
  - If possible, visit the concert site in advance. Get a feel for the regulars before hosting a new gig.
2. Sell yourself. You should distribute booklets, business cards, send emails, and constantly expand your clientele. This is not a 9 to 5 job, but 24/7 employment.
3. Find your own gigs. Depending on how you want to advance your career, you can start playing at small, private events for a nominal fee, or play regularly on weeknights at a club or bar. Ask a friend who is throwing a party to DJ you. Keep in mind that if you are inexperienced, you will not be able to make much money from this, and most likely you will need a second job. So if something happened, you could perform for free, right?
  - At first, the organizers will require that you bring a certain number of people to the concert. And it totally sucks. You are not a promoter and not your friends. Still... sometimes you have to do it. Remember such organizers so as not to stumble upon working with them in the future.
4. Become a producer. The next step in DJing is creating your own music. You can still work with other people's tunes, but give them a quality treatment, making them better in your own way. DJ Earworm became famous on YouTube thanks to this. You can rake in cash much faster by releasing your own product.
  - And one day you will be able to record your own album, which will become a hit. Even if you don't intend to be a cutting-edge artist, you can just do it with other artists behind the scenes, just because you enjoy it.
Sometimes this can cause difficulties in your work. They may say something to your face or start telling others something about you.
- In addition to the noisy crowds, you may encounter a dishonest promoter or experience equipment problems. Use all your best skills to resolve these issues in the most favorable way.
Have fun. Imagine a show (or maybe you've already witnessed one) where the DJ pulls sliders so heavily it's like he's carrying sacks of coal. It's horrible. Watching a DJ who doesn't like his own music is worse than a third-rate polka band. So just relax, have fun and the crowd will follow you.
- You need to be a little crazy. The more you feel this, the more chips you will be able to give out. The more chips, the more the crowd will want to see you again.
Live your dream and work for yourself. After all that hard work on shitty gigs, shitty campaigns, and shitty equipment, it's time to up your ante. When your cash flow becomes more than just a trickle, upgrade your equipment. The standard in this area is Technics 1200, but you can improve even this. You will have to invest a couple of thousand dollars, but it will more than pay for itself in the long run.
- Start evaluating yourself. How much are you worth? You shouldn’t pretend to be a DJ god, but selling yourself for pennies is also a bad idea. Consider the cost of operating equipment, and the overall costs of the concert (which can vary greatly). And don't forget: do they feed you?

Develop your own sound. Create unique mixes and become a master of a certain genre. Explore all kinds of techniques and tools that you can use in your work.
Try to create song titles that are related in meaning. For example: The Woman in Red gets into the Little Red Corvette and goes to the Party.
Try adding effects by mixing songs. This can help as the effect mixes up the songs.
Get yourself a friend in the crowd to monitor the volume level. The music should be loud enough for the beat to be heard, but not so loud that people can't hear each other's words.
Start with an upbeat song and enjoy your performance from the first track.
Practice a good balance between being a DJ and performing on stage. The crowd wants to be interacted with, but not too much.

Warnings

Take care of your equipment like the apple of your eye, don’t let anyone spill anything on it.
Don't make a habit of doing free or cheap gigs. You don't want to be known as a "cheap DJ." You should be hired because you are good, not cheap.
Never let another DJ in. The DJ community is very small. If you get a bad reputation, you will regret it very much.
It is very important to be able to identify priority gigs. This is the key to a happy DJ and a happy audience!