This depends on the angle you intend to approach this inquiry with. To me, there are two avenues you insinuate with this post. I will outline both of them with you, and pardon my presumptions should they prove incorrect. The two implied avenues of discourse pertain to:

1. The artistic avenue - This is the avenue I presume you wish to approach this from, as most people appear to hold this in high regard. This is the avenue I tend to approach as a dj. This, in my own definition, entails you, as an artist, doing whatever you desire and seeing if you gain any traction. This truly depends on your goals of "success." At the end of the day, this avenue comes down to you simply being content in mixing the music that you love in the way that you enjoy. Provided you intend to market/monetize off of these endeavors, then you'll have to have some edge in marketing yourself. Either that, or you can outsource marketing to other people provided you can offer them something in return. It's all up to how you approach it, but you don't have to compromise your sacrosanct artistic integrity. Albeit, be prepared to accept rejection from others in regards to your musical taste.

2. The "dj" avenue - This might be confusing, but I intend this to mean a term that is applicable to those who simply love to mix music for the fun of it, and tend to wish to make money at doing so. These are the types that can begin as wedding djs, and progress from there. They may play hip-hop, pop-house, house remakes of pop songs, whatever. They're the type that simply like partying, mixing songs, and getting compensated for generally getting to have a good time. There's nothing wrong with this, so long as you're honest and devoted to your craft. It is nothing to look down upon, in my opinion.

You could also do heroin a lot.

One of my favourite DJ sets ever was by someone called Submerge 101--I think he was from Michigan? Anyway, he spun a set that twirled happily between house, techno, and two or three varieties of trance. Forge your own sound based on what you like playing, maybe? It's a longer and less certain road to stardom, but it will differentiate you by letting you develop your own style instead of slavish devotion to a single genre.

Thanks for all who responded. This already helped me and I have decided to stay true to my style. But still if someone else have other thoughts please post them here as it's always good to get other kind of thoughts as it usually improves you.

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The biggest thing is to play the music that really make you passionate and you don't get bored of.

You have to realize (and without sounding jaded) that making it as a DJ requires a lot of shitty repetition; playing many of the same tracks again and again, playing similar venues, often really ghetto and being payed fuck all (if actually anything), then doing that several nights a week for several years to *maybe* have a chance of actually making a living from it.

I don't mean to dissuade you - I've been DJ'ing for close to 20 years and decided a long time ago, I didn't want the life that goes along with it. Living out of suitcases, in hotel rooms, eating plane food, teaching your body to ignore it's own clock.

I love music and I love the scene, and hey, if someone said you just have to play 20 gigs a year and earn enough to live off, I would be a happy man but it doesn;t work like that.

So, that's why I say, if you really want it, forget what genre you "should" play, and just what you like because I promise you right now, with the work and time it takes to actually make it (and a decent living) from DJ'ing you're going to have to really work at it, so you better LOVE the music as that's what's going to get you through.

You also can't anticipate what will get you there - I know guys who used to play a bit of everything - eclectic - and could barely get anything other than bar gigs as the clubs wanted defined genres, only for the scene to suddenly change in their favor and the whole eclectic thing explode. Nect thing they know they're playing to 2000 in warehouses getting flown business class to LA and NY.

At the same time, I knew guys who would play a very set form of trance and in 1998 they were killing it at major international festival, fast forward 5 years and they can't get a gig for free.

So play what you really love and maybe, just maybe it will turn in to a career.

Ted Promo hits it on the head, but I also think a lot of trance DJ's are producers that want to promote their own work. Thus they use DJing as a mechanism for it.

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You should where your heart tells you to.

No reason you would have to choose.

Why not have a few different identities for yourself? Back in the day would play a Drum and Bass venue sometimes even on the same night as I would trance venues.

Just perfect your craft, as long as you feel passionate about what you are doing then it's all good.

The experience you get from playing different crowds can really help your ability to see the different effects that music has on people. Will make you a better all round DJ too.

The reality is that until you make that hit production that sets it all off for you, it is worth trying to just enjoy what you do.

When the opportunity comes to warm up for a bigger name then you will know what to do.

Cheers
Nem

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