rant: is being a bedroom dj worth it?

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Posted by noikeee on Dec-06-2003 21:28:

rant: is being a bedroom dj worth it?

is it worth buying two damn expensive decks and/or two damn expensive cdj's, a damn expensive mixer, and some really damn expensive vinyls every month plus damn expensive import prices just for sitting at home mixing once a week never getting any gigs cause no-one within a 500 kilometres area likes trance music?

not waiting for any real answers here, but it gets a little bit annoying when you've dreamed of being a dj for your life, learned a lot about music, then realised there'll never be oportunities to become anyone in the music scene. dj'ing is such an expensive hobby, damnit.

anyone started out in the bedroom without having any connections at all.. and turned out to be a pro? did you live in a area where no-one cares about trance music or quality electronic music in general?

seems like being a popular dj is not at all about skills. it's about connections, being rich and living on the right place.

sorry for the rant.

Posted by on Dec-06-2003 22:03:

Hmmm.. I have thought this a few times... but your future is what you make of it.. You gotta get out to the clubs (or even move to another city) just to get yourself heard of, and get into a club or gigs. You can't sit in your bedroom and except some producer or club manager to come knock on your door.. DJing isn't just about spinning anymore, you gotta be making your own tracks, or atleast remixing other great ones.. I have no idea where you live, but if there isn't a large enuf population of ppl into trance or electronic music, why stay there.. Why not move somewhere that has a electronic culture.. If your current environment doesn't support your lifestyle why stay there, it will only hold you back in the end.. This may be easier said than done, but if you want to try and make in big you gotta take chances.. Start experimenting with making music.. make demo tapes (or CDs) and mail them out to club or radio stations.. or even hand them to friends who like the same music.. cuz you never know who might get ahold of it..

You gotta make your future, you can't expect it to make itself.

Posted by DannyO on Dec-06-2003 23:43:

quote:
Originally posted by DJ Lazy
Hmmm.. I have thought this a few times... but your future is what you make of it.. You gotta get out to the clubs (or even move to another city) just to get yourself heard of, and get into a club or gigs. You can't sit in your bedroom and except some producer or club manager to come knock on your door.. DJing isn't just about spinning anymore, you gotta be making your own tracks, or atleast remixing other great ones.. I have no idea where you live, but if there isn't a large enuf population of ppl into trance or electronic music, why stay there.. Why not move somewhere that has a electronic culture.. If your current environment doesn't support your lifestyle why stay there, it will only hold you back in the end.. This may be easier said than done, but if you want to try and make in big you gotta take chances.. Start experimenting with making music.. make demo tapes (or CDs) and mail them out to club or radio stations.. or even hand them to friends who like the same music.. cuz you never know who might get ahold of it..

You gotta make your future, you can't expect it to make itself.

I second that.

Posted by DjJade on Dec-07-2003 02:05:

well you have to consider what you want out of it. for me personally... i dont even want to know how much money i spent and am spending every month on it...and honestly i dont expect to become a professional and i dont expect to get gigs or antyhing. im strugling through school taking premed classes, majoring in math and physics and minoring in psychology. i have lots of other intrests and frankly i dont think that being a dj will ever pay for the kind of lifestyle i have becuase music isnt the only thing in my life.

i sometimes wonder why i am investing so much time and money but when turn on my mixer drop the needle, and put on my headphones...nothing else matters. im in it becuase i love it and becuase it makes me feel good. some people do drugs, some people drink, some people go to stripclubs...some people buy dolls, toys, collect stamps, build models, fly kites, build bombs.... i spin. its a hobby and i love it. i love it enough that i have never looked back and thought about how much i spent becuase i cant put a value on it.

Posted by Ibiza Dreams on Dec-07-2003 03:24:

quote:
Originally posted by DjJade
When I turn on my mixer drop the needle, and put on my headphones...nothing else matters. im in it becuase i love it and becuase it makes me feel good. some people do drugs, some people drink, some people go to stripclubs...some people buy dolls, toys, collect stamps, build models, fly kites, build bombs.... i spin. its a hobby and i love it. i love it enough that i have never looked back and thought about how much i spent becuase i cant put a value on it.

Amen bro. Beautiful quote about DJing... for the love of music. I might put that up as a memorable quote.

Posted by benoitfan on Dec-07-2003 03:40:

Well I understand your point as I'm from Portugal as well and we both know no one cares about trance around here. Actually, Trance has really long breakdowns and sometimes people want to dance non-stop. They also prefer tribal samples and vocals, to interact with eachother. But I'll tell you what, there is hope, IMO you can always create a good house/prog set, throw in some techno, and end up with some trance, when the crowd is more up to anything and they dig your style. The idea here is take them to trance without they even notice it You should also throw in some beats during the breakdown to keep it interesting for the audience, I do it myself quite often. Quality trance tracks can get away on Portuguese sets, trust me, you just have to mix them up with the other styles and use them with caution.
As for bedroom DJing.. it's funny that some time ago I was looking to my decks and wax and thinking how much money I have put in there (and here comes X-Mas...). But I love every minute of it, I love spinning, love my tracks, and couldn't find a better use for my money. It is, along with working out in the gym, "my thing", the thing that takes me away from the real world. If it's worth it for you, well only you will know the answer, but I do love every minute of it.
One more thing about trance/Portugal stuff: you may want to get into house/techno, those genres have a lot to offer as well and while trance is my favorite genre, I'm having a great time discovering quality house that make me feel as good as the best of trance. So I think there's always hope for you to have a blast spinning @ clubs without trance as well
Cheers!

Posted by dartman on Dec-07-2003 06:11:

quote:
Originally posted by DjJade
i sometimes wonder why i am investing so much time and money but when turn on my mixer drop the needle, and put on my headphones...nothing else matters. im in it becuase i love it and becuase it makes me feel good. some people do drugs, some people drink, some people go to stripclubs...some people buy dolls, toys, collect stamps, build models, fly kites, build bombs.... i spin. its a hobby and i love it. i love it enough that i have never looked back and thought about how much i spent becuase i cant put a value on it.

very well put. i feel the same way. i love music in general, especially EDM, and i also love sharing all of the great music that i've found with my friends or anybody else that will listen, hence djing. its a hobby, its fun, and there are alot worse things that you could be doing with your time.

if you are into djing to become a famous dj, or make it big, then you are probably doing it for the wrong reasons. you should spin for yourself and your love of the music that you play. whenever i get to play for people i get wicked excited watching them dance, to songs that i chose. but at the same time i have also have fun mixing it up in my bedroom.

but you are right, it is expensive.

Posted by noikeee on Dec-08-2003 13:06:

Posted by chesco on Dec-08-2003 16:13:

pointless rant.

nobody in their right mind buys expensive decks etc to become a bedroom dj, fuck nobody buys cheap equipment to be a bedroom jock.

Posted by Alekos on Dec-08-2003 16:39:

I've noticed that most of the New Djs, are into the scene just because of the money and not the music which is really sad. I've read in many forums including this one, Bedroon Djs talking about money, question such as > How much money should I charge? Piss me off.
LOVE the music, love what you do, promote yourself, let ppl know who you are and what kind of music do u spin, record yorself and post it online so ppl take a listen to it , make CDs and give them away (FREE), and sooner or later someone wil give you the change.
remember>> MONEY IT'S NOT REAL.

Posted by DJ Joshua H on Dec-08-2003 17:01:

quote:
Originally posted by IKKI-ZUVK

LOVE the music, love what you do

So true, theres no way you can grow and get better at something if you aren't really into it. I've been spinning for a year and do it every chance I get, its such an escape for me, just turn the speakers up and see where the music takes me. you should definetly check out online radio stations. I have a show on my college campus in Boston once a week. the signal doesn't go very far but the have a live webcast which makes it worldwide! it's a good way of getting your name out there and finding your own style

Posted by noikeee on Dec-08-2003 17:22:

Posted by Alekos on Dec-08-2003 17:28:

quote:
Originally posted by paranoik0
the problem is not in the money you want to make as a dj, i wouldn't be doing it for money, the problem is in the money you spend as a dj. anyone there actually making profit?

Not me !

Posted by DJ Kibon on Dec-08-2003 20:11:

quote:
Originally posted by dartman
very well put. i feel the same way. i love music in general, especially EDM, and i also love sharing all of the great music that i've found with my friends or anybody else that will listen, hence djing. its a hobby, its fun, and there are alot worse things that you could be doing with your time.

if you are into djing to become a famous dj, or make it big, then you are probably doing it for the wrong reasons. you should spin for yourself and your love of the music that you play. whenever i get to play for people i get wicked excited watching them dance, to songs that i chose. but at the same time i have also have fun mixing it up in my bedroom.

but you are right, it is expensive.

I second both of these, though unfortunately not everyone believes me when I say it.

I originally started putting together digital mixes on my computer for no other reason than to have CDs for myself to listen to while commuting to College. Then I started sending them directly to a few online friends, who really enjoyed them, so I started putting a bit more emphasis on having my digital mixes distributed for all to download for free.

I bought turntables at the beginning of this year because I wanted to be able to play the music that I love live for others to enjoy. I currently have zero expectations that I will ever cover my costs for the Technics + vinyl + headphones, but I greatly enjoy each opportunity to do a live set, whether it is online at AfterhoursDJs or means playing at someone's house party or a club. I guess part of the fun of doing it live is hearing my favorite tracks on a really loud system.

I'm not relying on DJing to be my bread and butter at any point - that's what my working career will be for (which is, after all, why I'm in University).

Posted by DeleriuM2K on Dec-08-2003 20:17:

Ive spent well over $5000 cdn (maybe even $6000) and Im only gonna be 18 in a month! Ive never gotten a gig, never been paid to do what I love to do, but I love it none the less. I 'DJ' bar mitzvahs, weddings, corporate events to get money pretty much exclusively for my real DJing hobby. (I also get to play on some really high end equipment, get experience playing for a crowd, get experience with putting on live productions, and have fun flirting with the dancers - I also get all my stuff at cost through the company )

about 80 cents for every dollar I make goes to one single thing - my DJing equipment/vinyl. I havent seen one dollar come back, but thats OK, cause Im doing what I love. I have a hobby that I truly enjoy and thats something few people can say. besides on top of doing it for the fun, I figure it'll be a return investment in the long run. I hope to start getting club gigs in the near future, as well Im gonna be attending and audio engineering school in London, so I'll be producing my own music

I've kinda planned out my life around my love for trance

bottom line: if spending the $$$ wont seriously harm your life style, then go for it - theres nothing more satisfying

btw, for those interested, my setup:

last week:
2 X Technics SL-1200MK2
1 X Denon DN-9000
1 X Pioneer DJM3000
1 X Sony MDR-V700DJ
http://w.auth.org/ot/delerium/djsetup0003.jpg

this week:
2 X Technics SL-1200MK2
2 X Pioneer CDJ800
1 X Behringer VMX300 (my old mixer, sold my case to my work)
1 X Sony MDR-V700 DJ

next month:
getting the new Denon mixer. Denon DN-X1500

Posted by DannyO on Dec-08-2003 20:37:

quote:
Originally posted by IKKI-ZUVK
I've noticed that most of the New Djs, are into the scene just because of the money and not the music which is really sad. I've read in many forums including this one, Bedroon Djs talking about money, question such as > How much money should I charge? Piss me off.
LOVE the music, love what you do, promote yourself, let ppl know who you are and what kind of music do u spin, record yorself and post it online so ppl take a listen to it , make CDs and give them away (FREE), and sooner or later someone wil give you the change.
remember>> MONEY IT'S NOT REAL.

Well said, but I believe that for the people that are trying to make lots of money for it and just try and be famous like a star, they ain't gonna make it, they won't feel the music and feel the crowd because they won't care like real DJs do, so I got no worries about these people, they come and go very fast, as for me I'm approching 10 years of DJing, made some good money from it by playing in clubs, but I really don't care for the money side of it, for me its getting good then going and playing to a crowd and when you drop that crazy mix and the crowd know it and goes fuckin crazy, the rush that I get is worth more than money, its quite unreal, I'm in it for the fun and joy of mixing for people that also love the music, getting paid is just a bonus, all the club gigs I've done I've got paid pretty well for, but they didn't realise I would of done it for free, look at it this way, if the owner of say....Amnesia in Ibiza came upto you and asked for you to play, would you be saying "how much money would I get" becuase it wouldn't even pop into my mind, I'd pay all the expensis to do that.

Posted by Nemesis44 on Dec-09-2003 01:22:

Is it worth it?

I don't know, you tell me...

Why did you start?
An interesting point is that compared to 10 years ago you now have people becomming DJs for loads of different reasons. Back when I started there really weren't any so called superstar DJs. Admittedly some well known turntablists but that's about it. No one really thought about money in that way.

Sometimes it's also worth noting that you may have to play stuff you don't like when you are starting out. Perhaps there is a local place that plays more commercial stuff that could use your talents? Understanding crowd dynamics can start in some of the most unlikely places so don't knock the experience.
Benoitfan also makes some good points. I have noticed also noticed a trend as people are moving more towards either lighter funky house(Nem pukes) and the harder but still funky techno. Discover something new and use it and still work in the trance.

Making it in this business is hard as hell. And as I have said before, very little has to do with how good you are unless you are really damn good.

As a resident I had the fortune of playing alongside some of the worlds biggest names (as probably a few other people on the forum have)Some where really cool and others just totally blanked you. While I am pseudo freelance thesedays I am given constant reminders of just how many people are doing it and how much work you have to put in just to stay in a reasonable position.

Regardless of all this I can say with hand on heart that I would be spinning in my bedroom (well studio but the principle is the same) even if I didn't play in clubs. I still spin on average about 2 hours a day at home even though I have been spinning for longer than some of you have been alive. I love the music and that's all it is for me.

Love what you are doing and the sacrifice will be worth it. Don't loose heart and network like a maniac. It's always worth knowing people. You may well have to re-locate but I think that you know the answer in your own heart if it's right or not.

I wish you the best of luck
Nem

Posted by benoitfan on Dec-09-2003 02:05:

Re: Is it worth it?

quote:
Originally posted by Nemesis44
Making it in this business is hard as hell. And as I have said before, very little has to do with how good you are unless you are really damn good.

Unfortunately, true. Unless you're someone like Eddie Halliwell or Dave Clarke, you won't go anywhere without producing (and the latter does produce). Or you can try the marketing variation and do innovative things, like DJ Portia Surreal (I bet everyone knows her by now, and I bet it's not because of her mixing skills, and yet she's playing out and some DJs aren't ), you know, get somewhat of a trademark; some use additional hardware they take, others wear weird stuff, others scratch with their noses and elbows. To some, it's entertainment, not art, and it's not just about the music, sadly.
It's the concept of marketing (and I study that btw ): It's all about being original, filling customer needs and distinguish yourself from the competition.
Btw this post is more oriented for the business side of DJing... while I do recommend that people follow some of these rules, music should be the most important thing; but then again, if only it was the same for clubbers as well...
Cheers!

Posted by dark_tenshi on Dec-09-2003 10:12:

quote:
Originally posted by DjJade
well you have to consider what you want out of it. for me personally... i dont even want to know how much money i spent and am spending every month on it...and honestly i dont expect to become a professional and i dont expect to get gigs or antyhing. im strugling through school taking premed classes, majoring in math and physics and minoring in psychology. i have lots of other intrests and frankly i dont think that being a dj will ever pay for the kind of lifestyle i have becuase music isnt the only thing in my life.

i sometimes wonder why i am investing so much time and money but when turn on my mixer drop the needle, and put on my headphones...nothing else matters. im in it becuase i love it and becuase it makes me feel good. some people do drugs, some people drink, some people go to stripclubs...some people buy dolls, toys, collect stamps, build models, fly kites, build bombs.... i spin. its a hobby and i love it. i love it enough that i have never looked back and thought about how much i spent becuase i cant put a value on it.

Amen to that. And nothing beats spinning/practicing with friends who share the same love for this music.

Posted by GQMr2 on Dec-17-2003 23:30:

Dude, I took piano lessons for 7 years, it wasn't gonna be my carreer. It's ART. I have also started to DJ mainly for the reason that whenever my friends would hang out we always wanted to hear good music..I now do it to
1. make GOOD cds that my friends can listen to. and
2. for a chance to play at house parties. I have a different perspective maybe because I am not trying to make DJ a carreer. I mean, what, Paul Van Dyk said he was gonna be a journalist or something..?
It's a hobby, a passion for me, so to be able to make people move to my music is the reward. I am also into racing cars but know that it will also be a weekend at the track kinda thing not a profession.

So I guess if I WAS aspiring to become a DJ, I would also be frustrated by being in the minus $$ all the time with expensive equipment..but hey, if you think dj hobby is expensive try to guess how much money I had in this thing:

(the car)

Posted by davidderail on Dec-18-2003 03:38:

Re: rant: is being a bedroom dj worth it?

quote:
Originally posted by paranoik0
is it worth buying two damn expensive decks and/or two damn expensive cdj's, a damn expensive mixer, and some really damn expensive vinyls every month plus damn expensive import prices just for sitting at home mixing once a week never getting any gigs cause no-one within a 500 kilometres area likes trance music?

not waiting for any real answers here, but it gets a little bit annoying when you've dreamed of being a dj for your life, learned a lot about music, then realised there'll never be oportunities to become anyone in the music scene. dj'ing is such an expensive hobby, damnit.

anyone started out in the bedroom without having any connections at all.. and turned out to be a pro? did you live in a area where no-one cares about trance music or quality electronic music in general?

seems like being a popular dj is not at all about skills. it's about connections, being rich and living on the right place.

sorry for the rant.

The key to getting out and playing may be about connections. Just cause noone likes trance in your area, don't let it get you down. Prove to everyone that you can rock. Self promotion is THE best way to get your name out. If you just let your friends get you gigs, it will prob. die off real quick. Many people in OKC make it very vocal that they don't like trance but when I play a party, that's usually what I spin.

I played for about 3 years before I got my first gig, so it's definately not something that happens over night. Hang in there.

Posted by GQMr2 on Dec-18-2003 04:46:

you can distribute your mix by streaming online or like this guy:
Mixonic

Posted by bluelimitd on Dec-18-2003 12:14:

Posted by Clyde77 on Dec-18-2003 13:48:

lets all move to the philippines!!!!!!!!!!

they love trance, bbut they dotn knwo where to get them. their djs suck! im going next year.. whos going with me lol

Posted by Nemesis44 on Dec-18-2003 14:09:

Now there's a thought... that might actually be something worth trying to make happen... A TA tour of the phillipines. I would go, who else would be interested?

A good experience for younger DJs and a good time for all. Hell some of you might even come back married .

Cheers
Nem

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