LOL....okay...first step is pay attention.....know your records well...glad you have clicked here....

Next, if you have been beat matching for a long period of time...please feel free to put down any advice you have....

Here's what I think makes a good Set work! Generally 12-15 songs...

1) Never OVER-RELY on your bpm counter!
If you have been offered a gig to spin and had only a shitty mixer to make do with, you might feel kind lost at this point in time.

2) Always, turn your speakers up!
However, do not blast it till you get some Policeman at the door requesting for your presence on a Monday morning at the local Courthouse. This is because many DJs who starts out are not accustomed to the loudness of the speakers and might fumble into a "What the hell is this this ringing tone in my ears" - WahWah Effects....lol

3) Selection of Records - CRUCIAL!
Play tunes what have relatively similar bpms unless you own a Technics M3D...you ain't gonna make it by pitching the song that is playing without having some dude in front of you wondering what the hell is wrong with your mixing....

4) Smile & Breathe!
Don't look all panicky in front of an audience. The more you smile and BREATHE....the more calm you'll feel to allow yourself immerse in the seemless looping behaviour.

5) Cross-Fader or NOT?
I personally prefer volume controls as they allow more control as to cross-faders. However, mixing records are all about your own style...you can utilize a style that I've seen Tiesto pulled on a high bpm tune by swiweling the record that is playing - creating a backmasking sound and channels the next tune on....A good technique to rescue yourself if you are in the middle of a situation whereby 2 records do not compliment that well.

6) Long Blending or Shorter?
I am totally stoked on super duper long mixes especially by Sasha, Digweed. DJ Tiesto does a relatively good job on trance, however, Trance is a difficult genre to mix as opposed to dark progressive tunes. Depending on what you mix, Trance and House relatively take on a shorter life span on blending.

7) Build up your confidence!
No manual anyone writes is going to help you a bit if you are going to let your sorry ass rot. So, get off your fat ass and try. If you do not maintain that love for music, you might just end up like any dude who ends up selling their tables just because they smashed their ego by thinking that they will not make it. Do it for the love for the music not the money you think you might be able to squeeze out of the industry. There are simply too many DJs compared to events. Unless you are some rich punk who can afford amazing promos and play unreleased-unavailable tracks, you can forget about getting your name heard.

8) Exposure!
A very intense and scary process! Exposing yourself with whatever skills you have so far...This is the first test where there'll be judges. Train Wrecks are ok...however, you should not be train-wrecking if you are on your 4th vinyl. So, this kinda exposure will cause you to wanna rekindle that kind of perfect mixes you have done before - in your bedroom. Nervous, nerve-wrecking....call it what you want, you want the exposure to challenge yourself...not kill yourself....Breathe

9) Review!
Reviewing your set is a crucial one. Testing it in #8 with lots of friends (preferably) and enemies (even better). Enemies will critique your work more freely and not the close friends who will be binded to your precious confidence, in some way or another. Take your comments in the right way, think of the mistakes you made and how that benefits you. Nothing that kills you make you stronger!

10) Produce!
There'll come a time where you'll be so damn sick of beat-matching. Producing your own tracks using softwares will help you learn about the 4/4, 8/8...16/16...crap. More you listen to what you produce, the more inclined you'll be towards beat-matching. Try it...it could be a hit with the trance community.

11) Buy Good Tracks!
Most of all, playing your own style of music will generate a more suprising attitude for your audience. The more suprised they are when they are so fcuked on drugs, the more people will demand for your music. More gigs for you then....

12) Repeat #1 and most of all, breathe...don't stress yourself out...although they are lots of practising to be doing....

Cheers