The DJ Test: Personalised Report and Recommendations For Daniel Loaiza

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Personalised report

and recommendations for


Daniel Loaiza
17 May 2021

THE DJ TEST
DISCOVER YOUR DJ SCORE
and find out exactly how you can become a better DJ
CONGRATULATIONS ON
TAKING THE DJ TEST.

OVERALL SCORE

57%

GEAR MUSIC TECHNIQUES PLAYING OUT PROMOTING


How well do you Do you have Do you have a Are you capable YOURSELF
understand the an efficient, broad range of of performing Do you know
types of DJ gear DJ-oriented transferable DJing competently at what is needed to
out there today? music gathering skills? the main types of effectively hustle
system? DJ gigs? for gigs and get
success?

YOUR SCORE YOUR SCORE YOUR SCORE YOUR SCORE YOUR SCORE

7 9 7 6 2
1

DIGITAL DJ TIPS | THE DJ TEST | THE GLOBAL DJ SCHOOL.


GEAR 7/10
MUSIC 9/10
TECHNIQUES 7/10
PLAYING OUT 6/10
PROMOTING YOURSELF 2/10

DIGITAL DJ TIPS | THE DJ TEST | THE GLOBAL DJ SCHOOL.


WHY IS THIS REPORT
VALUABLE?
•Great DJs need a TECHNICAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE GEAR
•Great DJs need to be able to FIND THE BEST MUSIC
•Great DJs need to know the CORE TRANSFERABLE SKILLS
•Great DJs need to be able to PERFORM PROPERLY AT GIGS
•Great DJs need to know how to PROMOTE YOURSELF EFFECTIVELY

Through our work at Digital DJ Tips training over 13,000 DJs since 2010, we have realised there are
just three broad types of DJs:

1. Bedroom DJs
These people are just starting out as DJs and are developing their skills. They are usually
inspired by a DJ they’ve seen and particularly admired, but are unaware of the hard work to
come.

2. Semi-pro DJs
These people are skilled at the particular type of DJing they do but often go unrecognised
and unrewarded. Often their enthusiasm starts to diminish as they spend years trying to get
recognition (though they still keep getting drawn back to DJing...).

3. Great DJs
They earn more money, have more fun and get the best gigs. They are seen as highly credible in
their towns and cities. They have a sense of vitality because they are always the ones involved in
high-value DJ events and getting their “names in lights”.

DIGITAL DJ TIPS | THE DJ TEST | THE GLOBAL DJ SCHOOL.


UNTIL YOU ARE IN THAT THIRD
CATEGORY, A “GREAT DJ”,
YOUR JOB IS SIMPLE: WORK
TOWARDS BECOMING ONE.
People think it takes many years to become one, they think it’s about huge
talent, or being “cool” and in all the right circles, or being rich to start with,
or being young, or good-looking; nothing could be further from the truth.
You’ll see in this report that there are five core skill sets that will get you to the inner circle of
the DJ world, wherever you live. These strengths can be learned and developed just like any
other.

With focus, you can become a GREAT DJ in your town or city much faster than you think. We
know this because since 2010, we’ve worked with over 13,000 DJs in 50 countries to accelerate
their results.

IN TRAINING THE MANY THOUSANDS OF DJS WHO HAVE COME THROUGH


OUR PROGRAMMES, WE DID NOTHING OTHER THAN TO FOCUS OUR
STUDENTS ON THE FIVE STRENGTHS OUTLINED IN THIS REPORT. AS A
RESULT OUR STUDENTS REPORTED BACK TO US THAT THEY:

• Increased DJ bookings and referrals


• Landed better gigs
• Felt a greater sense of developing into the type of DJ they wanted to be
• Became better known, with opportunities coming to them from further afield
• Earned a lot more money from their DJing
• Felt more true to their “art”, to whatever it was that got them into DJing in the first place
• Became more passionate about their music and their DJing, and people loved hearing them
share that
• Overcame blocks and barriers that had previously prevented their success

DIGITAL DJ TIPS | THE DJ TEST | THE GLOBAL DJ SCHOOL.


FIVE STRENGTHS OF
A GREAT DJ
Becoming a Great DJ is about five
core skill sets that anyone can
learn and develop.

GEAR
The ability to understand, set up, and troubleshoot all types of DJ and associated gear
from a technical standpoint.

MUSIC
The ability to systematically discover, shortlist, organise and play the very best music
out there for your audiences.

TECHNIQUES
The ability to express yourself through turning what’s “in your head” into tight,
professional DJ mixes using any DJ gear.

PLAYING OUT
The ability to “put on a show”, read a crowd, and programme exceptional DJ sets in all
types of venues and for all types of audiences.

PROMOTING YOURSELF
The ability to establish a highly visible online presence, build a genuine fanbase, and
fruitfully network with people who can help your career.

DIGITAL DJ TIPS | THE DJ TEST | THE GLOBAL DJ SCHOOL.


THE DJ TEST GAVE YOU A SCORE
FOR EACH OF THESE FIVE SKILL
SETS. LATER IN THIS REPORT WE
WILL DISCUSS HOW YOU CAN
IMPROVE YOUR STRENGTHS IN
EACH OF THESE AREAS.

YOUR “OVERALL SCORE”


You also had an “Overall Score” which relates to your ability to turn these skill sets into DJing
success.

As you develop in these five areas, you can become more successful as a DJ. Your DJing success
will depend upon a few additional factors:

• THE TYPE OF DJING YOU DO:


Some types of DJing are more financially lucrative than others. Mobile DJs, especially wedding DJs,
earn well; club residents less so, and bar/lounge or party DJs often do it for little more than love. DJ/
producers who tour the world, on the other hand, often get paid exceptionally well. Commercial
success will mean something different for you depending upon what type of DJing you do.
• THE AMOUNT OF DJING YOU DO:
The world is full of so-called “DJs”. You know what separates Great DJs (the top 10%) from the other
90%? They actually DJ for real! Nowadays, DJing doesn’t have to mean playing actual gigs all the
time, because you can also make and share mixes and shows online too... but you have to be playing
something, somewhere, as often as possible.
• THE AMOUNT OF EFFORT YOU PUT IN:
Great DJs are learning about gear all the time, constantly exploring new musical areas, improving
their techniques, taking interesting gigs that remove them from their comfort zones, and finding new
ways to promote themselves and partner with others to push their agendas. If you’re not doing these
things, you’ll be beaten by those who are.

DIGITAL DJ TIPS | THE DJ TEST | THE GLOBAL DJ SCHOOL.


UNDERSTANDING
YOUR SCORE

OVERALL SCORE

57%

- High Strength
- Medium Strength
- Low Strength

DIGITAL DJ TIPS | THE DJ TEST | THE GLOBAL DJ SCHOOL.


GEAR

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GEAR
Gear describes your competency around different types of equipment and software you’ll
encounter as a DJ. Not only does it mean how well you understand the equipment you
actually use, but how proficient you are in understanding all types of DJ gear. Past that,
it encompasses working knowledge of PA systems, lighting, cables and basic electrical
training, so you can troubleshoot and solve problems in critical performance situations.

YOUR SCORE:

7/10

DIGITAL DJ TIPS | THE DJ TEST | THE GLOBAL DJ SCHOOL.


YOUR PERSONALISED
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR GEAR

Having impeccable technical knowledge of DJ gear and the more technical side
of your software and audio files is important, because it gives you both the
confidence to set up, use and sound good on a wider variety of systems, and the
knowledge that you can cope should something go wrong.

While DJ gear’s more technical side is something that certainly doesn’t scare you, there is plenty
you can do to improve your skills in this area to help you to become an expert. The good news is
that you’re already ahead of the pack, as the general level of technical knowledge among today’s
DJs - especially new DJs brought up on digital gear - is pretty low.

DIGITAL DJ TIPS | THE DJ TEST | THE GLOBAL DJ SCHOOL.


When we teach students, we emphasise a thorough knowledge of the way
every type of DJ system is set up (covering different types of set up such as
HID and timecode with pro audio systems, and so on), as well as software
and digital competency (audio interfaces, audio drivers and routing, file
formats and bitrates and the like). For now, you could look at improving
your knowledge in these areas:

1. AUDIO METADATA - Do you know exactly where 4. SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE - Do you know
information “about” your music files is stored, what parts of your DJ gear are user-serviceable /
meaning what data is stored with the file itself, replaceable, and what the procedures are to do
and what is stored in your DJ software and this? Would you know where to obtain spares in
music management software databases? Are your areas quickly, to avoid prolonged downtime
you backing up the right data? in the event of a breakdown?

2. SYSTEM PERFORMANCE - Do you know the 5. HOW GEAR OUTSIDE OF WHAT YOU OWN
best improvements you can make to improve WORKS - Would you be confident setting up
reliability? Have you looked at the options software that isn’t your choice, or gear that’s a
available in the system performance / utility different format to that you use (ie a CDJ system
menus either on your hardware or in your DJ if you’re a controller DJ)? Do you know how to
software, and do you understand what the use a DMX lighting rig?
options do?

3. REDUNDANCY - When did you last “practise”


your “plan B”, or in other words, what to do if
your system goes “down” mid-gig? How long
does it take you to get the music playing again
- and how could you improve on that result? A
back-up plan is no good if you aren’t competent
at enacting it.

10

DIGITAL DJ TIPS | THE DJ TEST | THE GLOBAL DJ SCHOOL.


“In this business everyone needs to stay current and more importantly
get out of their comfort zone to grow. Your training made that easy. I
particularly like the interviews you have with other professional DJs,
a sort of ‘backstage pass’ to the business. I have been re-energised
by the new knowledge I have received. I feel I have a much better
understanding of current music and DJ technology.”

Kenny Zail, Dallas, Georgia


MUSIC

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MUSIC
A DJ is only as good as his or her music - period. And the way Great DJs approach their
music collections is fundamentally different to the approach of your typical music fan.
Ruthless with his or her library, the smart DJ knows exactly why every individual track
is in there. Great DJs have tactics for hearing more music than the average person, and
reliable systems for choosing, curating and “packing” that music for DJ sets.

YOUR SCORE:

9/10

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DIGITAL DJ TIPS | THE DJ TEST | THE GLOBAL DJ SCHOOL.


YOUR PERSONALISED
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MUSIC

A DJ is only as good as the music in his or her collection, and you’re pretty
much on top of this part of your DJing, already being somewhat of an
expert. You fully understand the importance of sourcing, shortlisting,
buying and organising your music, and are adept at thinking about what
to play at any given gig. You are confident in your ability to find the “right
tune for right now”, and feel like you know your collection well.

In our advanced training, we teach DJs how to move past just having the best tunes into the realm
where their sets become truly special, and we do this by concentrating on two areas: Getting
music nobody else has got, and being able to playing the kind of sets that deliver big genre, BPM
and style shifts, sets that delight audiences for their ambition, but still hold together really well.

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DIGITAL DJ TIPS | THE DJ TEST | THE GLOBAL DJ SCHOOL.


Some of the skills needed to play such sets are technical (we’ll move on to
those later in your report), but 80% of playing a great DJ set is simply down
to having the best music in the first place, and crucially, being able to lay
your hands on exactly the right track time and time again for the crowd in
front of you, which comes down to a mastery of music organisation. Here
are some key training points to help you get to this level:

1. FIND EXCLUSIVE VERSIONS OF POPULAR 4. ADD “POWER COMMENTS” TO YOUR TRACKS


TRACKS - This is still possible, even in the digital - Make a system of tag words to use in the
age. If you can find remixers on SoundCloud who “Comments” metadata field in your music.
you admire, for instance, and befriend them, You could add situation (“warm up”, “peak
you could get their stuff to play in your sets sent time”), element (“guitar”, “sax”) or mood (“dark”,
directly to you, and be one of the few people in “uplifting”, “dreamy”). Use smart playlists (see
the world with such remixes. above) to sort by these tags.

2. MAKE YOUR OWN VERSIONS OF POPULAR 5. MASTER SECONDARY SORTING - Secondary


TRACKS - Re-editing to change tracks you love to sorting is when you sort by one thing, then
suit your needs is not as hard as you may think, another. Some DJ software (eg Serato DJ) has this
and so removing vocals, adding breakdown, as a formal feature. It lets you drill down quickly
extending intros or splicing together different to get a certain subset of your music (vocal
versions of tracks is well worth taking the time to tracks below 120bpm, for example). You can
learn to do. replicate it by using smart playlists plus column
sorting.
3. MASTER “SMART PLAYLISTS” - “Smart playlists”
or “smart crates” either in iTunes or your DJ
software that auto-populate against rules you set
can be immensely powerful in making dynamic
sets that update as your collection changes,
putting interesting sets at your fingertips without
you doing a thing. Master these features.

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DIGITAL DJ TIPS | THE DJ TEST | THE GLOBAL DJ SCHOOL.


“I was playing twice a week in bars, but I wanted to play in bigger
venues in front of more people and develop a stronger following, and
also to be more confident mixing. Perfecting my DJing is something
that I think about every day.

Your training and community really helps me to push myself. I


took your advice and went through the material in order, and also
committed myself to your online coaching seminars. Now I’m being
booked more often at different venues, I’ve done some interesting
corporate events, and I’ve played my biggest venue yet as a club DJ on
three occasions to date, with 700 to 800 attending.”

Alex “Pullinsky” Poulin, Montreal, Canada


TECHNIQUES

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TECHNIQUES
The core skills of DJing are what allow the DJ to rise above any particular DJ set-up and
perform effectively. Once a DJ understands how tracks are constructed, how to structure
a set, how to beatmix, how to use a mixer, how to manipulate music with platters and
jogwheels, how to cleanly move between tracks, and how to add flavour with scratching
and other tricks, his or her sets quickly become more than the sum of their parts.

YOUR SCORE:

7/10

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DIGITAL DJ TIPS | THE DJ TEST | THE GLOBAL DJ SCHOOL.


YOUR PERSONALISED
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TECHNIQUES

It’s true that DJing is 80% music selection, 20% technique. In other word, get
the music right, and you’re nearly there. But it is also true that a DJ who has
a reasonable grasp of beatmixing, as well as the ability to use some of the
more modern DJing features like looping and effects (in particular, filters), will
always do better than one who hasn’t.

These techniques help you to take the music You are already well on the path to being a
selections you’ve made for your audience great “technical” DJ. You’ve grasped the reason
and blend them together in a much more why this stuff is important, and nailed some
professional way. They also help you to make of the skills you need to become technically
more ambitious music selections while still proficient. In our training at Digital DJ Tips, we
“keeping” your dancefloor. Music selection and move our DJs beyond this point by highlighting
DJing technique feed into each other. specific areas where they can work to improve
their techniques.

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DIGITAL DJ TIPS | THE DJ TEST | THE GLOBAL DJ SCHOOL.


Here are five such areas. See if there are things here you could look at in
your own DJing, and timetable some practice sessions now to address them:

1. MANUAL BEATMIXING - This is the big one, 4. USING YOUR FX, ESPECIALLY FILTERS - Effects
because if you can move past the “sync” such as echo/delay, reverb and flanger/phaser
button and learn to beatmix tunes manually, can add colour to your DJ mixes, but the king of
you will also move past most of today’s DJs. all effects is filter. Work out how to apply a filter
Doing so means you can use a wider variety of to your channels, and experiment with both HPF
equipment, and play a wider variety of music. (high pass filter) and LPF (low pass filter).

2. HARMONIC MIXING - Do you know how to use 5. USING HOT CUES PROPERLY - All gear nowadays
your DJ system’s harmonic mixing (or “mixing gives you a number of hot cues - points you can
in key”) features? Keymixing is one of the big set on your tracks that you can jump back to at
advances that digital DJing has ushered in, and the press of a button. Start using them to mark
you’d be crazy not to work out how to use it and the beat you want to mix in from, the “outro”,
start doing it in your own DJing. and other important parts of your tracks, for
easy jumping around.
3. USING EQS CREATIVELY - The EQ controls on
your gear can be used to “match” tunes to each
other (boosting the bass, curtailing the treble
etc), but they can also be used creatively to
better blend tunes together “in the mix”. Try
having one bass EQ turned all the way down,
then “swapping” for the other one.

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DIGITAL DJ TIPS | THE DJ TEST | THE GLOBAL DJ SCHOOL.


“I live in Saudi Arabia, where there aren’t many DJs and no real
opportunities to learn or develop skills. I was desperate to
achieve something I’ve always dreamed of. Your materials are
much deeper and more detailed than other DJ training, and
have always seemed to me like the extra step from beginning
to pro. Not only have you helped me to achieve my DJing goals,
but you’ve educated me properly.”

Adnan Z Manjal, Saudi Arabia


PLAYING OUT

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PLAYING OUT
DJing is done in public, and playing out is very different to practising at home. From
understanding what the people who book you really require of you, to being able to
control the mood in a room, to conquering DJ nerves and learning to really perform
in front of a crowd, playing out is where you prove yourself. You need to be able to
programme DJ sets, read crowds, and deal with the unexpected, all the time staying cool
and confident.

YOUR SCORE:

6/10

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DIGITAL DJ TIPS | THE DJ TEST | THE GLOBAL DJ SCHOOL.


YOUR PERSONALISED
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PLAYING OUT

You’ve probably already played out anything from a handful of gigs to more
regularly, and so got a reasonable education as to how to survive “real life”
DJ sets. You understand about planning for the night, being patient with your
crowd, and keeping a friendly and approachable look about you (even if
you’re feeling really nervous); like other smart DJs, you realise that the crowd
will pick up on your demeanour and reflect it back at you. If the DJ’s having
fun, they take it as their cue to have fun, too…

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DIGITAL DJ TIPS | THE DJ TEST | THE GLOBAL DJ SCHOOL.


That said, there are plenty of things you can do to improve your
performance when you’re DJing out, and many of them are rarely
spoken about by DJs, either because they don’t realise how important
they are, or they do them anyway and don’t remember ever having
not done them! Even so, here at Digital DJ Tips we make a big effort to
teach these things in our courses, because they make a huge difference
to your success as a DJ. Here are a few things to think about:

1. TURNING UP EARLY AND STAYING LATE - Not 4. STUDYING YOUR CROWD - Beginner DJs see
only is it good manners to be early for any gig, if the crowd as “one”. Smarter DJs see the crowd
you’re playing in a club after someone else you as pockets of people. That group of girls who
get to hear how they’re building the vibe, what look likely to dance? Forget the rest, play to
they’ve played and so on. Likewise, staying after them; they’ll get your floor started. The lads who
a club gig gives you a chance to learn from how haven’t danced all night? How can you get them
the night develops. on the floor? Study. Try. Learn.

2. IMPROVING YOUR DJ ETIQUETTE - Knowing how 5. GETTING TO KNOW THE STAFF - Managers, door
to treat other DJs in the booth is a great way to men, bathroom attendants, bar staff - it is not
appear professional and get the treatment you just manners learning these people’s names and
deserve. Simply respecting them when you’re engaging them - it is essential. If they’re rooting
setting up and they’re still playing, or vice versa, for you, they’ll be helping you spread the vibe.
and being friendly and professional towards Any good night needs a team to make it work,
them, will pay dividends for you. and you’re just part of their team. Act like it.

3. TAKING GIGS OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE


- When you feel uncomfortable, you learn. If
you’re asked to play a mobile DJ type gig but you
usually play bars, and you’re curious, take it! If
you’re a mobile guy asked to warm up a club,
don’t be shy - take it! These are the gigs where
your abilities as a DJ will grow the most.
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DIGITAL DJ TIPS | THE DJ TEST | THE GLOBAL DJ SCHOOL.


“The very systematic and clear approach of your training helped me
to concentrate on the things important for me. Surprisingly, the key
take-aways were not about some advanced techniques or details.
They were on basic, fundamental issues: track selection approach,
working on different types of a gear, preparation for gig, building
relations with promoters and club owners, and so on.

Since your training, I’ve taken a big step forward and, most
importantly, it’s in the proper direction. I have a structured web
presence in social networks, my website, and a fanbase. I have regular
gigs in different clubs. I have huge network among DJs, promoters,
club owners in a few countries. I organise my own parties and invite
leading DJs from other countries. Now I can think about the next step
- producing my own tracks. I feel like I’ll be in this business for many
years to come and I am enjoying my music more than ever.”
Leo Hazree, Baku, Azerbaijan
PROMOTING
YOURSELF

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PROMOTING
YOURSELF
In order to get the number of bookings you want, you need to deeply understand how
this works, and it doesn’t work by randomly giving out mixtapes. From having a great
online profile (including mastering social media), to building a valuable network of people
who can help you face-to-face in your town or city, to knowing how to ask for - and get
paid for - work, knowing how to promoting yourself is the glue that will hold everything
else together.

YOUR SCORE:

2/10

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DIGITAL DJ TIPS | THE DJ TEST | THE GLOBAL DJ SCHOOL.


YOUR PERSONALISED RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR PROMOTING YOURSELF

It is easy to do absolutely no or very little marketing and promotion around


your DJing. You may feel like you’re just doing this for fun, or you’re not really
good enough to shout about it yet, or that it is somehow demeaning to have to
do any of this stuff at all. The truth is, though, that other DJs with your level of
proficiency are doing it, and they’re getting ahead because of it. It’s never too
early to start promoting yourself, and you owe it to yourself to do so, because
it’s not hard, and without it, you’re never going to get anywhere - fact.

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DIGITAL DJ TIPS | THE DJ TEST | THE GLOBAL DJ SCHOOL.


The good news about promoting yourself is that little and often wins the
day, and it needn’t take up huge amounts of your time or money. In our
courses at Digital DJ Tips, we teach people to build their own DJ website,
construct and maintain social media presences, network in their towns
and cities to meet people who could give them work, and other advanced
marketing and promotion techniques. To start, though, try some of these
really simple steps:

1. GET SOME BUSINESS CARDS MADE - They are so 4. PUT A MIX ONLINE - There are lots of services
cheap nowadays from online companies that where you can post a DJ mix online, and
you’d be silly not to. You can give them out to Mixcloud is a good place to start - it’s legal,
anyone and everyone you meet, get friends and free, and will do wonders for your confidence.
family to pin them to company notice boards, You could put the URL on those business cards
and swap them with other DJs to start building you’re going to have done…
up a network of contacts.
5. TALK ABOUT YOUR DJING ON SOCIAL MEDIA -
2. PRACTISE YOUR “DJ PITCH” IN THE MIRROR - Post DJ-related links, your mixes and so on on
Might sound silly, but until you’re comfortable your Facebook feed, and make sure you have
telling people who you are and what you do, a written version of your DJ pitch there, with
your subconscious mind will stop you doing contact details. Again, people will see you’re
that. Say: “Hi I’m Phil, I’m a DJ, and am available serious about DJing, and tell others. This stuff
for club and mobile bookings in the London can and does lead to bookings.
area.” Replace my name and town with yours,
and go!

3. PLAY A PARTY FOR FAMILY - It’s really not hard


to volunteer your services for a family member’s
birthday or some big family occasion. Once
you’ve done this, your family will talk about you
to their friends, and I guarantee people will say
“oh, I didn’t realise he/she was a DJ…”.
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DIGITAL DJ TIPS | THE DJ TEST | THE GLOBAL DJ SCHOOL.


“My DJ sets are brilliant. I know they are. I get told all the time, and
every time I play or practise at home I’ve got you guys in my head
reminding me about something or other. The fear of not playing out
is now gone. Since taking your training, far from being trembling and
sick-frightened during an opening of a set, I’m smiling and thinking
‘wait till you see what I’ve got in store for you’.”
James Gillies, Jersey
Visit www.digitaldjtips.com/courses to find a DJ training course to help
you move your DJing to the next level, whatever you now feel is the most
pressing area you need to improve in.

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DIGITAL DJ TIPS | THE DJ TEST | THE GLOBAL DJ SCHOOL.


Review your overall

SCORE
The overall score reflects your ability to get the gigs you want, get paid what you think you’re
worth (if that’s what’s important to you), but most importantly, to get the enjoyment you’re
looking for from your DJing.

It is a measure of your connection to the music, your love of making people dance, and the
respect you’re getting from those who matter to you in the venues where you play, your town or
city, and the DJing community at large.

The overall score will improve as you land better gigs, earn more from your DJing, and start to
plan longer term - and start to believe in this process!

Of course, DJing doesn’t have to be about money (and it certainly doesn’t need to be about fame),
but recompense and recognition do have an impact on your happiness, satisfaction and long-term
ability to succeed as a DJ.

People who feel they’re constantly going unrewarded and unrecognised often derail themselves
as a result of blindly “chasing the dream” and burning out. It’s important to work on the right
things, and take this test regularly to see how you’re progressing!

TAKING TIME “OUT” FROM YOUR DJING TO WORK “ON” YOUR DJING
INSTEAD OF “IN” YOUR DJING (FINDING NEW SOURCES OF MUSIC, LEARNING
HOW A NEW PIECE OF GEAR WORKS, MASTERING A NEW SKILL, GETTING
GOOD AT PLAYING A DIFFERENT TYPE OF GIG, MASTERING A NEW SOCIAL
MEDIA NETWORK) WILL PUSH YOU FORWARD FASTER THAN ALWAYS DOING
THE SAME THING.

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DIGITAL DJ TIPS | THE DJ TEST | THE GLOBAL DJ SCHOOL.


A Great DJ knows they are able to progress by
following a plan. Your overall score shows you
where you are now, but you need to put your
plan in place to progress quickly and enjoy
yourself as you do.

WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR


OVERALL SCORE:
• Be sure you always ask for payment in your • Find a mentor or advisor who can help you
DJing, either in cash or other bonuses. Even improve your DJing skills. Or, take specific DJ
if you ask for a single pound, dollar or euro, the training courses to improve in the areas you
change in the dynamic between you and the think you need help the most (we can help with
person booking you is profound. that: visit www.digitaldjtips.com/courses)
• Aim to increase what you earn month- • Surround yourself with a peer group who
on-month. It’ll become a kind of game, and normalise the results you want to achieve.
increase your expectation that as time goes on, You’ll become more like the people you spend
you will improve, and you will be paid more. time with so be sure to choose wisely.
• Put your prices up. As you get established, an • Expand your DJing into new markets. If
easy way to do the above is to raise what you you want to play underground techno and
charge. Don’t wait and wait to do this; better to underground techno alone, move to a city that
charge more by continually raising your prices can sustain that type of specialisation. If you’re
in small increments than doing so all at once a mobile DJ, make sure you advertise with a
in a big leap. It also holds you accountable for wide enough reach to get sufficient bookings.
delivering at a higher level. You don’t need to be stuck playing small; it’s
you who decides the type of DJing you do, and
• Put systems and procedures in place to help
where you do it.
you advance in your DJing. Regular mixtapes,
timetabled music discovery sessions, a weekly • Change your style to get what you want.
residency - anything you can do that is routine If what motivates you the most is full, happy
and repeats will help you get into the right dancefloors and getting paid rather than
mindset to work constantly at becoming a playing a certain type of music, don’t be proud -
Great DJ. change your music to please the crowds you can
get where you are!

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DIGITAL DJ TIPS | THE DJ TEST | THE GLOBAL DJ SCHOOL.


WHAT NEXT?
OUR GOAL IS TO SUPPORT DJS TO BECOME SUCCESSFUL AND FULFILLED, WHATEVER STYLE OF
MUSIC OR DJING IT IS THEY LOVE, AND WHATEVER THEIR ASPIRATIONS.

We want to see more music lovers performing the music they love, not just playing it passively. We
think every music fan has it in them to be a DJ, and we do not subscribe to elitism or “one size
fits all” philosophies of how DJing should be done. The dancefloor is always right, and we know
that music can change lives - we want as many people as possible to share the joy we’ve had filling
dancefloors and changing lives ourselves.

Since 2010, we’ve helped over 13,000 people to learn to DJ, via our website, books, seminars and
video courses, based around our philosophy of teaching gear, music, techniques, playing out and
promoting yourself as interlinking parts of what the modern DJ has to do to achieve success.

We believe that you have a huge passion for music and you have a burning desire to share that
music with other people. If you completed this test, clearly you are open to ways of improving
your skills and success as a DJ.

Each year, we run a series of big training courses for people just like you, each of which teaches a
set number of students via a mixture of on-demand video lessons, tutor and student interaction,
and live webinars. These courses currently cover DJing, scratching, and production.

THE NEXT STEP IS TO REGISTER YOUR INTEREST FOR ONE OR MORE OF THESE
COURSES, EACH OF WHICH RUNS ONCE A YEAR. ONCE YOU HAVE, WE’LL
INFORM YOU WHEN THE COURSE OR COURSES YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ARE
OPEN FOR REGISTRATION FOR THAT YEAR. YOU CAN DO SO AT
WWW.DIGITALDJTIPS.COM/ACADEMY

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DIGITAL DJ TIPS | THE DJ TEST | THE GLOBAL DJ SCHOOL.


YOU CAN ALSO
READ OUR BOOK.
CLICK HERE

AND WATCH OUR REVIEWS AND view online now


FREE TRAINING OVER ON OUR
YOUTUBE CHANNEL

DIGITAL DJ TIPS | THE DJ TEST | THE GLOBAL DJ SCHOOL.


THANK YOU FOR USING THIS ONLINE TOOL AND TAKING A
VALUABLE STEP TOWARDS BECOMING A GREAT DJ, WHATEVER YOUR
MUSIC AND WHATEVER TYPE OF DJ YOU WANT TO BE.
IF YOU HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS AND YOU WOULD LIKE TO GET IN
TOUCH EMAIL INFO@DIGITALDJTIPS.COM

STAY IN TOUCH

www.facebook.com/digitaldjtips www.twitter.com/digitaldjtips

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DIGITAL DJ TIPS | THE DJ TEST | THE GLOBAL DJ SCHOOL.

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