I know you love DJ’ing and music. You desperately want to fill your life with being behind the decks and live the ultimate fancy life style you always dream about. But, there is a big question mark in your head, ” Can I make a full-time living from it ? “. Today, we are gonna look for the answer of that question.

First off, let me clarify that being a DJ can very well be a full-time job and profession, but how ? You have to invest in equipment, establish a solid name in the business society and be really good at what you do. People pay you for your talent and experience, not for your looks.

At The Beginning

The very first step to take is practicing like hell and improving your skills as a DJ. It may be painful in the beginning. Spending days and nights for searching music, building your library, exercising your mixes and transitions would take a long time. There is no way avoiding all that. You just have to go through it.

After you advance your DJ skills, then comes the ” finding the gig ” part. You start contacting your local bars or clubs to grab a session, at least once a week. You even play for free to prove yourself. It’s all part of the process. Don’t worry about free gigs, it definitely helps you overcome your stress and panic about being in front of public. Trust me, it’s not easy until you get used to it.

DJ’ing Professionally

Once you decide to go full-time as a DJ, there are two paths in front of you. Either go public or private. Public means being a bar or club DJ. Being private is about parties and weddings.

Club DJ’ing is not only in your hands, somehow. A good reputation and personal connections may be required to get good gigs. World famous DJs make millions of dollars a year, but those numbers are really exceptional, compared to the majority of the market. Maybe one in ten thousand. In order to be able to sustain a reasonable income, you don’t need to make that much, of course. If you manage to spin three or four nights a week at certain bars or clubs, why not go for it. I strongly believe that such an income would be more than enough for your expenses and savings.

One thing about club DJ’ing always worries me though, no guarantee of continuous work at the same venue. You’re up to the boss. One day you are there, the other day you are gone. No benefits either.

What About Mobile ?

Now let’s take a look at private or mobile DJ’ing. You get hired per event and do the job. There is a much better pay for your time and effort as a mobile DJ. People spend a lot of money for weddings, sweet sixteens or their house parties and the music is a big part of it.

Besides the better income you get, there is also more you need to spend for your initial setup and equipment. Most mobile DJs own their sound and lighting systems and they cost quite a lot of money. In my opinion, it is worth it. Once you build a high quality gear bundle, it would last a long time. So, this is a one-time spending.

The best promotion for a mobile DJ is the gig he successfully completes. Hundreds of people watch you perform. Once you satisfy one customer, he will bring you ten more. Word of mouth is your business card.

My point of writing all these is;

If you decide to go full-time as a DJ, consider the mobile option. You spend more but you get much more back, compared to spinning at clubs. Once you locally establish your name with decent reputation, it is very much possible to make a living out of it.

A high business standard, discipline and good human relations will definitely bring success and a decent amount of income to you as a DJ.

You May Also Read

2018 Best DJ Controllers Under $500

Pitch Slider Vs Pitch Bend

Is Prearranging A DJ Set Cheating ?

Should A DJ Take Requests ?

Last updated by Murat Celikbas on May 25, 2018.