What To Do While Waiting For The Next Song ?

So, DJs have this ” Two Minute” gap between every song they mix and it equals to almost 4 hours in a usual 6-hour gig.

Wow, it sounded like we do nothing and get paid just to stand there ! Of course, that’s not the truth.

The couple of minutes I’m talking about is the time frame between transitions DJs have. Whatever they do happens in those 2 minutes. The question is how professional DJs spend that time.

There are basic actions for a regular DJ to fill up that time slot which are, searching for the next song, sipping his drink, talking to his buddies, taking requests from guests, reading the crowd or dealing with an unexpected problem in the booth and trying to fix it while sweating to death (no joke !). Some also tend to dance and energize the crowd by their moves.

Now, let’s make a ” priority list ” of what to do as a DJ while waiting to mix the next song in.

Search for the best “next” track

This should be your number one. Unless you have a playlist in hand, it may take half of your gap until you dig into your library and find the next best track. Cueing the song and test-mixing it will leave you just about enough time to make the transition.

Read the crowd

A DJ can not play the most suitable music if he doesn’t know how the crowd reacts to it. Always look around and observe the audience, see if they’re enjoying it or not. This will definitely help your search of the next song too.

Have fun

Stress is your worst enemy as a DJ. Better you feel, more positive energy you pass onto your crowd. Believe or not, you rule the dance floor with your mood and vibe. They feel it.

So, if you wanna dance, do it, nothing wrong with that. Of course in the booth 🙂 Have couple drinks too, it’ll take the edge off.

Don’t “Stand Still”

Digital DJs unfortunately give a false impression to audience that they do nothing. Thanks to technology ! We all know that’s not what happens, so let’s prove it when performing.

Always spread your moves and actions into those couple of minutes and set your equipment in such a way that you don’t always stand in upright position and look straight forward.

Try to place your laptop on the side so you can face a different direction while looking at your monitor. Your headphones also will help you move by taking them off while not monitoring music.

Interact with others

People will always come by the booth and try to talk to you or ask for a request. Maybe you’ll have a friend standing next to you. It’s a good idea to step away from your set-up even for a short time. Talk to others and have your drink once in a while. Refresh yourself.

More important than all those above, always know who you play for and pick your songs accordingly. Music is what makes a DJ good.

 

 

Last updated by Murat Celikbas on December 17, 2014.