Generally, when most people think of DJing, it consists of performing in front of a large crowd of people either on a stage or in a venue. And while this is true for all DJing, the truth is that there is more than just a single type of DJing. In addition to the more standard type of DJ performance, where a DJ performs at a set number of regular locations, a DJ can also be what’s called a mobile DJ.
So, what is a mobile DJ? Mobile DJs are DJs that don’t have a set venue where they perform, instead taking on gigs at weddings, birthday parties, and private events. Many DJs will use mobile events as their supplemental work in addition to performing at a venue while others may use mobile DJing as a way to gain a name for themselves before transitioning to a more permanent location.
In this article, we’re going to go over mobile Djing as well as go over some useful tips you can use to get started in your DJ journey.
What Is A Mobile DJ?
Whereas a DJ (also known as a Disc Jockey) is a person that plays music in front of an audience, often including different sound effects for the performance, Mobile Djing acts virtually the same way. The difference between the two really breaks down to venue and location. Most DJs that are established, will perform as regular at a designated venue. This is separate from a mobile DJ, which is someone that performs effectively “on call” for special events. These events can range from weddings and birthday parties to family reunions, school dances, and even work retreats.
The biggest difference between standard DJs and mobile DJs is the fact that mobile DJs don’t have a set venue and can often find themselves performing in different locations potentially every time they go out.
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Standard DJs Vs. Mobile DJs
It’s a bit of a misnomer to say that there are “standard” DJs, however, the general idea is that a DJ performs regularly at a bar or club rather than solely at outside venues. From this perspective, mobile DJs do share some striking differences.
In addition to the aforementioned differences listed, mobile DJs differ from standard DJs by way of gear and equipment. Generally, mobile DJs will have smaller and more portable equipment with them, as they will often be required to set it up and break it down after the performance. This is in stark contrast to more established DJs in a set location, which generally won’t need to bring anything other than their respective controller or audio interface device.
Mobile DJs tend to have a bit less control over the type of music they play, generally working with an event planner. This is in contrast with standard or club DJs, which generally will have a set genre of their choice that they’ll stick to during a performance. Standard DJs tend to also implement other differences, namely using things like strobe lights and special effects. Generally, while mobile DJs can use these things, they tend to be more reserved, following a set playlist without much deviation or use of special effects.
Lastly, club DJs tend to need to be much more in tune with the current trend of songs out. This is regardless of their particular genre. This can be a bit exhausting if you’re not interested in the newer things coming out. Because mobile DJs tend to create their music playlist based on what the event coordinator wants, they don’t need to be near as in touch with newer music. There’s also a bigger emphasis put on club DJs to gauge the crowd’s reactions to know what to do to keep the interest high. While mobile DJs should ideally pay attention to this, it is nowhere near as important.
Mobile Djing – How To Get Started
If you’re just getting started, becoming a mobile DJ is one of the most effective ways to make a name for yourself. Provided you have the skills and expertise, it’s much easier to get started than at an established location and can quickly allow you to put yourself out there and garner a reputation.
To become a mobile DJ and even start running your very own mobile DJ business, there are a few things you’ll want to do to get started.
Step 1. Get The Right Equipment
Being a mobile DJ does have its benefits. The most apparent of the benefits is the fact that you don’t need to purchase big and bulky equipment, as you’re likely going to be performing in front of smaller crowds of people than if you were at an established venue. Similarly, mobile DJs need to be as portable and free-flowing as possible.
Some of the most basic pieces of equipment include a laptop, some form of DJ software, a DJ controller, and a set of speakers. You can consider adding in other pieces of equipment like a mixer or DJ headphones, but these are more optional than a requirement.
Step 2. Build Your Music Collection
After making sure you’ve got all of the right equipment, your next step is to make sure you’ve got a large enough music collection. Depending on the type of DJing you plan on doing, this can vary a fair bit. For some, the number of songs could only be twenty or so while other DJs may want a collection within the hundreds. Generally the more songs you have available and the more varied they are, the better off you’ll be.
Step 3. Practice
Lastly, you’ll want to make sure you’re constantly practicing and refining your craft. Make sure you have a deep enough understanding of what you’re doing as a DJ as well as what the different effects and features are on your controller. This will not only make your performances as a mobile DJ better in general, but by improving your skills, you’ll be able to increase your standing and reputation, eventually getting better gigs as well as being offered a position in an established venue.
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How To Get Mobile DJ Gigs
As mentioned, mobile DJ gigs are a good deal easier to get compared to more standard club DJ gigs. This is because they are generally much less complex while also taking much less time in comparison.
Still, that doesn’t mean it’s as simple as putting your name out there and getting a call the next day. You’re going to want to make sure you’re putting your name out there as much as possible and constantly networking with other mobile DJs as well as music lovers and those involved in the industry. Some of the ways you can keep your name on everyone’s tongue include some of the following methods.
Method 1. Go To Events
A great initial way to put yourself out there in all the right ways is by making a point to attend events and conferences as well as certain meetups and get-togethers. Yes, you can connect with some mobile DJs online through social media, but this doesn’t develop a relationship nearly as well as meeting them face-to-face and in person.
Going to physical events not only is great for helping develop relationships, but it also helps you better understand what a mobile DJ actually does when performing compared to what you “think” they do.
Method 2. Market Yourself
While all of these methods require some level of self-marketing and promotion, it’s worth it to understand that you’re going to want to take an active step in promoting yourself to those around you. This can be done by making a blog website or putting your name in an online directory. If you’re not able to put together a quality website to market yourself, you can always pass out business cards or flyers as well as consider making a TikTok or YouTube video.
Method 3. Online Streaming
A third way to market yourself is to play music as an online streaming DJ.
You can perform on sites like Twitch as well as YouTube or Facebook and stream performances.
This can be an expensive prospect if you’re willing to make it high quality, however, if you’re serious, advertising yourself and your skills via stream performances is one of the most effective methods to translate to actual paying gigs.
Method 4. Word Of Mouth
Lastly, the most effective method of marketing is via word of mouth. This goes above online streaming your skills since it’s actual individuals that used your service and can directly speak to how the event went.
To start, you’ll want to consider performing for friends and family and having them spread the word about your performance.
If you’re able to get a chance to perform at a friend’s or family member’s birthday or wedding, this can be a great introductory DJ gig to springboard your career. For many, even starting with just a house party can be a worthy start.
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How Many Hours Do Mobile DJs Work?
Depending on how hard you’re working on your mobile DJ business and how much time you plan to spend performing, the number of hours a mobile DJ can spend can vary greatly. Typically, a DJ can find themselves working between 10 and 15 hours a week. This time limit can include event planning, setting up equipment, and traveling to and from your gigs in addition to your actual performance.
In some cases, mobile DJs can find themselves putting in 20 hours of work if they have a consistent number of referrals and scheduled performances, though this usually is only during the summer and busier times of the year.
Overall, the amount of time largely depends on the type of event that’s being performed. For example, a wedding will likely take longer than a birthday party or a work party.
Working Full-Time Vs. Part-Time As A DJ
If you’re just starting mobile Djing, it can be tempting to believe you’re going to get work almost immediately once you know what you’re doing. The truth is that, like with most other jobs, it’s going to take a lot of work before you’re popular enough to warrant anyone giving you consistent work. For most DJs getting started, they’re going to need to keep their day job, working as a DJ during nights and weekends.
In addition to the realities of how much work you’ll expect to get just starting, you’ll also need to consider how much money you’ll need to invest in your DJ equipment to regularly play music. Even if you’re only working as a mobile DJ, getting a quality controller and speaker isn’t cheap. You’ll find that you’re constantly turning most of your earnings in to pay off your equipment and keep everything running. In fact, you’ll also want to think about investing in higher-quality equipment for a better listening experience, meaning that it can be a bit of time before you’re making a real profit that you can live off of.
What Mobile DJ Skills You Should Have
To be a mobile DJ, while it’s not quite as difficult as being a club DJ, does require a bit of focus on your part as well as some important and useful skills.
Skill 1. Communication
Easily the most important skill you’ll need as a DJ is proper communication. While you obviously will need proper communication during the beginning stages, where you’re planning things out with the event coordinator, you also need to be able to properly communicate with your audience.
It’s not enough to just communicate with the event coordinator, however. You also want to make sure you’re constantly communicating with the audience, both verbally and non-verbally.
As a mobile DJ, you can take song requests as well as talk to the audience directly, asking them how they’re liking the music, and properly gauging them by their responses.
This lets you determine what you’re next song is as well as how you want to play it and what effects you might want to implement to best get them up and moving.
Skill 2. Intuitive Music Knowledge
The second skill you need is to have a deep enough well of knowledge when it comes to music as well as a solid ear for what songs are most apt to get your specific audience out of their chairs and having a great time.
You can do this by curating a list of high-energy fun songs that people love and reviewing what about these songs is so good.
Once you’ve had a chance to adequately study these tracks, you can try practicing with friends and family to see how quickly they start wanting to dance or sing along with any set song.
This is an incredibly important skill that has tons of upsides if you’re serious about perfecting it.
Skill 3. Open-Format
The last skill is another very important skill that you’ll benefit from tremendously if you master it.
This skill is simply the art of working well with other performers. When you’re working alongside other DJs, you’ll want to make sure you and they are on the same sheet of music and working well together.
This not only will make the event go well (thus raising your reputation with the client) but it will also endear you to the other DJ, granting you additional opportunities for collaborations you may not have otherwise had.
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What Mistakes To Avoid As A Mobile DJ
While there are some important skills you need to do well as a mobile DJ, there are also some different mistakes you’ll want to avoid as much as possible to keep from potentially crashing your performance.
Mistake 1. Not Knowing Your Music
Probably the biggest mistake you could realistically make is not knowing the music you plan to go out with. Your songs are an essential tool for quality performance. By not knowing your songs, you’ll have a hard time knowing when to transition from one track to the next as well as when to implement any effects to spice things up.
Take some time and go over the catalog so that you know exactly what songs you have available. Then, play around with it until you are 100% confident in your knowledge and ability.
Mistake 2. Not Knowing Your Equipment
While not quite as bad as not knowing your songs, it’s going to be a serious issue if you don’t know what type of equipment you’re using at any point in time.
If you can’t differentiate between a controller, a mixer, and a set of turntables, it will be apparent when you’re performing on stage and second-guessing your actions.
Take some time to go over the different pieces of equipment and practice, practice, practice!
How To Decide On The Right Music For An Event
It doesn’t matter what type of crowd you’re in front of or dealing with, knowing what to put out and knowing how to make it stand out is incredibly important.
If you want to be an effective and successful DJ, you’re going to need to be able to pick the right music for your events. And while this generally requires a good bit of talent and experience, there are some useful points to keep in mind.
1. Consider The Setting
The first thing you want to do is take the temperature of the room and gauge what type of tone and atmosphere you want to create.
For example, if you’re performing at a semi-formal event as a wedding DJ, you’re going to want to be a bit more restrained than you might otherwise be for a frat-boy house party.
And regardless of either party’s situation, you’re going to want to make sure that the music you’re putting out is appropriate for that situation.
If cursing and explicit language seem like it’s going to be unacceptable based on the environment, opt for the cleaner version of the same song.
2. Consider Your Audience
Once you’ve gauged the location’s setting and atmosphere, you next want to consider the type of audience you’re going to deal with and what type of music they want to hear.
Obviously, if you’re working as a mobile DJ you’ll have a general framework already established on what songs you’ll play. Still, in some situations, you may need to zero in on some specific types of songs.
For example, if you’re in a crowd and you don’t know enough about them to determine the types of tracks that will be good, play some of the Top 40 new songs and see what they start resonating with.
Have a variety of genres available that you can jump from.
If they look like they’re fans of Country, Hip-Hop, or Alternative Rock, make sure you’ve got a few of each track available to run at a moment’s notice.
How To Make Your Mobile DJ Gig Successful
If you’re serious about making your gigs as successful as possible, there’s one key thing you have to always remember, and that’s that your focus shouldn’t be on your music.
This may seem strange to say but it’s true. Whether you’re going to be performing in a club venue or at a school event or a house party, your focus shouldn’t be on the music, but rather it should be almost entirely on the audience.
You want to be able to read the crowd’s reactions to what you’re putting out and how that relates to what they want to hear. Are they having a good time and enjoying themselves or are they sitting around bored?
Your goal isn’t to put out music that you think is great, but rather music that excites the crowd and gets them jamming along with you.
A successful DJ is a DJ who not only has all the right songs, tracks, and skills, but also can read each crowd and know when to play what song, when to skip to the next song, and when to crank things up.
If you’re performing at a house party or a wedding venue, you can even take requests (based on the situation) as you’re likely to have a larger collection of tracks with a greater variety when compared to a club DJ.
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What is A Mobile DJ: Summary
As you can see, becoming a successful and acclaimed mobile DJ isn’t quite as impossible as you may have initially thought.
In fact, provided you know what you’re doing, there are a lot of tools and methods available to get you on the path to not only becoming a successful mobile DJ but one that can DJ professionally.
By following the different tips and tools laid out in this article, you’ll be able to improve your performance and put yourself out there much faster than you would otherwise.
So, whether you’re planning on putting yourself out there to blow up as a mobile DJ or just want to take your cousin’s wedding party to the next level, here’s to a rocking performance that you (and your audience) will never forget.
