Picking the perfect DJ name isn’t easy. Initial impressions tend to stick in a way that is hard to shake. That is also very true for the first feeling people get from an artist’s DJ name. Conveying what you, as a DJ, are about in just a few syllables is not the easiest of tasks. Especially if you want to have it work for you down the line. However, it is arguably one of the most important choices you will make in your DJ career.
A great DJ name will intrigue listeners, encompass your stage persona, and be the wind beneath your wings whenever you rock the stage. Ideally, you want to come up with something memorable, catchy, and cool that you will be proud to stand behind. The line between a cool and cringe DJ name is a delicate one, and it depends on many individual factors.
It is one thing to choose something that makes you giggle because it is an inside joke, but once you are a few years in and headlining clubs, the same DJ name may not be quite as adequate. Whether it be e-mail accounts or stylistic choices made as teenagers, they are pretty tough to approve of a decade later.
Keep in mind that a DJ name will accompany you for a long time. It can be tricky to create a unique one for yourself while predicting how you will evolve. It is natural and good for your artistic taste to change over the years, and you want your DJ name to be a pillar that you can grow with, as opposed to something that will chain you to a style, sound, or mood.
Quite a few of the big artist DJ name are known to be questionable in terms of taste, but their talent makes up for it. Some high-profile DJs and bands even hate their names (DJ Snake, Arctic Monkeys, Foo Fighters for example), but they are stuck with it.
Changing it mid-career takes effort, and it may sacrifice built up momentum. However, the fact that you are reading this already ensures that you care about your to-be DJ name. That is half the battle won. We are here to help guide you through the ins and outs of picking the perfect moniker for you.
Here is what we will cover in this guide:
- What makes a DJ name great
- Importance of choosing ASAP
- What to consider
- Choosing DJ names
- Finding ideas for DJ names
What Makes a DJ Name Great?
Many variables go into the matter of how well your DJ name fits you, so there is no one formula to abide by. It could be said that whatever makes you feel the best is the greatest name for you. However, tastes differ wildly, and some meanings, out of context, may not translate as intended.
Therefore, it is important to put some thought into how your DJ name choice may come across in different settings. Ideally, you want something that makes you feel great, and also hits these factors:
- It reflects your style and identity
- It appeals to your target audience
- It’s empowering
- It’s memorable
- It sounds like a classic (in the making)
- It’s SEO optimized
Why It is Important to Choose a DJ Name ASAP
If you are even somewhat serious about being a DJ, there is no way around picking a cool DJ name to go by. You might as well do it sooner, rather than later. As soon as you start making mixtapes and playing small venues, you inevitably start to build your brand. Being identifiable in all of those situations is a crucial part of your successful progress.
People that like what you do will want to follow your social media channels, listen to your stuff, and perhaps offer you gigs for the future. If you do a great job and have everything on point, you might come across as a pro even though you are on your third gig.
Even if you play in a small no-name club, you never know what opportunities could arise. In all cases, you have to expect the best and be prepared to welcome a chance when it comes knocking. That means having your name, branding, and social media channels thought out and in good order.
There have been many opportunities wasted due to sheer laziness of doing so. Be smart and learn from the mistakes of other young DJs. Dress for the job you want, meaning, get a name as soon as you start your DJ venture and start building your digital empire around it.
What’s in a DJ Name: What to Consider
There is quite a lot to consider when choosing your DJ name, so below we have identified a few key things to watch out for.
Is Your DJ Name going to Fit the Type of DJ You Aim to Be?
Before starting to consider what DJ name suits you best, it is important to understand where you would like your career to head. Serendipity may play its part in bringing you to unexpected places, but you should have a general outline. You don’t want to sabotage your range of gigging options.
Club DJs
If you aim to focus mainly on club gigs, then it is best to try and make your DJ name fitting to those circumstances. Club DJs can get away with a saucier, edgier DJ name. Depending on what subculture appeals to you, you could try and base your name around your ideal niche. It could be related to the scenes of techno, rap, rave culture, LGBTQ, or whatever you like.
Mobile DJs
For people who want to focus on playing a broader range of gigs that include festivals, corporate bookings, and bars, it is advisable to not try to lean out of the window too much in terms of shock value. A mobile DJs name should appeal to young audiences, but not alienate those who are more conservative.
In the case that you have not yet decided where you would like your career to head, then aim for a DJ name somewhere in the middle. A DJ name that is cool, but won’t raise eyebrows too much. Losing out on potential bookings merely because a name is too silly or edgy is not something you want to happen if you aim to appeal to mass audiences.
Is Your DJ Name Online Search Friendly?
Nowadays, being easily findable on search engines and Instagram is a hefty boon to have. Especially if you are looking to book random gigs at events, bars, weddings, and so on. That is where SEO optimization comes into play. Search engine optimization relies heavily on specific keywords and their combinations.
Say someone is looking to find a generic DJ for their event. Say a booker knows he wants someone to play pop music, and the event will happen in San Francisco. They will most likely search for “pop music DJ San Francisco”. All the DJs that have these keywords in their DJ names, Instagram handles, bios, and descriptions will rank the highest on the results page. It is well known that the vast majority of people do not look beyond the first page of the google search results.
That means, the most SEO optimized DJ names will have the best chances to get booked by whoever looks for DJs generically. This is something to keep in mind if such random bookings are important to you.
Will it hold up as a DJ Name?
This one is not so easy to foresee, but it is of utmost importance. If you are still looking for a DJ name, chances are that you are just starting in your career. What is cool when you are young, may make you blush down the line.
A sense of rebellion is great to have, but if you are leaning towards a total shocker of a DJ name, consider toning it down a notch so you won’t have to regret it later. It is often better to let your music do the talking, and rather have the name be something digestible, as opposed to extremely impressionistic.
By no means do we say you should be boring, but keeping it classy is always a smart move. Remember that you will have to live up to your name. If you overextend to something like DJ Crazyboots, you may eventually start feeling trapped by people expecting you to go nuts all the time. A consideration would be not to put all of your sauce into the DJ name but rather spread it across your playing, image, and style.
Balance and counterpoints are important if you want to have it be tasteful for years to come. Keep it shaken, not stirred.
Choosing DJ Names
Right, let’s get into the nitty-gritty and get down to business. Here we point out some real steps to choosing your DJ name.
Real names for DJ names
Some people are blessed with classy, cool names from birth. While we often can’t quite judge our names objectively because we are so used to them, you may already have a good DJ name going for you. Some of the best DJs nowadays use their birth names, and it suits them pretty well.
Think Nina Kraviz, Richie Hawtin, Charlotte De Witte, Carl Cox, Adam Beyer. Going with your birth name, or an element of it is a safe bet. It may not be very intriguing, but chances are that you won’t grow bored of it. You have to weigh your options here.
If your name is rather common, unmemorable, or is very foreign-sounding, you could try and shape it up. For example, Martin Garrix’s real name is Martijn Garritsen. Garrix sounds snappier and is more universal sounding. Making your name sound more English is a good idea if you want to appeal to an international audience.
Another option is to go hybrid – mix your real name with something made up, stylize, or shorten it. Think Alesso – Alessandro Lindblad, Borgore – Asaf Borger, Tommy Trash – Thomas Olsen, Walshy Fire – Leighton Walsh.
Personal Meaning
If you are not into using your birth name, there are plenty of other DJ name options. A name that has some basis in your storyline could be a nice choice as you will easily identify with it, and it will have an air of life imbued authenticity.
That could be a nickname from your childhood or something you’ve picked up in your local music scene. A fun story could be grounds for the name. For example, someone obsessed with exploring the capabilities of a smoke machine during gigs could become DJ Smokehead, Cloud Control, or something along the lines.
This may or may not be a true story, but the verdict is that once people fail to find doors, it’s time to lay off the button. Is raving in a cloud worth it? Yes.
Getting Surreal
On the other end of the spectrum, you could go with something completely fictional as a DJ name. If you opt for that choice, then it could help to think in terms of your beloved fictional characters.
Ask yourself, what would an awesome musical superhero name sound like? Once you have the name, you can start building around it and becoming it. Making an alter-ego DJ name can serve as your stage persona psychologically, i.e. David Bowie – Ziggy Stardust.
A fictional name will have you feeling different than usual. When you feel differently, you act differently. One can make that an advantage and lean into an inspiring fiction to get as creatively inspired as possible.
Finding Ideas for DJ Names
Looking for cool or funny DJ name ideas is fun, and the options are endless. If you have no radar on what to go for, then take a look at some lists of the top DJs in the world. Instagram, Soundcloud, and Mixcloud are also good places to scroll through for getting a feel of what is out there.
Jot down some things you like about particular DJ names and go from there. After you have a general direction, these are some methods you can use to spark your creativity:
Random word generators
Clicking through a random word generator is like playing roulette with the quantum field of opportunities. You could fish out some things that inspire uncommon trains of thought and lead you into something intriguing. A dictionary or thesaurus are alternative options.
Use music-related terms
Incorporating musical concepts or DJ scene related terms can sound pretty nifty when done right. Here are some examples of words to use: beat, pocket, bassline, fade, sound, hertz, spin, hit, drop, BPM, dance, feel, show, tech, analog, flash, groove, etc. You get the idea.
DJ name generators
DJ name generators are to be used with a grain of salt, but who is to say that the cyber solution may not come up with a stroke of genius once in a while? Upon trying two different ones, the results were DJ Fast Flame and DJ Cheeze Patrol. Success rates will vary.
Favorite lyrics or songs
Your favorite jams could be good grounds to fish out great ideas. Whether it be a song lyric, title, or any related trivia, it is a nice way to give a tip of the hat to whatever ignited your musical interests in the first place by basing your DJ name around it.
Life inspirations
Anything that inspired you in your life could be a source for DJ name ideas. It could be an author, a cartoon, a brand, a philosophy, the list goes on. Anything that shaped your outlook on life, guided you aesthetically, or musically could be something to incorporate into your choice.
Spirit quest
If you want your DJ name to have some personal gravitas, you could get exotic and dedicate a spiritual journey to finding it. The Eagles famously went on a trip into the desert to come up with theirs.
Whatever specifics it would entail, that is up to you. Allowing your subconscious to come through is often a fruitful endeavor when it comes to creativity. The painter Salvador Dali used to fish for ideas in the state between wakefulness and dreaming. He would put a metal tray beside him and hold items made of metal above it.
As he would drift to sleep in contemplation, the items would fall out of his hand and into the tray. The sound would wake him up and he would write down the interesting ideas that went through his head in the hypnagogic state.
Final Thoughts on Choosing the Best DJ name
All in all, try and come up with a list of DJ name options that you feel good about by trusting your inner compass. If you were a legend, what would you be called? Sleep on your DJ name choices, and get second opinions from close friends. In the end, the choice is all up to you.
There are plenty of DJ names that are quite plain or out to lunch, but the talent behind the name takes it to new levels of coolness. Excellent musical skills can elevate any name to legendary status, and we’ve seen it time and time again.
Deadmau5 and Marshmallow wouldn’t have won any awards for their names, but look where they are now career-wise. Most importantly, make sure that you love your DJ name choice and that it looks good on a Grammy. Best of luck with the brainstorming!
