What Is An Open Format DJ? (Easy, Think Jazzy Jeff!)

In the DJing world, there are a few different types of DJ specialties one can focus on. These can include things like club DJs, mobile DJs, radio DJs, or even home studio DJs. Generally speaking, while it’s normal to dabble in multiple options, most DJs will focus primarily on one genre as their main performance, doing the others in their off-time or as a way to supplement their dance floor income.

A couple of good examples of open Format DJs would be artists like Jazzy Jeff, Shminky or the Northern Monkey.

One of the less common types of DJing is somewhat of a subsection of the mobile DJ, and that is known as an open format DJ.

These DJs are like mobile DJs in the fact that they often frequent a variety of smaller venues, such as parties, weddings, as well as school events. They can also be seen at club locations, but this is generally for special occasions. What makes them unique from mobile DJs, however, is their ability to play and mix music from a variety of sources and styles, taking requests directly from the audience or event planner.

In this breakdown, we’ll get into what an open format DJ is, what they do, some of the places they can be seen, as well as what you could expect from an open format DJ experience.

What Is An Open Format DJ?

As previously mentioned, open format DJs are DJs that are much freer and more generalized about the type of music they can play or mix while on stage. This is in stark difference compared to most other DJ styles, which focus on a single genre or niche of music to focus on during their performance.

In this, they share a lot of similarities with mobile DJs, a more general type of DJ that performs at multiple locations and also can have a wider selection of music to perform with. The big difference between the two is the fact that mobile DJs have a playlist that is largely agreed to by the event coordinator. This is different from an open format DJ, which has its own set of tracks already established, taking recommendations from the crowd to keep it fresh and unique.

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How to be an Open Format DJ

Now that you know what it is to be an open-format DJ, how it differs from other types of DJing, as well as what type of music you can put on a playlist, you may feel interested in getting involved in this type of music. If that’s the case, here are a few useful tips you’ll want to keep in mind as you get started on your open-format DJ journey.

1. Practice, Practice, Practice

No matter what type of music you’re performing with, transitioning can be a tricky thing, with some genres being more difficult than others. As open format DJs, you’re going to have to not only make sure you’re performing smooth transitions in general but with potentially completely different genres. This means you’re going to have to focus on quicker transitions so that there is as little genre clash as possible. This helps keep your momentum up and keep the party going, even if you have a drop in the tempo.

2. Split Your Sets Up

Set splitting is very important when you’re playing with multiple genres. Ideally, you should give each genre its own segmented set time of 15 minutes. This will give your audience a long enough time in a specific genre while also helping create a better flow for you before transitioning out.

It’s important to note that this is different from rapid-fire quick transitions within a single set. Essentially, this means that, by splitting your sets up by 15 minutes, you stay in a single genre for the allotted time before transitioning to a separate genre. While you’ll still need to do good transitions for the tracks within a set, they won’t need to be nearly as quick as they will be of the same genre.

3. Make Your DJ Set Creative

Open Format DJs don’t just hit the main genres! Remember that you’ve got pretty much the musical world as your oyster. If you’re a good open format DJ , go nuts and try out any type of genre mashup that you want. From mixing old school with modern pop, and acapella with techno. or even throwing your own personal edit tracks in the mix for good measure, these are all great ways of adding flair to your performance and taking advantage of the freedom this type of DJing offers.

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4. Read The Crowd

It doesn’t matter what type of DJ you are, if you have a crowd in front of you, you need to be constantly gauging their interest in what you’re doing. If you’re an open format DJ, this skill is even more important, as rather than just appealing to them from song to song, you need to appeal to them from genre to genre.

For example, while you may want to throw some country into your performance, if you’re at an audience full of EDM and techno lovers, you’re going to want to really know how to read the room before having that big of a tonal shift.

In addition to listening to them in general, don’t be afraid to listen to what they have to say directly when it comes to the music choices.

As with most DJs, expect to get asked to play a certain track or a specific song.

Since that’s the case, one thing DJs may successfully do is have a pen and paper ready to take down requests. Later, we talk about using Spotify as another way to get ideas of what your crowd may want.

Remember that, while you’re there to party and perform, you’re ultimately there to make sure your audience is having a great time.

5. Alway Make a Back Up!

As an open-format DJ, you’re probably going to be playing with a longer number of sets compared to most club DJs.

As such, you’re going to be better served by putting your music on an external drive of some sort, whether that be a USB drive, pen, or even a CD.

This makes sure there aren’t any issues with your music while also making it easier to jump from one set to the next.

If your venue allows it, you can also consider putting together a Spotify playlist. This won’t fly over with every location, no, but if it does, you can pull directly from your Spotify, making it easier time to understand the more niche genres out there.

If you’re able to open it up to your audience a few days prior, you can even use it as a sort of request list to give you an idea of what your crowd is interested in hearing.

Where Do Open Format DJ Play?

Just as their music can be varied so too can the number of locations open format DJs can visit to do a gig. This can include some of the staple locations, like weddings, corporate, and school functions, while also hitting some places you wouldn’t expect, like on the radio or for a podcast. Just a few other locations can include hotel bars, festivals, student unions, as well as corporate Events.

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What Does An Open Format DJ Playlist Look Like?

Because an open format DJ is, by nature, able to operate along multiple genres during a single performance, there isn’t a set look the same way there may be for a club DJ or a more structured mobile DJ. Pretty much whatever you want to throw in is fair game, provided you can make it flow and mix well.

While there are the obvious pop, hip-hop, house music, and techno available, open-format DJs can also engage in different genres such as chill-out, tropical house, reggaeton, dance, garage, and Latin pop. Below is just a few examples of tracks you could throw on a single playlist.

Here’s an open-format DJ playlist with 10 popular songs that can appeal to a wide range of audiences:

1. “Shape of You” by Ed Sheeran
2. “24K Magic” by Bruno Mars
3. “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd
4. “Levitating” by Dua Lipa
5. “Can’t Stop the Feeling” by Justin Timberlake
6. “Lose You To Love Me” by Selena Gomez
7. “Dynamite” by BTS
8. “Good as Hell” by Lizzo
9. “Take Me To Church” by Hozier
10. “Talk” by Khalid

Note: It’s important to keep in mind that musical tastes vary and an open format playlist should be tailored to the audience you are playing for. So be super open to all music genres!

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What Is An Open Format DJ: Summary

Now that you have a good understanding of what it means to be an open-format DJ, what do you think? Is it something you’re interested in or is it too much compared to standard one-niche club DJing? Whatever your thoughts, understand that DJing is an awesome musical performance method and something worth really considering if you’re interested.

If you’re just getting started, you may want to start with some standard one-niche DJing and learn how to perform the different mixing techniques. Then, once you’ve mastered that, consider looking into open-format DJing and see if it’s what you’re interested in. Either way, you’ll be perfectly primed to explode your DJ career and really start making a name for yourself.