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I want to see what's your take on this guys. I have heard people tell me that I play for myself, even though I have the whole crowd dancing and having fun and enjoying the music. What's your reasoning? When do you draw the line when a DJ is playing for himself verse when he's playing for the people?
Cheers!
you need to get a following 1st of people who like your style if you dont do this chances are you will fail
Ideally you should be doing both. Finding a venue where you can play music you love, that the crowd loves, and make selections that get the most people digging it. Some people will take gigs playing music they don't really like in order to make money. Nothing wrong with that and honestly, if the price was right, I would play music I hated all night long. I don't think I will find myself in that situation though, so I'm in the process of practicing and setting up my traktor library to play at some cool bars/lounges that frequently have djs that spin music I love. I should hopefully fit right in.
The trick is to find the balance between both, that's what you should be aiming for. Your taste and music selection will make you a good DJ but you have to be playing it for who will appreciate it as well. A top 40 club doesn't really jive with a nice deep house set. :(
Yes, you need to aim for a win-win scenario. There's nothing more sad than a DJ playing music he or she likes and the audience is bored, or the other way around. As with any artist on stage, if he or she looks inspired, then this feeling is transferred to the audience.
Just Like firebr4nd said.
You need to find a balance between both the crowd and yourself. When I don gigs, I always here people say they want songs like Gangnam style and Party Rock anthem. So i pick out songs from genres I like that are similar to the ones that they like. And guess what, everyone goes home happy!
Its all personal preference. You absolutely have to think about the crowd that you are playing to. That does not have to mean that you dont stay true to your style though.
What really makes a DJ shine is his ability to draw upon his own style while keeping people engaged. When I play in a situation I know the people wont like my style of music (this happened often when I studied abroad) I will separate my playlists into "comfort zones". As in how comfortable I am that the crowd will like it. I will play one or two of these "safe" songs and then work into something edgier, pushing the comfort zone. If they dig it - great! keep going and do your thing. If not - revert back to your "safety zone" and wait for another opportunity to push the envelope.
DJing is expression. People want to see you enjoying yourself, your craft, and your music. If your gritting your teeth and trying to smile when you are playing a song you hate - they will know.
The music. All types of music can be good but I think it'll all come down to are you playing music you would play for your own personal chill out party in your bedroom or are you playing music that everyone wants to listen to which would be on their iPods and maybe not yours.
You've got club Dj's that are there to bring their brand of sound. and then you've got your wedding Dj's who maybe given a playlist, and everything in between.
I like to try and transfer that great feeling I'm getting from the music to the crowd. Obviously if you're not getting vibed up, then will the crowd. Although, in your wedding situ this may not apply - the olds will just be happy to dance to Abba & The Beatles , lol
One of my disappointments with certain House Dj's, who were there at the start playing great tunes, is that they then started playing big room formula cheesy house. I thought, do they really like this stuff? How could they after playing those great tunes a while back. But they did it for the money. And you can't blame them. Staying underground doesn't give you a pension, and many of those guys are not where they were some years ago, so I hope they were saving their pennies.
Find the balance ;)