All i want is to become a DJ fulltime!!!

[djmikeD]

However I suck!!!! I practice the most I can but I work full-time for New York's utility company and I feel that I started to late and I'm not going to accomplish my dreams .. I am 25 yrs old and I am looking for encouragement towards my dreams ... does anyone have any positive story's to help me get threw this rough time!!!! Thank-you

[Jason Cerna]

if you're talking about club djing...

what are you doing in terms of self promotion?

don't take this the wrong way, but just practicing at home isn't going to get you any gigs.

it takes a lot of work to be a full time dj, even then most of the guys i know, who i consider successful in the industry still have other jobs or run their own record labels.

then, there's being a mobile dj, which is a far larger part of the dj industry. i have some friends who own their own businesses and that is how they make their income. that takes more of a business sense then actual mixing type dj skills for the most part.

as far as the most positive advice i can give? you have to really put a lot of work into your craft and promote yourself locally, *edit* but also keep a strong web presence as well.

if you choose to produce music as well, that can help you out as far as exposure is concerned.

[LIVEMAU5]

^^^
Like this guy said, self promotion is key.
You have to advertise, even if its djing at a friends house party down the street for like 10 people... Thats how i plan to do it now, and how i would plan to do it if i was starting in ten years time. Anyone of your mates will be happy to be able to turn around and say "my house party is going to be sweet, theres going to be a DJ there" Imagine how awsome that makes it sound.
No one starts off by djing full on crazy mixes for hundreds of people

Practice when you can, get up early on weekends, stay up late on a saturday night if it takes it to make you feel like youve practiced enough....

Good luck

[djchriswoods.co.uk]

its never too late! but yeah, as said before, if you dont promote yourself, how are promotors, club managers etc going to hear you?

[djmikeD]

I've done some openings for resident djs like 2 hrs sets but one night when I open the main promoter dicked me over so bad ... I was just starting get the hang of things and one night I was opening thinking just for a 2 hrs set which I was comfortable with ... then the resident never shows up and he tells me I have to do the whole night and I wasn't prepared for that ... my mixes was ok but not what he wanted ... the music never stopped people were dancing and everything was ok .. when I open for 2 hrs I get paid 150 ... when I went to get paid for the whole night he only gave me 90 BUCKS! I was like are u kidding me big fight happened and since then I felt very depressed and thought I sucked u know... I just need more practice and help with my mixing

[photojojo]

Makes me wonder why the resident never showed up. I bet that guy has a history of being a dick. Just keep practicing and getting your self out there.

[AntVonBond]

I've done some openings for resident djs like 2 hrs sets but one night when I open the main promoter dicked me over so bad ... I was just starting get the hang of things and one night I was opening thinking just for a 2 hrs set which I was comfortable with ... then the resident never shows up and he tells me I have to do the whole night and I wasn't prepared for that ... my mixes was ok but not what he wanted ... the music never stopped people were dancing and everything was ok .. when I open for 2 hrs I get paid 150 ... when I went to get paid for the whole night he only gave me 90 BUCKS! I was like are u kidding me big fight happened and since then I felt very depressed and thought I sucked u know... I just need more practice and help with my mixing

Don't feel down about being thrown into a situation and then being dicked over, we all have had this happen at some point during our DJ career.

Dickhead promoters are rife in the industry trying to make a fast buck, how they operate their business dealings is totally seperate to how you perform as a DJ, don't let thier attitude affect you confidence whether you feel you need to practise or not!

But also, don't let one dickhead promoter put you off, there are decent ones out there that pay well and let you do your thing how you see fit.