Whats the difference between a Mobile DJ and a Club DJ?
Both play music in different venues they play different types of music so what’s the difference between both DJ’s.
If you’re actually being serious…
Mobile jocks take the PA, lights and decks/mixer to a gig, club jocks don’t. Club jocks also tend not to do weddings…
I was very serious thanks for pointing out the PA system thing. I figure a gig is a gig be it a wedding or a lounge with the obvious differences.
Mobile gigs are in my experience 100% open format and there is no need for any thing besides auto play… The odd time you do a full ok hard cut style set no one cares or even is bothered to understand the skills required to do a constant moving 3-6hour gig it’s really a totally different ball game
Club DJ= Young Chicks
Mobile DJ= GILF’s
Apologies if I came across as facetious. I used to roadie for a mobile jock, which translates as I did all the heavy lifting while he stood at the bar. Mobile DJ’ing is a bit odd as it technically requires a much broader musical repertoire than club DJ’ing, although in my limited experience it boiled down to playing the same bunch of 60’s-90’s records for 4 hours, in more or less the same order, twice a week.
But the PA thing is definitely part of it and the phrase “mobile DJ” seems to have it’s roots more in the fact that the DJ is bringing the disco, avec sound and lights, to you in your function room/youth club/church hall/wherever, rather than perhaps a more literal reading of it alluding to a DJ playing 3 clubs in a night and therefore requiring to be upwardly mobile.
Mobile jocking is in essense A/B DJ’ing, I do know of a guy who tried to autoplay a preselected playlist but that leaves out what little scope for crowd reading you have and he came unstuck in a big way. Also: microphone. Mobile means a lot more of you talking on the mic.
@Jester: Nowt wrong with GILFS mate 
I really do appriciate your response, I guess wanting to be a DJ I forget there is more than one kind of DJ out there. This reminds me of being a teen where the a group of guys would bring their turntables speakers etc and set up in the park but we never called them mobile DJ’s but in fact they really were mobile DJs.
I think you are still confused. Those sound like DJs who were mobile. Not mobile DJs.
Would disagree with the A/B mobile DJ’ing. Unless I have percieved it wrong, I have had the pleasure of being considered a club AND a Mobile DJ, and I have always found the mobile gigs more demanding as a DJ, gear aside, in a club setting, your job really is to keep the clubbers happy, the clubbers already know what type of tunes are being played, you can pre-plan a set.
Mobile gigs, are really a different scenario, many different types of people, many ages, types of function varies regularly, and’not knowing’ what the host may ask you for, or even their guests. From being involved in the ‘club’ scene as well as the mobile scene, i have aquired a very distinct sound as far as mixing and selection go in the mobile circuit.
As a club Dj, the simple thought of having to do a wedding or anything similar makes me want to puke. Like literally puke. I didn’t take up DJ’ing to play the Cha Cha slide for drunk people at a wedding or high school kids. I get to play the music I actually listen to and like for like minded people. To me, being a mobile juke box is not worth the time and money.
That’s my approach and opinion, but obviously to each his own.
Indeed.
I find that weddings are MUCH more stressful and harder on the DJ than a club gig. Weddings are all about maintaining the relationships and coordinating with the other stakeholders at the event - the Bride & Groom, the banquet captain, the photographer & videographer, the wedding coordinator (if any), the venue manager, and others (depends on the event and venue). The DJ MUST actively manage all those relationships through the event. Sometimes the DJ is driving the schedule, sometimes the schedule is controlled by someone else - you need to be flexible and willing to go with the flow. Sometimes the different people have different and conflicting goals - and that often falls on the DJ to mediate.
The music at a club tends to favor a narrow set of genres with a deep dive into the music. There is also a relatively narrow age range present in a club - and at least everyone has some expectation of what the music “should be.” The music at a wedding tends to span several generations of popular tunes. The typical wedding reception audience includes grandparents, parents, the B&G and their friends, and (sometimes) young(er) kids. It can be a real challenge to offer something for everyone.
In (almost) every case, the DJ will also be MCing the wedding reception. STRONG mic skills are needed. This is “public speaking” but at the next level up…you are “hosting” the event. You are the official spokesperson for the B&G and need to represent their style and energy level to the audience. That requires that you build a relationship with the clients and learn something about their tastes. At a club gig, mic time is typically much more limited - announce the drink specials, tip your bartenders & waitresses, blah, blah, blah.
The load in/out of the PA (& lights) does require some degree of knowing what the !@#$ you are doing. Mobile DJs do not get to turn up 10 minutes early and plug into the club mixer or dropping a USB into the CDJ. That additional time needed to load in/out, setup and teardown is part of the job, and part of the paycheck.
In both cases, if you understand the role of the DJ, there are challenges and opportunities to really shine. And there is pride in any job done well. Given that my paychecks for a wedding are typically 5x to 10x the size of my club paychecks…any hole that is left by “artistic freedom” I feel like I’m giving up at a wedding is easily filled in with cash. 
Yeah absolutely agree, the mobile dj has a much tougher job honestly. When I first started gigging, I had to do a local bar that was NOT into my style of house music. I had to bring my own gear, cater to drunks, etc. I literally hated it. I can’t ever do that again.
club djs hit people over the head with blunt objects… wear a helmet!
mobile DJs are known to DJ using just mobile phones..they take requests via text message.
Not even close to being true. I beatmix/blend at all of my weddings. Many brides ask me if I know how to mix “club style” absolutely yes is the answer… and flawless mixing of course. Outside of the formalities, I read the crowd and every song is chosen on the fly, no prepared sets or auto play here. many of my clientele love the mixing/scratching remixing live (Traktor Kontrol F1)
Wedding DJ = Drunk bridesmaids
I love to go into a bar or club and throw down some proper house music and get the whole place grooving. But my average wedding is $1500 - $1800 starting point and can go up to $2500 - $4000 depending on options they want to add. In my busy season I’m doing 2 weddings per weekend.
BTW I can’t tell you the last time I played the Cha Cha Slide at a wedding, or any of the wedding standards like Celebration, We are Family etc. (puke to those).
This is 100% true. Almost all of of my brides and grooms give me free reign. Sure there is some guidance to what types of music they like and want to hear, but they leave it to me to put it all together.
Yeah of course, the financial side of it amazing, I was doing it for a little bit myself. But I just really enjoy my style and I like to just stay true to it… It’s not for any image or anything I just really like staying in my realm, so that’s kinda why I get flustered in that type of scenario. But at the end of the day I have a 9-5 so DJ’ing to me was more on the passion/express art kinda side and after doing some events that were more on the mobile DJ side I had to call it quits to that. Just not for me at all.
I know what you mean… I started as a fun hobby in high school. I did both, some clubs and bars here in Chicago, but I was enjoying putting in the big production and the challenge of getting 300 people to dance Most of the time it’s just top 40 hits, but hitting them with good remixes and playing the songs in the right order to build energy. I also have a 9-5. So for me, it is still enjoyable. I love walking into a bar/club and throwing down some house and get the whole place moving, whether they are dancing in their seats or just bopping to the beat where they are standing, and when the time hits knock em dead with some good dance music they never heard before. I love looking into the crowd and seeing a bunch of people using Shazam to identify what I am playing.
Some of my finds are full time club DJ’s… I can’t club 5-6 nights a week.
I think the best way to think about it is a club dj is a dj, they are their to play music
a mobile dj is there to bring the party as a whole, weather that be djing, announcing things at an event, running lights ect.
I feel djing is just a small part of what a mobile dj does.
Mobile DJ’ing requires more personality from the DJ. You simply can’t show up to a gig and play music, and go home. Most times you’re required to make Bridal Party Introductions, Garter and Bouquet Toss, and other special announcements.
I honestly belive it’s great training to make you a better Club DJ. I think it’s easier to transition to a Club DJ from a Mobile DJ than the other way around.
I really don’t see how announcing “Congrats to Jenny and Brad on their marriage” will make you a better club DJ
I tried, but I really couldn’t connect the dots.