Mastering the Art of DJing. Building a Following: A DJ’s Guide

11/01/2024

In today’s music scene, having a decent social media presence is essential for DJs to build their brand, reach a wider audience, and get gigs. Social media provides DJs the opportunity to connect with fans, showcase their talent, and develop relationships with promoters and venues. However, standing out in a crowded space requires planning, decent engaging content, and consistent activity.

Post regularly and keep your audience engaged by sharing content that adds value and resonates with them.

Your brand identity is how you present yourself online and how people perceive you as a DJ. To build a following includes your sound, visual style, and the message you convey. Building a unique and consistent brand helps you stand out and makes your profile recognizable.

Define your sound: Whether you’re into techno, house, hip-hop, or EDM, be clear about your genre and create a niche for yourself. Regularly post mixes or snippets that reflect your sound.

Visual branding: Use consistent colours, fonts, and a professional logo across your social media profiles. Visual consistency builds brand recognition. Invest in high-quality photos, especially for cover art and event flyers.

Personality: Build a following and engage your audience by sharing not just your music but also your behind-the-scenes life. Let them see your personality through stories, Q&A sessions, and live interactions.

When you’ve recorded a mix or two that you feel comfortable sharing, find a place to host those mixes for public release. MixCloud is a great place to start, and it’s free although you are limited with a free account.

MixCloud not only gives you a safe place to host your recordings (without the fear of automated copyright takedown… a danger on YouTube & SoundCloud), but they provide embeddable players, their player will display the track names in your mix as they play, and other MixCloud users can follow you. and you can stream live. A popular option for live streaming is Twitch or Mixcloud.

When you upload or stream to any service, make sure that you’re taking advantage of all their features. Fill everything out, put effort into your description, add relevant tags, and perhaps hire a friend to design pretty album art.

Different social media platforms serve different purposes. As a DJ, it’s important to know which ones are best for showcasing your music and connecting with fans.

Instagram: A visual platform ideal for sharing snippets of your mixes, behind-the-scenes footage, event flyers, and personal stories. Utilize IGTV for longer videos and Reels to tap into viral trends. Be aware though META is a nightmare for licensing issues, dont even bother streaming on the platform.

SoundCloud & Mixcloud: These platforms are must-haves for DJs to upload full sets, remixes, and original tracks. SoundCloud also has a community element where users can share and comment on tracks, allowing for feedback and networking but if you had to pick out of the two, we would go with Mixcloud. The reason for this is less bother with take down requests and the live stream function to perform on is great.

YouTube: If you’re into making DJ tutorials, mashups, or live event recordings, YouTube is essential. High-quality video content can make you more discoverable. Again watch out for take down requests or licensing issues.

TikTok: With music being a huge part of TikTok’s algorithm, you can post short DJ sets, participate in challenges, or create viral content to reach a younger audience.

Facebook: For networking and promoting events. Many promoters and venues still use Facebook for event management and groups to find local talent. But as we said before, streaming is a waste of time.

Also seriously consider getting your own website and domain name. This is important to build and protect the brand of you as an artist. But remember, its quality not quantity and its important not to overwhelm ourselves.

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Engage with Your Audience

Building a fan base isn’t just about sharing content—it’s about creating a community. Engage with your audience through comments, direct messages, and interactions.

Respond to comments: When fans leave comments, make sure to respond to them. Engagement drives more visibility for your posts.

Host live streams: Instagram and Twitch are great for hosting live DJ sets or Q&A sessions. Use live streams as a way to connect with fans and showcase your skills in real time.

Run contests and giveaways: Contests such as remix challenges, ticket giveaways for gigs, or exclusive merch giveaways are great ways to boost engagement and attract new followers.

User-generated content: Encourage your followers to tag you in posts when they attend your gigs or listen to your mixes. Reposting this content shows you value your fans and increases your credibility.

If you’re trying to break in to a particular scene, you need to make yourself a resource to that scene before you expect to start playing shows.

There’s no one specific way to do this but if nobody knows who you are, you’re not going to get many gigs. So get yourself out there, network and meet new people.

One option is to get in contact with a struggling night club and offer to promote your own event there.

For those looking to do private events, weddings etc use a 3rd party artist booking service. Pro-DJ partners Encore Musicians are great for this and we can help you get set up. Some “cool” DJs scoff at wedding DJ’s but they shouldn’t. Its a great way to practise your craft, read a room and actually get paid well. As a DJ you wont earn more money then a successful wedding DJ. Other booking apps are useful as well such as Gig Pig but the quality and pay from the gigs advertised are shockingly bad.

Promote Your Gigs Online

Once you start getting gigs, use your social media platforms to build anticipation and drive attendance.

Create event pages: Use Facebook or Eventbrite to create event pages for your gigs. Share the event details and encourage your followers to RSVP and share the event with their friends.

Tease upcoming gigs: Share teasers or countdown posts to build excitement for your events. For bigger events, post behind-the-scenes footage of your set preparation.

Post gig highlights: After each gig, share photos, videos, or testimonials from the event. Use these posts to thank fans who attended and promote future gigs.

Creating a unique brand, engaging with your audience, and posting high-quality content consistently, you can grow a loyal fan base. Leveraging your social media presence to network with promoters, and promote your gigs can also help turn your following into real-world opportunities. In an industry where visibility matters, mastering social media is a crucial step in elevating your DJ career and getting more gigs.