How to Choose A DJ for your event

Good Vibrations Professional DJ Services

Choosing a Disc Jockey for your function is the most important decisions you can make to insure the success of your event. Everything else can be perfect, but if the music isn’t good, the party will fizzle. Selecting the right Disc Jockey can be confusing. There are thousands of D.J.’s in America; all promising they will do a great job for you. With I-Tunes and free music downloads, every kid on the block has tons of downloaded music and think they are a Disc Jockey. So how do you pick the right one for you? This pamphlet review will provide some guidance to help you make the decision easier.
One thing you should consider is to book the D.J. eight to twelve months in advance to guarantee your spot (especially if your party or engagement is around the holidays). Signing your contract soon will assure your party or engagement for the date and time you need it. The best and easiest way to find a D.J. you will like to hire is one you’ve already heard. If you’ve been to a wedding or a party where the D.J. was great, find out who they are. If you didn’t get their card, ask the host or manager of the function room where the party was held.
If you haven’t heard a good D.J. recently, ask your friends. Your friends probably have the same taste in music as you. Maybe they have been to a function you missed. Let them know ahead of time that you are looking for a D.J. and ask them to keep their eyes and ears open.
If the first two suggestions don’t work, then you should go to the yellow pages or internet. Look under Disc Jockeys, Wedding Planners or Entertainment. You may find D.J.’s listed under anyone of these categories. Circle, or print out the ads which mention the type of party you are planning. For example, if the ad says specializing in Wedding and Receptions would be a good one to call if you are planning a wedding or reunion. These D.J.’s are able to cater to a wide variety of different ages and different style groups. Your club type D.J. will only cater to High Energy Teen College Clubbers’. Be aware that the club D.J.’s often use explicit lyrics mixes, which would not be appropriate for grandparents, nieces, and nephews attending your wedding. Probably the worst way to choose a D.J. is on price alone. Some D.J.’s are more expensive than others. Prices can range from $350 to $1800 for a four hour event. That’s quite a difference, and would be very tempting to choose the cheapest alternative. But consider the law of supply and demand. There is a reason some D.J.’s more than others. They are usually worth it! More expensive D.J.’s tend to be the more experience D.J.’s. They can charge more because they have a lot of jobs, and they have a good reputation. Generally, the D.J.’s on the low end of the price scale are new to the business and are trying to get established. They could do a good job, but do you want to chance the party of a lifetime to amateur hour?
The most important question to ask the D.J. Service is their experience with your type of event. If you are planning an event like a wedding, school dance, or company party, it would be normal to expect a D.J. to have performed for at least 20 of these events.
Ask the D. J. if they are performing in a location where you could hear them. If so, make a visit, unannounced. Observe how the D.J. interacts with the crowd. Are people having fun? Are people dancing? Is the music too loud?
Always ask the D.J. about their song request policy. The best D.J.’s will take request from the audience and work with them into their routine. However, do not expect the D.J. to play every request, because there is a wide variety of people at your party (from Grandma to the grandkids, Uncle Bob from the city, and Aunt Mary from the country). Many requests are simply inappropriate for the mood of the event. A good D.J. is not a jukebox, he will blend in request with the songs he feels appropriate to motivate the crowd. The art of Disc Jockeying is timing and reading the crowd, which takes many years of experience. There are certain songs you listen to and there are certain songs that you can dance to, and knowing when to play them, means the world. For example, most people like the song “Brown Eyed Girl” to hear and dance to. An experienced D.J. would not play Brown Eyed Girl for his first song, because no one will walk in and start dancing. It takes an experience D.J. to warm up the crowd, and build them up to get them in the mood. No one walks into a party or club when it first starts, and starts dancing. Now if the D.J. plays the songs later, then everyone will dance to it.
Forcing a D.J. to ignore his instincts by making him play ever request will result in an “uneven” (and less fun) party. On the other hand, the D.J. should try to play as many requests as possible. Try to get a feel for their philosophy of requests as you interview them. It is also inappropriate to give a D.J. a list of more than 15 to 20 songs which equals about 60 to 80 minutes of play time. Anymore songs than that, will cut into the D.J. to format to blend in the right songs. Most D.J.’s will not accept “The Brutal Bride-Zilla 100 Song Jukebox List” for D.J.’s to play in order. Most D.J.’s feel that their reputation would be on the line and this list will have a bad reflection on their company. If they do accept this list, be prepared to pay extra for the D.J. to risk his reputation.
Many D.J.’s boast about the number of songs they have. While a variety is great, the fact is that they will only be able to play 60 to 70 songs for a four hour show. Having the right 60 songs is a lot more important than having 20,000 songs your crowd doesn’t want to hear. After you tell your D.J. what type of party you are having and which audience will be attending, ask them what type of music they would suggest. You should feel comfortable with most of his selections.
A number of companies have more than one D.J. working for them. In this case, it is important to get references on this particular D.J. who will be assigned to your party. Even if the company has been around for ten years, they might have hired your D.J. last week. He might be a pro himself, or he might be newly trained. Be sure who you are getting.
The best D.J. for you will be affordable, experienced at your type of event, and has great references. There are probably a lot of D.J.’s out there who fit that description. As you Search, remember that above all, you want your event to be fun!!!