“So what do you want to do? Do you want to get signed?”
I’ll always remember this question, even if I can’t remember who asked it.
I was talking to a friend and we got onto the subject of me DJing. They asked what my goal was. Naturally they assumed it would be to get signed to a big label and make lots of money.
Not only is that far from the truth but it also made me question what success for myself actually was. The more I thought about the question the deeper I went into it. I realised success is a difficult thing to quantify, especially in the events sector and when it comes to DJing.
An outsider to the scene would assume you “wanna make it big”, rubbing shoulders with Guetta and balling around on private jets. This to me isn’t success, if anything it sounds like hell.
What I realised was: when I started DJing I had a broad goal of wanting to be a DJ. I’m sure a lot of other people go through a similar experience.
“I want to be a DJ” I’d tell people. “I’m going to play siiiiick music and use that to make money! That sounds cool.”
But beyond that general approach, there wasn’t much else guiding me. And, as it turned out, I picked up a lot of bar slots relatively quickly. Before I knew it, I was making some money from Djing, enough to supplement my income. At first, it was great but soon grew stale (For the full story check this article).
Where to go from there? I figured out that wanting to be a DJ wasn’t enough. I needed to build myself a goal. An actionable path to my idea of success. I think when it comes to DJing, producing, or running events each person’s idea of success is unique.
But it’s vital that you have one otherwise you have nothing to focus your efforts on.
Look at it this way. If you’re selecting tracks from an Ipod at a friend’s pre-drink (iPod lol, who remembers them) you’re a DJ. Maybe you’ve got a second-hand controller and you just like making mixes in your bedroom. Hey, guess what, you’re a DJ too.
If you do wanna be rubbing shoulders with Guetta and necking Grey Goose at an Ibiza V.I.P bar go for it. Once you can visualise that end goal you can begin to place milestones on that journey that you can use to sign-post the road to success.
Just for the record, I’m not a producer. I dabble and like to mess around on Ableton but I’m a million miles away from producing anything good (This is probably the best thing I’ve ever done).
That admission immediately takes the “getting signed” option off the table. But as we’ve already established that doesn’t look like success to me anyway so Spotify can do one with its awful revenue share. Bandcamp FTW.
Having a defined goal in regards to your DJing career gives you the right to relax.
What do I mean by this?
Before I’d decided what success was to me I felt I needed to be constantly DJing otherwise I wouldn’t make it?
Make what? Make it to where? You can already see how a lack of focus can lead to a stressful ‘always on’ mentality. If I’m not working on my craft I’m falling behind. But am I?
What exactly can I do on 8pm on a Wednesday that’ll further my DJing (You can always practice DJing tbf). Stop flapping Liam and chill out. Eat some chocolate and watch a Marvel film.
I believe that 80% of the biggest opportunities that’ll come across your path as a DJ will make up 5% of your time. You need to make sure you’re prepared to react to those opportunities but constantly stressing about when they’ll appear isn’t going to help.
It’s better to hone in on what you need to do to get one step closer to your end goal. Whether that’s recording the next mix, planning the next event, or mastering your latest track. More people than you think are exactly where you are.
On that point let’s take a detour and talk about that fetid cesspit that is social media.
Social media is a cunt
95% of DJ’s aren’t playing out every weekend. Make that 100% during the pandemic. When I was DJing every weekend I was miserable.
But the image brands and events portray on social media is that of a 24/7 party. Everyones announcing what they’re doing, everyone’s getting more bookings than you.
The truth is they’re probably not, and if they are, they’re not headlining Dekmantel then off to Kala (You can tell which Festivals I’ll be going to once we’re out of lockdown), they’re playing beer halls and art markets.
Not that there’s anything wrong with this by the way. It’s just when you’re hit with a wall of announcements your eyes glaze over, you lose the nuance, and you can get bitter whilst you’re sat at home with your dick in your hands.
Too graphic Liam, tone it down.
I’ve found it best to focus on what I’m doing and take things I see online with a pinch of salt.
Success, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder
With all that being said I think it’s safe to say success is in the eye of the beholder. No predefined notion of success will make you feel fulfilled and in an industry like events, promotion, or music production. I believe you’ll make progress a lot quicker when you march to the beat of your own drum.
Forget V.I.P booths.
Forget big-name headliners.
Forget heads in the room.
Carve out your own idea of success and stick with it. If all you want to do is throw a party for 50 mates and have a great time go for it.
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