Mobile DJ or Event DJ

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djtaso

djtaso

DJ Extraordinaire
Apr 4, 2017
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www.djtaso.com
There has been a lot of talk recently about lighting, beatmatching, equipment, websites, social media, mixing skills, pushing the bar, and doing things differently (that admittedly I've been quite forceful and pushy on here about). Coincidentally I came across this article on facebook that practically hit the nail on the head on the message that I've been trying to convey about standing out and what the couples and clients of the emerging market are seeking. I definitely suggest looking into the article and at the end take a look at your brand from the outside looking in and consider where you would place yourself and where you want to be.

The "Mobile DJ" Is Dead: All Hail The "Event DJ"? - Digital DJ Tips
 
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A few things:

1. Over time more DJs will step into the arena of offering "MORE STUFF" in attempt to maximize income. That also means that as more, and more DJs go this route, and appear to offer the same thing (Totems with Moving Heads, Photo Booth, Up Lighting, Nice looking Facade, Club style mixed music, step and repeat etc. etc.) It will also become harder to "Stand out" among these "Event DJs"

...That means that over time, the prices will also likely decline, or stagnate at best for what the "Event DJ" can charge in their market.

2. There will always be BUDGET CLIENTS. EVERYWHERE. Especially in Rural Areas. Actually, in rural areas, it is unlikely that the Event DJ will be prominent. There might be only 1 guy who ends up going this route in the whole market, and the budgets will be generally too low to really support that one guy's business.

3. There will always be "Mobile DJs" who charge far less, and show up with a single sound system, and maybe a small light show to do gigs for $200 to $700. They will always be around. Also, the clientelle to support these DJs will always be there. Perhaps less clientele in the future, but these guys will still get gigs. Meanwhile over time, other DJs who buy into more stuff to offer will have a tougher time getting premium dollar as more and more DJs go this route and competition grows. DJs could find themselves offering everything under the sun for $1.500 to $2,500 when 10 to 15 years prior, a quality Wedding DJ COULD have booked weddings for the same prices without any Up Lighting, PB, totems with moving heads, and all the other stuff.

It will be the way the cookie crumbles so to speak.
 
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I like the term; "Event DJ" better than "Mobile DJ".[emoji4] I think I'll start using it. I don't offer uplights, photo booths, totems, trusses, or anything other than a good sound system and good music, but I do events... so (NOW) I'm an "Event DJ".[emoji1]
 
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The reality is the act of playing music .. even beatmixed and creatively editted .. can be almost completely automated and will get better as the years go on .. to the point the "DJ" really isn't needed for the music, so the EVENT title makes sense for those looking to continue to grow as a business.
 
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steve149 said:
The reality is the act of playing music .. even beatmixed and creatively editted .. can be almost completely automated and will get better as the years go on .. to the point the "DJ" really isn't needed for the music, so the EVENT title makes sense for those looking to continue to grow as a business.
Click to expand...

There already ARE programs that do a pretty good job of beat-mixing... Mixmeister, for instance. It's a little cumbersome to me to use the transitions live, but I suppose it could be done... I know of some prominent DJ's who use it. I like my Traktor, and will likely keep using it until I quit DJing. I don't plan to VJ, so that's not gonna get me to switch to something that supports videos. Maybe Traktor will add video support at some point.

Oh... and I DO use SYNC... not too proud that I wouldn't admit it.[emoji1] It's on all my controllers... If God didn't want me using it, He wouldn't have put it there.[emoji1]
 
Serato Pyro does a beatmatched mix.
 
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You're probably right, Steve. The Golden Age of DJ'd entertainment is long gone. Production companies are the future. They've also been the present for the last several years.

Time to trade-in those mini-vans for trucks, those Christmas tree lights for multiple faceted pro lighting. And just like it was in the beginning of mobile DJ, event and production company startup costs will keep the competitive arena thin until consumer cost reaction and technological advances cheapen and broaden entry level participation.

So, change the nomenclature/title from Mobile DJ to Event Production. Still the same people, still using the same equipment, still following whatever formula that made them a successful mobile DJ in the first place.

I'm riding Musical Host into the sunset, which appears to be coming sooner than later based on my [lack of] bookings recently.
 
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I think you're all missing the point. No one has noticed how todays client has different expectations than in the past??... and that while more dj's are starting to offer the extra services like Ricky mentioned... they still are the 1% in this industry... bc for just as many entering the premium market there are 2-3 entering the budget market. It's a differentiation tool... my brand is "Luxe Event DJ" or more specially "Luxe Wedding and Sweet 16 DJ", to get away from the societal view of what a dj is. My fiance always told me to stop telling people I am a dj because it has a negative perception (she was just being honest, but its true if you think about it). She always said tell people youre a luxury event dj and production service.

The point is the millennial client does not want their mom and dad's choice of dj in the past, and they want someone more stylish, more unique, and modern... not just in performance, but communication, and appearance. The stigma of the "mobile dj" of bare bones basic dj is a term associated with their parents dj's of choice, and for those of us still in the business we have to create a new term to get away from that.
 
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djtaso said:
I think you're all missing the point. No one has noticed how todays client has different expectations than in the past??... and that while more dj's are starting to offer the extra services like Ricky mentioned... they still are the 1% in this industry... bc for just as many entering the premium market there are 2-3 entering the budget market. It's a differentiation tool... my brand is "Luxe Event DJ" or more specially "Luxe Wedding and Sweet 16 DJ", to get away from the societal view of what a dj is. My fiance always told me to stop telling people I am a dj because it has a negative perception (she was just being honest, but its true if you think about it). She always said tell people youre a luxury event dj and production service.

The point is the millennial client does not want their mom and dad's choice of dj in the past, and they want someone more stylish, more unique, and modern... not just in performance, but communication, and appearance. The stigma of the "mobile dj" of bare bones basic dj is a term associated with their parents dj's of choice, and for those of us still in the business we have to create a new term to get away from that.
Click to expand...
But at the same time, you're NOT a DJ anymore .. you're an branded organization. It's a big commitment for many to make the leap that allows focus on certain aspects and letting others handle the rest.
 
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Just wondering, but where does the article talk about offering other services or doing things that require other people. I personally entered the realm of production.. but that's not where this article is going with it.

To recap their article:
- modern gear that fits the aesthetics of the room and the times
- dj's creating unique playlists for the event, rather than playing the same songs just about anywhere they go (the typical wedding songs as they'd say)
- mc's that are more polished and less in your face
- instead of fading songs... having the "technical" skills to create better mixes
- instead of basic ugly set ups that you hide in the corner of a room and dj's that dress horribly, dj's are getting nicer setups and can actually have a positive impact on a space with lighting, and they themselves can dress better to be more visually appealing.
- A custom tailored experience, not just one package fits all
- updated websites, and better forms of communication (facebook, email, instagram, text, etc.)

I don't see anything on there that requires more people, or is becoming production level. I personally do more than dj... but those basic fundamentals of change from a dj perspective that were addressed above have taken place to stand out from the basic everyday mobile dj.
 
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Wait until the article about UB DJs (Uncle Bobbers) trying to distance themselves from event DJs. :)

Maybe @Proformance and @DJ Bobcat can be the first Uncle Bobbers ...

**Correction** ... it should be UBer DJs ...
 
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I don't think it matters. What matters is the experience the clients get. I'm fine with people calling me a DJ even though what we provide them has changed significantly.
If someone finds their marketing more effective with having a unique title, great.
But I'm a DJ
 
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In the end...
when joe-average-person is planning a party, regardless of what typre of occasion it is...
They do not say they are looking to hire an EVENT DJ or WEDDING DJ or BUDGET DJ or LUXE DJ, or even MOBILE DJ.
They simply say they want to hire a DJ.
 
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Scott Hanna said:
I don't think it matters. What matters is the experience the clients get. I'm fine with people calling me a DJ even though what we provide them has changed significantly.
If someone finds their marketing more effective with having a unique title, great.
But I'm a DJ
Click to expand...
In the end isn't marketing one of the most crucial components in the type of crowds we attract, the price we're able to charge, and the overall success of our business? Whether we actively invest in marketing or not, every event we do, every email we send, our site, our facebook page, is a form of marketing.
 
Ausumm said:
In the end...
when joe-average-person is planning a party, regardless of what typre of occasion it is...
They do not say they are looking to hire an EVENT DJ or WEDDING DJ or BUDGET DJ or LUXE DJ, or even MOBILE DJ.
They simply say they want to hire a DJ.
Click to expand...
Correct... but when they go online and search and see mobile mobile mobile mobile and then profile event dj, or luxe event dj, or just plain event dj... whose gonna catch the eye of the researcher at least enough to get a second or two of their attention. When they see a nice clean modern site, compared to a bunch of 2009 websites, and an active profile with high resolution photos that are not months or years old.. whose gonna stand out?
 
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It's always felt to me like there are two totally different sides of the DJ world.

One seemed to originate from radio, which became the mobile DJ side of this argument. It's been a focus on song selection, personality, MC skills, and in many ways being an entertainer of sorts. The other side has come from roots of clubs, turntablism, mixing, scratching, tricks, etc.

And the stereotype of both sides has been that mobile DJs are corny and out dated. And club guys don't have any polish, and don't know how to do anything at an event but jam records together.

I think you've seen a move to the middle, and expansion in both roles. I think club guys have realized that there is a ton of value in the private event space. Many mobile DJs have seen that there is value in having the skill set to blend records versus just radio fading from one to the next. And on top of that... production skills have expanded drastically. Maybe I was just blind to it years ago, but... the lighting work that is being done today certainly didn't seem to be present in the mobile DJ world at the same scope 20 years ago (technology certainly has played a part).

Whichever side of the argument you lean to... the notion that a skill is "unnecessary" is potentially short sighted. Admittedly, I've always looked at things like Peter Merry's Love Story and really expanded MC roles as nonsense. But there are DJs that have built great businesses around it. We're clearly seeing that plenty of folks think mixing and creative blending aren't important... but it's a staple to what I do.

The beauty is we that we can choose our lane. And I hope everybody here is happy with what you have to offer.

But, where I find myself getting really frustrated is with people that complain about all external factors. All of the things that go on around them changing and making it harder to compete. Which ends up sounding like a bunch of cry baby whining. Versus looking inward at what could be done to improve or change.

I'll step off my soap box now....
 
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djtaso said:
Correct... but when they go online and search and see mobile mobile mobile mobile and then profile event dj, or luxe event dj, or just plain event dj... whose gonna catch the eye of the researcher at least enough to get a second or two of their attention. When they see a nice clean modern site, compared to a bunch of 2009 websites, and an active profile with high resolution photos that are not months or years old.. whose gonna stand out?
Click to expand...

They WON'T be searching for those.
They don't know what they are, because they are terms created by people in the industry.
"DJ" is what they know us as.

As for websites. All a potential client knows is what they see.
Pretty sure they have no idea when pictures were taken, when the website was updated, or what the resolutions of the pictures are.
A website can be masterfully created, but still have old pictures and content....
just as it can feature up to date, high resolution pictures, but still LOOK like a crappy website.
 
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djtaso said:
In the end isn't marketing one of the most crucial components in the type of crowds we attract, the price we're able to charge, and the overall success of our business? Whether we actively invest in marketing or not, every event we do, every email we send, our site, our facebook page, is a form of marketing.
Click to expand...
Yes marketing is important. The name "event" or"mobile" is not. It's not what people are looking for, I believe
 
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