ADJA press release

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Jeff Romard

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Sep 4, 2006
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The ADJA made this press release today regarding Sony Music. Once again you can see the music industry and the ADJA shooting itself in the foot


The ADJA has learned that Sony Music Group is now tightening the requirements for pools to vend their content to DJs. Instead of just taking a good faith pledge if you will, they are now requiring multiple forms of proof that the DJ is actually a professional working DJ.
This is a great step forward to our eliminating unethical people from our industry. It is our hope that all labels follow suit with said requirements of proof of being a professional DJ.
There about 12 different options, with DJs having to provide at LEAST 4 options. The 4 listed below are some of the options that the ADJA has fought for to ensure fair competition amongst DJs and professionalism within our ranks.
1.) Membership in a recognized professional Trade Association like ADJA.
2.) Proof of current Liability insurance on going during their subscription.
3.) A company website. ADJA provides members with FREE webhosting and tools for a
professional site.
4.) Company Email address,(not a personal email e.g. Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, AOL, etc) ADJA
provides members with FREE domain based email for all their needs.
5.) A business license issued by a state or local government.
These represent substantial gains for our industry. It is our hope that this will elevate the view of our profession outside our industry and also start the process of weeding out illegitimate music pools that are not playing by the rules. This is a good day for DJs.
Best Regards,
Dr. Drax
President
American Disc Jockey Association
American Karaoke Host Association
 
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By the way the press release can be found here. No mention of it on their website...

 
I feel like the ADJA has become desperate for members. I could be wrong, but most DJs I know today do not belong to the ADJA, and I don't see any younger guys going into the DJ Trade.

Are any of you currently members of it?

I belonged to it for 1 year. The only benefit I noticed was the discount on insurance.
 
I feel like the ADJA has become desperate for members. I could be wrong, but most DJs I know today do not belong to the ADJA, and I don't see any younger guys going into the DJ Trade.

Are any of you currently members of it?

I belonged to it for 1 year. The only benefit I noticed was the discount on insurance.
Can I ask what the ADJA has done for the industry in the last 5 years?
 
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Can I ask what the ADJA has done for the industry in the last 5 years?

I am going to go with "Not a Damn thing!"

I don't know if they have done anything of any significance for the last 10 years. Their mission, and protocols "rules" for DJs who become members have been unchanged since the 90s, or some time in the 2000s.
 
I am going to go with "Not a Damn thing!"

I don't know if they have done anything of any significance for the last 10 years. Their mission, and protocols "rules" for DJs who become members have been unchanged since the 90s, or some time in the 2000s.

Wondering about relevance? Do a search for ADJA see what you get. Nothing in the first 4 pages. A.D.J.A. will bring them to page one but most won't type that in. Their website didn't even mention the press release they posted it on Facebook which is updated in fits and starts. There are some good benefits but for the most part I don't see the point
 
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The ADJA is irrelevant, and not even a "they". It's literally a one-man enterprise (Drax), and his job is to ensure that the ADJA generates income from membership dues, because that's his bread and butter. I saw the "press release", and it's nothing more than a Facebook post - which press actually received it? Wouldn't the de-facto professional organization for DJs be more involved with this? To say that they "fought for" 4 of the supposed 12 options is silly... I'd be surprised if as much as an email was ever sent to Sony Music from the ADJA, on behalf of its sizable membership.

Everything the ADJA dabbles in seems to fade away slowly and painfully. Remember Peter Merry's WedGuild certification program?
 
As far as I am aware they havent done anything for anyone ever. I mean they think they are important but other then that nothing
 
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I saw the "press release", and it's nothing more than a Facebook post - which press actually received it?

More importantly which are going to print/broadcast it. It's of no interest or importance to the average person and of very little to a working DJ. Furthermore if Sony actually goes through with any of this it will do nothing but create more work for legitimate DJ's and do nothing to stop people from accessing the music. I guess they feel this will straighten out the dozen or so who aren't DJ's but are claiming to be
 
I thought about joining the ADJA, but not being able to attend the meetings, and not really seeing the any other value to joining, not even the "discount" on the insurnace was enough, without knowing the discount, I am would guess that the discount on the insurance wouldnt be enough to cover the yearly dues to make it worth while to get that discount.

I read this "press release" a days ago, ok last week, and then scrolled thru the ADJA Facebook feed, and wow, the vibe I got was it was about Drax and making him feel important .

The small circle of DJ's I know here I think are all members.
 
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The ADJA is irrelevant, and not even a "they". It's literally a one-man enterprise (Drax), and his job is to ensure that the ADJA generates income from membership dues, because that's his bread and butter. I saw the "press release", and it's nothing more than a Facebook post - which press actually received it? Wouldn't the de-facto professional organization for DJs be more involved with this? To say that they "fought for" 4 of the supposed 12 options is silly... I'd be surprised if as much as an email was ever sent to Sony Music from the ADJA, on behalf of its sizable membership.

Everything the ADJA dabbles in seems to fade away slowly and painfully. Remember Peter Merry's WedGuild certification program?
Our local snake oil salesmen Scott Favor made his Event Ensemble Networking group a pay group not to long ago, and of course its a tiered membership too, so the more you pay him, the more you get, I quickly showed myself the door. I get it, like every other DJ last year, he probably lost a lot of bookings and income , so he did what had to do.


Jonathan, We've enjoyed you presence in Event Ensemble, representing AZ Dee Jay Service, and appreciate your participation in our community of event professionals. We are now a membership group and are removing those who are out of business or no longer interested in the networking, referrals, and education that we provide. It would be great to have you stay, for as little as $5 per month, but either way, before you're removed from the group, please let us know your status\plans, or select a membership option here: https://www.eventensemble.com
 
I didn't know there was anyone still trying to resuscitate the ADJA.
I think CSEP, CTA, and other event certifications alone would trump something like the ADJA. I's hard to get behind a group whose greatest gift to consumers and professionals is warnings about "the dangers of iPod weddings."

It's a rather uniformed message because much of today's pool distribution follows in the wake of the expanding DJ trend. Pools didn't drive the DJ business - it's the DJ business that drove the pools. We did just fine in the past without them - and we'll be equally fine without them in the future.
 
Sony music is taking a great step forward by getting unethical peoples out of our industry? So, the assumption is unethical people are just going to quit the industry because it’s more difficult to pay a record pool?

Does anyone believe that any unethical people are paying a record pool?

Non DJs joining record pools? I don’t think so. They just use Spotify or Apple Music.

I’ve got nothing against trade organizations. But most work for their members to try to keep the government OUT of their business. It seems this group is trying to get the government involved as some hungry attempt to get some type of licensing so we can be legitimate.

I don’t need any type of license to make me legitimate. If low cost DJs suddenly stopped in my area, new ones would pop up. My business will be much more affected by what I do, not by what others in my area are doing.

Industry special licenses don’t keeps unethical people out of most industries. Besides medical and legal professions, I find it hard to think of benefits to the public for much licensing for professions. I’m sure there are a few, but not many. How did mortgage license do with the rampant fraud in the early 2000’s?

States or municipalities that require business licenses do it for tax collection purposes and for little else.
 
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I’m starting a new association. The NADJNA

The National Association of DJs that don’t want a National Association.

You can join if you want. Send me money. How much? Doesn’t matter. Just send it.
 
I’m starting a new association. The NADJNA

The National Association of DJs that don’t want a National Association.

You can join if you want. Send me money. How much? Doesn’t matter. Just send it.
I'd send it to you, but then you'd have to send it back over losing the next bet we make ... ;)