The last time you were requested to play alternate media

To many ads? Support ODJT and see no ads!
sawdust123

sawdust123

Moderator
Staff member
ODJT Supporter
Nov 10, 2006
2,174
4,956
63
Ventura County, CA
I provide sound for many charity gigs. It is common for someone to have a custom edited version of a song that they need to play for a performance. Maybe it is for a kids dance routine or perhaps a juggler that has his whole act on their playlist. These gigs are typically chaotic and poorly planned so I come prepared for most anything.

When I first started out people would occasionally ask me to play a song from a cassette. And I carried a player for that purpose. Then it was CDs, then USB drives, etc. Today it is phones. In fact, I can't remember the last time someone asked me to play something from anything else but a phone. I carry USB-C to 3.5mm adapters as well as Lightning to 3.5mm to handle these requests.

More recently, I have had people wanting to send me links from their favorite streaming service (e.g. Spotify or Apple Music). I don't accept those but I can usually find the song through my services. The one exception was when I needed some Lithuanian music for a wedding about a dozen years ago but streaming was still pretty new then.

I have yet to get a request for a Bluetooth connection but I can imagine some performer at a future event will request that so they can cue up the music themselves. I have some small rechargeable BT transceivers that would let me handle it.

Anyone experiencing anything different than what I am seeing? If so, have you done anything to try to accommodate what you are seeing?
 
  • Like
Reactions: ittigger and sonic-vision
I have to carry a multitude of adapters for both audio and video, but also I'm often in a theater, stage, or large event space so every FOH kit contains these and a variety of DI's inclduing a Bluetotth DI. That's typically for rehearsals - where I don't have the tracks yet, and they are running out of order anyway. A bluethooth DI is dropped adjacent to where they want to work from with their device, and is then connected to the nearest input.

For any event with a stage, it's far better to use a local DI than wireless BT across the entire space because I already have direct input/ouput at the stage, regardless of where the FOH is. Also, when the content is last minute, I prefer that the user play it themselevs from their own device so, that any issues owing to their own personal device or content appear as such and not as some fault with me or the facility tech. The ability to precheck the content we are asked to play is important, and when something comes up last minute I don't want to take my eye off the ball while trying to resolve content issues other people have dumped on us last minute.

It's not that I don't support users or resolve last minute content changes/issues for clients - but being a miracle worker quickly turns into free hours of tech support if clients catch on to the fact that showing up unprepared is a way to pass the buck regarding the assembly of their show content.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Jeff Romard, Andy A and DJ Bobcat
Well… I’m a privacy/security fanatic, so I would never put client’s USB fobs in my computer. I was asked a couple of times, and it caused a little tension. So I put Bluetooth in my systems. I put a little plugin receiver in one system, and it was plugged into my mixer. In one system, my Denon mixer had Bluetooth built it. That way, I could pair the client’s smartphone with Bluetooth, and play their selection.

I never had anyone hand me a CD at a live event, but I have had clients give me some special music on a CD to play at the event, though they gave it to me long before the event, so I had time to add it my library. I suppose I could have played from a CD if necessary, but I would not have accepted a homemade CD for security reasons.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jeff Romard, ittigger and Andy A
DJ Bobcat said:
I never had anyone hand me a CD at a live event, but I have had clients give me some special music on a CD to play at the event, though they gave it to me long before the event, so I had time to add it my library. I suppose I could have played from a CD if necessary, but I would not have accepted a homemade CD for security reasons.
Click to expand...
Back in the day, it was not uncommon for someone to give me a home burnt CD with some special song. I was using CD players back then so there was no security concern. The weirdest gig though was for a Greek Orthodox church. They were supposed to give me CDs of Greek music a week in advance but that never happened. I got them about 30 minutes before I started. These were home burnt CDs with no track listings. I quickly scanned the songs to see which were fast and slow but quite honestly, it was all Greek to me. I did what I could and the guests had a great time.
 
  • Like
  • Haha
Reactions: ittigger and DJ Bobcat
sawdust123 said:
Back in the day, it was not uncommon for someone to give me a home burnt CD with some special song. I was using CD players back then so there was no security concern. The weirdest gig though was for a Greek Orthodox church. They were supposed to give me CDs of Greek music a week in advance but that never happened. I got them about 30 minutes before I started. These were home burnt CDs with no track listings. I quickly scanned the songs to see which were fast and slow but quite honestly, it was all Greek to me. I did what I could and the guests had a great time.
Click to expand...
Mine was POLKA’s!😳 Funny thing, but I used to HATE Polka music, but after listening to authentic Polkas, and watching the guests dance and enjoy themselves, I actually started liking it!😂
 
  • Like
Reactions: DJ Ricky B, sonic-vision, ittigger and 1 other person
DJ Bobcat said:
Mine was POLKA’s!😳 Funny thing, but I used to HATE Polka music, but after listening to authentic Polkas, and watching the guests dance and enjoy themselves, I actually started liking it!😂
Click to expand...
One of the local DJs here is also a keyboard player. She created an interactive game she called "Take a Polka of This". She recorded 30 seconds of pop songs in Polka style without lyrics. It was hilarious. I still have a copy of her songs. One was Nelly's Hot in Herre. Let me say, that was never meant to be a polka.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ittigger, sonic-vision and DJ Bobcat
I specifically avoid letting people know that hooking their phone up to my system is even possible. The last thing I want during an event is having to deal with someone streaming a youtube video or something because I don't carry their alma mater's fight song around on my hard drive.

If the client (typically bride/groom) asked personally I'd let them know I can do it, but everyone else can go away.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ittigger, SEDJ and sonic-vision
Albatross said:
I specifically avoid letting people know that hooking their phone up to my system is even possible. The last thing I want during an event is having to deal with someone streaming a youtube video or something because I don't carry their alma mater's fight song around on my hard drive.

If the client (typically bride/groom) asked personally I'd let them know I can do it, but everyone else can go away.
Click to expand...
Some DJs will use their phone or what my buddy does he uses a separate laptop to get songs to play for a request if the song is not on his HD. The big thing is to make sure that the song is allowed to be played. Some people will request a song that's not appropriate for the event. Some people will get highly upset if you tell them they can't play that particular song because it's not appropriate for the event or its on the DNP list.
 
Albatross said:
I specifically avoid letting people know that hooking their phone up to my system is even possible. The last thing I want during an event is having to deal with someone streaming a youtube video or something because I don't carry their alma mater's fight song around on my hard drive.

If the client (typically bride/groom) asked personally I'd let them know I can do it, but everyone else can go away.
Click to expand...
I may be more discriminating at weddings, where the customer has laid out a certain style and the content they want, but otherwise - like at teen dances, I'm fully open to playing something from their phone. They simply need to show me that it is indeed a clean version, or allow me the time to preview it in cue.

This is really a great way to find new music that is trending with a particular vertical tha we would otherwise never encounter on our own. When I do teen events I'm all requests. It's their dance not my show, and I'm aware of how much I can learn by making their input a key part of it.
 
Proformance said:
They simply need to show me that it is indeed a clean version, or allow me the time to preview it in cue.
Click to expand...
I have used customer supplied music for several ethnic events where the lyrics are not English (Greek, Lithuanian, Hebrew, Spanish, etc). I would have no way of knowing if I was playing a clean version of this music. I have never had a problem with dirty non-English lyrics... that I know of.
 
sawdust123 said:
I have used customer supplied music for several ethnic events where the lyrics are not English (Greek, Lithuanian, Hebrew, Spanish, etc). I would have no way of knowing if I was playing a clean version of this music. I have never had a problem with dirty non-English lyrics... that I know of.
Click to expand...
Generally, if it's an adult event like a wedding and a client you have been working with - you're not gonna have a problem.
It's rare that a wedding guest wants us to play an offensive track, but there are people who enjoy sabotage.

It helps is we shake hands with a requester and get their first name during the exchange because when someone starts to press us we can point out that if we play that track we're going to personalize as their request. People who like to be subversive will usually back off in the face of losing their anonymity.

I'm sometimes inclined to tell people like that: "I'm going to need the bride herself to personally request that." To which they always say: "The bride said it was ok!"
Of course she did - I juts want to hear it directly from her.
 
I do a lot of performance events, with custom edits or backing tracks. I simply setup a Google Drive folder for people to forward their event content or tracks.
It's easy to check them out and then drop them in a custom playlist for the event.

Especially nice since you can also save them for recurring or annual performances that will use the same tracks.
 
I have played a request from my phone when possible if I didn't have it on my HD. I used to get a CD that someone wanted me to use to play a song or several songs. The good thing is the laptop I used to DJ with had a driver built in to play a CD. I had to find out with the new laptops they don't have them anymore.

Today someone will give me a flash drive to use to get me to play a song or songs they want me to play. The great thing is the laptop I use to DJ with has 4 USB ports. I also bought a while back a USB hub to connect several flash drives.
 
It seems at this stage of the game there is no alternative media.

I don't own any music videos on tape, or optical discs (despite those once being the standard music video distribution formats)
I don't own or posses a single CD (despite once owning over 3,000.)
I don't have any cassette tapes (despite once using them to condense my less requested vinyl.)
I don't own a single 12" or LP vinyl album (despite once owning several hundred.)

I've come to realize that my entire MP3 collection is near redundant were I to subscribe to a select number of streaming sources.
This is the DJ world inverted.
Our entire content catalog is just a backup to everything anyone already has equal access too. ⏳
 
Proformance said:
It seems at this stage of the game there is no alternative media.

I don't own any music videos on tape, or optical discs (despite those once being the standard music video distribution formats)
I don't own or posses a single CD (despite once owning over 3,000.)
I don't have any cassette tapes (despite once using them to condense my less requested vinyl.)
I don't own a single 12" or LP vinyl album (despite once owning several hundred.)

I've come to realize that my entire MP3 collection is near redundant were I to subscribe to a select number of streaming sources.
This is the DJ world inverted.
Our entire content catalog is just a backup to everything anyone already has equal access too. ⏳
Click to expand...
This is the truth owning physical media for a business purpose is a waste of space and resources, if you wanna have a collection of vinyl, CDs or whatever for personal reasons, that’s a personal choice. I can download any song in mere seconds in nearly any location,
 
Believe it or not some DJs still use vinyl or CDs. That's not the norm of today. What it's about is what the DJ feels comfortable using to get the job done.
 
sawdust123 said:
What is really crazy is that vinyl today is more popular than it has been in decades. And, it is all about collecting, not playing.
Click to expand...
That's not really true. (If 9 people buy a vinyl record this week that would be considered a "surge.") For most of these buyers records went out of production years before they were even born!

It's about the very elaborate cover jackets as a replacement for declining T-shirts sales. :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jeff Romard
Our prroduction company does events like this all the time.
When we do sound for a TV telethon, it's one performer after another needing some kind of audio.
Much like you, most of the time it was CD's and the occasional thumb drive, now it's all phones or ipads.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ittigger
DJ Bobcat said:
Well… I’m a privacy/security fanatic, so I would never put client’s USB fobs in my computer. I was asked a couple of times, and it caused a little tension. So I put Bluetooth in my systems. I put a little plugin receiver in one system, and it was plugged into my mixer. In one system, my Denon mixer had Bluetooth built it. That way, I could pair the client’s smartphone with Bluetooth, and play their selection.

I never had anyone hand me a CD at a live event, but I have had clients give me some special music on a CD to play at the event, though they gave it to me long before the event, so I had time to add it my library. I suppose I could have played from a CD if necessary, but I would not have accepted a homemade CD for security reasons.
Click to expand...

As a person that is guilty of doing all of the above I will say I knew the risks and played the odds but I fully get why you wouldn't.

Ironically I have never played a burned CD on a PC or Laptop at an event but not for security reasons. For some reason there have been multiple times where a burned music CD wouldn't play right on my drives enough that I didn't want to try it in public. I did do it many times on CD players years ago
 
  • Like
Reactions: ittigger and DJ Bobcat
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back