“I had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened.” - Mark Twain

This particular quote really pertains to brides… so brides, soon-to-be brides, or bridesmaids… listen up!

On your wedding day, so many things will happen that will not be according to plan.  There may be hundreds!  That is just the reality of these types of monumental events.  But it’s not a bad thing. And that’s why you hire wedding professionals to take care of anything that happens, so you don’t have to!

It’s your wedding day!  Enjoy and savor every second of it.  Don’t waste your energy or time getting stressed by the hundreds of little things that could potentially happen.  I’ve seen hundreds of weddings, most successful, a few really bad ones…. and what determines the success of these weddings can be connected to the bride and groom and whether or not they enjoy their big day and let the wedding professionals take care of everything or not.

So how can you follow Mark Twain’s advice on your big wedding day?

Do your research and hire the right, wedding professionals! This means hiring the right wedding planner, the right catering service, even the right professional DJ.  Don’t hire amateurs or part-timers.  No, your best friend or aunt cannot be your wedding planner for the day or your nephew DJ your wedding with his iPod.

What you invest in your wedding professionals can determine whether you’ll be allowed to enjoy your wedding day free from worries or not.

I loved it so much and realized there wasn’t a similar guide for those who want to be professional DJs.  I’m not talking about world-famous DJs like Tiesto, David Guetta, or Paris Hilton (obvious joke).  I’m talking about full-time working DJ’s that make a living doing weddings, clubs, corporate events and parties.  It’s a great profession – you do what you love, you avoid the 9-5, you choose your schedule, I can go on and on.

But it’s not as easy as everyone thinks it is.

It isn’t a career where you just book gigs through Craigslist, or friends you know, and show up the hour of the party and just start DJing.  There’s a ton of work behind the scenes that no one sees.  There’s a lot of financial investment.  It also isn’t as glamourous and cool as it may seem.  People never see the long hours preparing, driving, setting up and packing up, dealing with stressed out brides or party planners, being a salesman, and a hundred other things.

I know what the reality of what being a professional, full-time DJ is like.  This is my profession and I’ve been doing this a long time.  So I’m writing this for aspiring and current DJs, as well as others who never see or fully realize what it’s really like being a full-time DJ.

Without further adieu, I give you the 100 Rules for being a Professional DJ.

A) Realize this is a real job… not something you do on the weekends.  Moving from DJing as a hobby to DJing as a profession in front hundreds (or more) people at a wedding or party isnt easy.  This is a real job.

B)  It’s not as fun and glamorous as you think it will be.

C) You are a salesman. Most of being a professional DJ is being a salesman, so get good at sales.  A lot of this will happen over the phone too.  If you dont get the gig you don’t DJ.  So much of being a professional DJ is also being a successful salesman.  Be comfortable with this reality.

D) Do everything to make your customer happy. If your customers are not happy, then you did not do a good job.  Sounds simple right? A lot of times, its all about the little things – arriving 30 minutes earlier than you were supposed to, DJing a little more than you were supposed to, make their party so awesome and fun that all of their guests think they are amazing.

E)  Always give your all for every event. You are performing when you DJ, so always give a 100 percent for every event no matter how small or big. Do not base your performance on the paycheck…treat every gig like a $10k night event.

F)  Be Well spoken and professional when communicating with clients and when on the job.  Never use slang…speak proper English.  It’s frightening how often I come across professional DJs that are incomprehensible and even comical.

G)  Always be prepared for the everything. Always have back up equipment and options no matter what happens. Murphy’s Law applies very much to DJing.  If you’re prepared for it, it won’t happen.  If you are not, then it will… Even if my hair catches on fire, I’m prepared.

H)  Invest in real DJ equipment. I’m talking about thousands of dollars worth of investment.  (not including music and your laptop) If you can’t afford it starting out, then gradually upgrade and constantly invest. Buy cheap gear?  You’ll end up buying it three times.  Invest in quality and up-to-date equipment because you get what you pay for.

I)  Get Insurance. You cannot run a legitimate DJ business if you do not have insurance.  Real clients, and good venues will seek this.  Protect yourself and even protect your clients from anything that could possible happen (see Rule G: Be Prepared for everything.)

J)  Learn to beat match.  It’s horrifying to witness DJs today do this so casually at big events or even school dances.  This, along with these other DJ No-No’s should always be avoided.

K)  Never mix lyrics of one song over lyrics of the other.  Ever. See above video.

L)  Retrain your body clock. Realize its not going to be easy to work long hours at night and still operate in the day.  You will have to train your body to be fully operational, productive, and also personable during the odd working hours you will be bound to encounter. (Driving home at 1am, or later after your performance is dangerous)

M)  Get a car thats appropriately sized but has decent gas mileage…because you’ll be driving a lot and will need to store lots of equipment.  I drive a Toyota 4Runner.

N) Drive Safe. Your customers are counting on you showing up and they are naturally stressing and fearing that you won’t be there.  This is why you should always aim to arrive earlier than you told them you would. Plus speeding tickets are not only expensive to the wallet, but you can’t get back the time Mr. Police/Highway Patrol officer just took away while writing a ticket.

O)  Learn to ask a ton of questions. It shows your professionalism.  Know everything you appropriately can about your customers and how you can help them and their event be successful.

P) You really don’t need a DJ name….so don’t waste countless hours thinking of a really cool name. I still haven’t established an offical DJ name…and chances are…someone else already has your clever DJ name since everyone with a macbook pro is a ‘DJ’.

Q) Dont punch song requestors. Or Throat punch them.  Seriously….because that thought may arise frequently.  Just expect that you will always receive ridiculous song requests. Be prepared to play songs that are over played and ones you absolutely hate with a passion.  Also, learn to deal with annoying or even rude song requestors.

R) Always carry breath mints. You will be talking to your client, their guests, and other event professionals.  None of them want to smell what you just ate.

S)  Communicate with your customer, alot.  Email, phone, telegrams… whatever form of communication they prefer. It puts them at ease…the more you communicate, the more confident and less stressed they’ll be, the easier your job will be.

T) Groom yourself….. clean cut hair is where its at no matter how cool you think your chin strap or that 80′s mullet is.  Don’t look like this guy….

U)  Don’t use Craiglist ads.  It’s astonishing how much I see DJs starting out use this…and how many people seeking ‘professional’ DJs use this.  Don’t compete at the bottom and dont be a bottom feeder.  You just drag the entire market down.

V)  Spend money on quality business cards. Do not print them at on your home printer.  Get legit ones.  If you are great at an event, expect guests and party goers to ask you for a card.  Also,  you’ll be exchanging cards with industry professionals just as much too – caterers, photographers, event planners, etc.

W) Establish an official presence online with a professional website, Facebook, LinkedIn, and more. Be officially present everywhere you can.

X) Give value online. Always give real value on your website, facebook, twitter accounts, constantly to potential customers.  This can be important information, valuable tips and advice, and resources.

Y) Don’t use free web hosting service for your website. People can tell and the last thing you want are annoying ads on your company website.

Z)  Be extremely organized. I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH. Not just with daily schedule, but your event schedule, your equipment, your customers and employees, your invoices and bills.  Be able to juggle multiple things at once and find a organizational system that works for you.

AA)  It’s a 7 day a week job.  Especially in the “busy season”.  People will look for DJs at the weirdest hours and you constantly need to be ready to a take a phone call from potential client.

BB)  Network with fellow industry professionals. Event professionals like caterers, photographers, party planners, balloon guys, bartenders, venue managers, everyone!  These can become very powerful business relationships that can lead to leads.

CC) Be friends with professionals that are hired prior to you being hired so they can refer you. For example, befriend as many wedding planners or PR event organizers as possible.  People who throw parties or major events will hire or contact these people first.  Then depend on their recommendations.  Be that recommendation.

DD) Don’t use a personal email account.  Have a real email (like mine: rob@thedjcircle.com) to make you look professional and legit.  Never correspond with potential customers as DJHawtSauce5460@yahoo.com.

EE) Always give every customer satisfaction surveys.  You need to know what you do well and what you can work on….plus these can make great testimonials.

FF) Build a good team.  At first, it will just be you.  But eventually, you’ll need to create and surround yourself with a great team. Your family will also become apart of this team.  You’ll be as strong and successful as your team allows you to be.

GG) Get unlimited minutes and unlimited data. It’s worth the investment.

HH) Don’t ever wear tshirts with glitter on it….or douchy vnecks….or popped collars….or tank tops….also, no gang tattoos or most body mutilation.  This is all frowned upon (especially in the wedding industry).  It might work at really cool nightclubs though.

II) Invest in comfortable dress shoes. You’ll be on your feet alot!  You will thank me for this one piece of advice.

JJ) Don’t get sick. Your not allowed to be.  Take care of your body.  Take your daily vitamins and get sleep and drink plenty of water.

KK) Always have your personal bag of essentials. I always carry the same messenger bag with the same essential items I need for every event.  Here’s me 12 DJ essentials.

LL) Don’t undercharge for what you do. Always price what you are worth, not what they’ll pay.  Cheap jobs are never worth your time.  If a potential client try’s to haggle too much, just move on.  Chances are you will not want to work with this person anyways.  Again, this is why you should never use Craigslist.

MM) Keep on top of industry trends. Subscribe to YouTube influencers like this guy . Follow DJ blogs like this one. (or my blog) Read industry magazines like Mobile Beat.

NN) Say Yes to everything! A customer asks you if you can do ‘X’?  But you have never done ‘X’ or don’t know how? Say yes, you do ‘X’, and figure out how…find a way.

OO) Don’t put a tip jar out, it’s tacky. Accept tips but don’t ask for them.  If you priced appropriately, you wont need to ask for tips anyway.  And if you are really good at the event, people will tip you anyway too.

PP) Reminder: You don’t have free time…you work 7 days a week.

QQ) Celebrate every success. Success breeds success the most and the fastest.

RR) Iron your clothes…seriously.

SS)  Everybody likes a friendly DJ. Know how to conversate.  Be engaging.  Always stick your hand out to introduce yourself.  Spend a few minutes hanging out and talking with party goers, etc. Since you arrived early you have time. (see rule XX too)

TT) Except all forms of payment.  It’s too easy in today’s world.  I use Square for example and even paypal. Don’t accept just cash or check.

UU) Exercise.  You will need physical stamina to be a professional DJ.  You will have to go all out for 8-10 hours sometimes.   Prepare your body for it.

VV) Get a GPS.  Know exactly where the venue is….how to get there…and how long it will take you. (don’t forget to factor in traffic)  You never want to be late or even worse, show up at the wrong venue or place.

WW) Enjoy what you do and have fun! People will follow suit and party.  Warning: never be over the top about this though, it will backfire.

XX) Always show up earlier than you told your customer you would arrive. I know I said this, but I have to point this out again.  The customer will start to worry the closer it becomes to the arrival time. So get there before you told them you would.

YY) It’s all in the programming. Nobody will see the time you invest in programming….but it is important. Read more here.

ZZ) Don’t be a stand up comedian.  You are there to entertain, but only talk on the mic when you need to.  Don’t be the DJ that is always talking, guests hate that.  They are there for the event, not you.

AAA) Don’t advertise yourself with signage at events…unless you are doing free events. Its tacky.  If you are good, people will ask for your card.

BBB) Never overbook yourself! It’s very tempting. Another reason for being organized.  This creates hours more of unneccesary stress, bad customer relations and hair pulling that is not worth taking an extra, last minute gig because you ‘may’ be able to fit it in.

CCC) Never back out of an event you committed to! See above and why you should never over book yourself.

DDD) Always take a deposit for every gig booked. I use a $195 across all events. This is a good screener for good customers you want to work with.

EEE) Water.  Stay hydrated between setting up and performing.  Drink lots of it.

FFF) Learn to read a crowd. Sounds simple, but takes a lot of gigs of experience to be good at..Make eye contact with the crowd.  Don’t be buried in your laptop.  See what songs the crowd responds to the most and stick to that genre, while at the same time looking for those you want to motivate out of their chairs.

GGG) No bathroom breaks while perfoming…seriously.  If you have to pee you are not working hard enough.

HHH) Avoid foods that you know might upset your stomach the day before and day of.

III) Don’t hook up with party goers. I don’t care how hot the bridesmaid is….fraternize after the party and you are “off the clock”.

JJJ) Don’t drink alcohol while DJing. You are not there to party.  You are there to work.

KKK)  Dress like you mean business and accordingly to the event. Wedding?  Wear a full suit, not just shirt and tie.  School dance?  Dress like you would going to a club.  Also, never wear a tuxedo…. you are not in the bridal party.

LLL) Don’t take smoke breaks….nobody wants to look at the DJ booth and not see a DJ.

MMM) Constantly check sound levels. Don’t play too loud.  Every room and venue is different.  Set up early and test appropriately.  Again, remember that it is never about you.  It’s about the client and their party.  Get out into your crowd and listen.  If guests are having to almost yell to have a conversation, turn it down!

NNN) Your equipment should not be available for purchase at Best Buy.  Once again, invest in real quality equipment.  Customers want to see professional, special and cool looking equipment that they have never seen before.  You don’t want them thinking I could just get all of that at Best Buy or Walmart.

OOO) It’s not about you. The whole event is never about the DJ, unless maybe your a club dj headlining in Vegas.  And if you are, then why are you reading this?  Realize it’s always about the customer.

PPP) Public Speaking isn’t for everybody. Stay off the mic unless absolutely necessary.  Also, protect the mic accordingly too, especially from drunks. F-bombs over your system are not cool.

QQQ) Never play the same artist twice in a row.

RRR) No titty slapping or breast pummeling. Don’t be this guy on YouTube.

SSS) Constantly push your listening tastes beyond your comfort level. Go beyond your own personal tastes in music.  Learn to appreciate all songs and genres (40 year old music to dub step to bollywood, Latin, country, etc). Embrace it and understand it. By doing so you will have a better connection with your guests. Music is a language spoken by all, by understanding many  genres is to understand many cultures.

TTT) Smile all the time…especially when you talking to customers, especially when you are on the phone.  It will show through your voice.

UUU) Don’t become a guest. Don’t be so friendly and casual…you are a professional and you are working.  After all, you are a stranger in the midst family and personal friends.

VVV) Go to a DJ conference…..its a good excuse to go to Vegas.  You’ll meet a lot of industry professionals.

WWW) Have a couple choice songs that will WOW the crowd and take them back to their youth…not necessary the number 1 song but like number 3 or 4 of any given decade or year. You’ll get so many people thanking you and saying “I haven’t heard that one song since….”.  Know exactly who the crowd will be, by asking lot a of questions, and do your due research when crafting the playlist.  Go above and beyond and find that rare but golden track….usually that one hit wonder.

XXX) Don’t be cliche or cheesy. Especially on the mic.

YYY) Always go beyond what they expect you to do. Give them a little extra – An extra light or an extra speaker.  Start a half an hour early or go a little late.  Little things like this will make a difference.

ZZZ) Don’t be Allen Iverson…practice weekly.  Make time to practice, improve your skills, mess around with music and work on your craft.

AB) You have to love DJing.  You will work 60+ hours a week.  This is a full time job and some.  You must love it.

AC)  Be patient with drunk people….also be able to have fun with them too.

AD) Don’t be Paris Hilton, please.

FINALLY: ENJOY the moment when you turn the sound down, its quiet, everybody realizes its over, and they applaud, cheer, come up and say thank you. Savour that moment. its a cool piece of time. It makes it all worth it.

Also, like with weddings, after DJing hundreds of school dances, I observe big No-No’s that schools make when planning and running dances.  I also see really great ideas and cool tips that I always try to pass on to others.

Just a few weeks ago, I observed a middle school dance in the Bay Area.  I wasn’t DJing the dance though.  I was there because the school dance bought a few hours of our photobooth.

The DJ that this school danced astonished me.  In good ways and bad….mostly bad though.  I felt the school dance got ripped off, and also made huge mistakes in other areas too, that ultimately prevented them from giving their students an amazing, fun, and awesome dance.

These events really did happen.  The accounts are based on text messages I was sending with another DJ, my partner in The DJ Circle, throughout the night.

6:50 pm - I arrive an hour and 10 minutes early to set up the photobooth for the school dance.

• Only one other person is present – the DJ’s gaffer, or ‘roadie’.
• I ask the roadie, “Hey, do you know where (my contact person) is?”
• Roadie replies, “I don’t even know who that is…” while he sets up DJ equipment from circa 1987.
• This is while he has his phone blasting old Scorpions and Hardcore rock music.
• I think to myself, “My God, I hope this man is not the school’s DJ.”
• I called my contact person and got ahold of her.
• She tells me where to set up the photobooth and I start.
• Half way through setting up the photobooth, a 400 pound bald man startles me and asks, “Do you have an extra extension cord?”
• I once again thought to myself, “My God, I hope this man is not the school’s DJ.”
  • He was….and I was worried.  (First off, a professional DJ always comes OVER-prepared!)

DISCLAIMER:  I do not judge people by appearance….but seriously….400 pounds is 400 pounds.  Nobody wants or likes a 400 pound DJ!  How is someone that fat and unhealthy going to infuse energy into the party?

• This DJ was 400 pounds. He was bald, had a goatee, and was in his mid 40’s.  As his roadie finished setting up his 1980’s DJ Equipment, he brought out his stool!  He sat on that thing for the whole dance!  He then started playing 70’s rock music while the rest of dance organizers are finishing up final touches.
• This 70’s music was nothing indicative of what he should be playing for this dance.
• I personally use the last 15-20 minutes before start time to get mentally ready and prepared for the event and play songs that I would actually be playing.  This DJ was definitely not warming himself up mentally or musically for the genre to be played at this middle school dance.

7:52 pm – 8 minutes before the dance starts.

• I walk over and talk to the DJ for a bit.
• I notice he’s using a program called Virtual DJ – a free version – DJ program without any controller for it.  You might as well use i-Tunes!
• Using Virtual DJ was a sure sign of what was to come over the course of the next two hours….
• This DJ would trainwreck songs together with different beats, tone ranges, and basically commit total assault on any pair of ears.  He would chop a song and immediately drop the other.  Then he would let songs totally play out and then go to the next one, with about 5 seconds of dead air.  FAIL.
• This DJ also has total crap for lights.  He had a decent pair of lasers, horrible moving heads, tiny strobe lights – basically he had the cheapest light set you could buy and get away with.
• His speakers were way too small for the room – definitely not sized appropriately for the event.  And his volume levels were way too low, unless he was yelling into the microphone, which he would routinely do over the next 2 hours.

8:00pm – The Middle School dance officially starts.  I refrain from judging and texting my partner for the first hour….to give him an hour to see if he is really legit or not.

8:49pm – Ok I cannot stand it anymore!  I wish I was lying, but the following was all true.  The exact songs, exact actions, everything.

• The DJ plays Party Rock Anthem and then Sexy and I Know It back to back.
  • DJ Code says you do not play the same artist back to back unless its an amazing mashup.  He chopped Party Rock Anthem and began Sexy and I know It and started to sing along! (over the microphone).
• This DJ, a 400 pound bald man with a goatee in his mid 40’s is yelling into the microphone throughout songs.
  • He is yelling “Shake That!” during the Party Rock Anthem at 8th grade girls. This is wrong on many levels…
  • This is very disrupting and very disorienting for them.   Who likes to be yelled at by the DJ when dancing?
• There is zero beat matching or mixing at all….he is just chopping one song and starts another immediately. (when he does not leave 5-6 seconds of dead air)

9:20 pm - The DJ plays Tyga – “Rack City” and trainwrecks a One Direction song -“What Makes You Beautiful”…. he plays that song right after Rack City?!?

• A professional DJ should never go from Bay Area rap music to upbeat uber pop music.
• These two songs have a 26 beat per minute difference!
• There are transition songs that you can play to take you from Rack City to Uber Pop song successfully.
• Also, a professional DJ should never mix two different genres like that combination.

9:23 pm – The DJ now chops One Direction – You Don’t know You’re Beautiful to Cat Daddy.  Yes, that really happened.

• Why is he doing this again!?  He could have went from Rack City to Cat Daddy and that would be OK.

9:25 pm - He doesn’t even finish the Cat Daddy song and goes back up to 120 beats per minute and plays a 2008 song, “Dirty Bit” by the Black Eyed Peas.

• The DJ proceeds to start singing again!   This is as awkward as it sounds.

9:43 pm – Now he plays One Direction – “One Thing” and then plays Wiz Khalifa – “Black and Yellow“.

• I don’t know if this DJ only owns songs that are the 125-130 beats per minute range and in the 80-100 BPM….and has zero songs in the middle?  Or any remix transitions.
• At this point, I’m shaking my head.

9:58 pm – The end of the dance is nearing.  He plays “Sorry for Party Rocking” (134 BPM) to “The Motto” 100 BPM’s with dead air for the 5th time.  Yes, this dance has dead air 5 times or possibly more, I just stopped counting.

• This DJ also played the several songs twice throughout this middle school dance.
• And as I mentioned, he allowed dead air for at least 5 times.

10:04 pm – He plays a very popular Bay Area song, “Slow Down”, to Journey – “Don’t Stop Believing”.  He chops “Slow Down” right in the middle of the chorus into Journey.  :0

10:05 pm – He doesn’t finish the Journey song and goes into Fun – “We are young” and trainwrecks big time.

• This mid 40 year old DJ is also singing “We are young” to the 8th graders, which is just…wrong.

10:07 pm – It’s the end of the night…FINALLY.

• Wait, he has to do something really stupid again, right?
• Yep.  He makes an announcement, “Let’s do some shout outs!  Come up and I’ll let you get on the microphone.”
  • Rule #84:  Always control the microphone!
  • This has a recipe for an F-bomb to be dropped over your sound system at a middle school dance. After all, these are 8th graders who don’t really have to go back to this school.  What have they got to lose?

To show you just how bad this DJ trainwrecked songs, I had to reenact the exact songs he used and how he failed.  It’s pretty funny, check it out below:

Concluding Notes
In the beginning, I assumed that this DJ would not know what to play.  I was wrong.  He had a good playlist – top 40 stuff that middle schoolers would want to hear at their dance.  He just didn’t use the songs with any skill or DJ professionalism, or artistic inspiration.

Maybe he was limited by his equipment (it was really old and bad)?  But that still gives no real professional DJ an excuse to jump 25 BPM, chop songs or have dead silence between songs.  His technique screamed amateur.  Or just laziness.  I am leaning towards lazy.  He had great “DJ Voice” but just used it too much.  I was pretty sure he just going through the motions instead of putting in the effort to make this the best dance it could be.

The 8th graders even knew he sucked.  The photobooth was insanely popular at the dance and I talked with many of the 8th graders attending the dance.  Throughout the night, they would have quizzical looks on their faces.  I’d ask what’s up and they would always say something like, “I don’t know what song he is playing…”  (usually during one of the many train wrecks)

Other Mistakes Made
He would not announce slow songs.  He would just play them.  This is horrible to do at middle school and high school dances!  I always announce a slow song (couples dance) before it’s coming so everyone can find a partner, etc.

He had a great playlist.  He had a good grasp of what to play.  He just didn’t have the recipe to play it.

Why DJing is like Cake

There is a definite recipe for successfully DJing school dances.  Even though you have the ingredients, if you don’t mix them properly, and add certain elements at the right time.  Your cake will not rise, and taste terrible.  You can’t just throw all the ingredients in the bowl, mix them up and expect to have a successful dance 2 hours later.

It’s all about the programming.  You can get away with old equipment, that is not loud enough, and weak lighting if you can program your DJ set so the students are really excited to be on the dancefloor.  But if you just throw songs out there without any particular reason, there is no flow to the event.

It is just a mess.

Programming the evenings music ahead of time, not only makes your event go much smoother, but it shows some creativeness, artistic value if you will.  This DJ was lazy, an amateur.  This is why people love us (DJ circle).

What I talk about:

0:15 – How I became a full-time, professional DJ

2:52 – Rant: WHY do DJ’s buy Beats by Dre Headphones?  How can you DJ with these???

3 Reasons why a professional DJ does not need Beats by Dre Headphones:

1. Price!  They are rediculously expensive!
2. When your DJing, you are working! You are not listening for enjoyment and your not producing music.
3. Price!  Yes, I know I already said it, but this required extra emphasis.  You seriously don’t need $300 headphones to DJ.

4:40 - Product Review:  Shure SRH 750 DJ Headphones.  Why I’ve bought more than one pair of these…

6:50- Another Justin Bieber commentary!  He took my advice – I have proof.

7:31 – Words of Wisdom:  ”I had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened.” – Mark Twain.  Find out why this is great advice for brides to be!

Please share the episode with friends, family, and anyone you know who may be interested!

Examples?  See the boob slapping DJ here or the ultimate wedding disaster here.

I get asked a lot of questions, a few are really random and weird, but most are usually very relevant and important.  I’ve started a new web series called ‘Ask a DJ’ where I cover these questions.  These are real questions that I have gotten and these are questions you should always ask when looking for a DJ.

Please share any videos that you find useful, especially with someone you may know who might be looking for a DJ for their important or once-in-a-lifetime event or party.

Also, if you have a question you would like to ask a DJ, leave it in a comment and I will do a video answer for it!

Here’s the first 5 questions:

1. Can we come watch you DJ a wedding?
2. Why is it so expensive for just 3 hours?  Behind the scenes of the set up, break down, and travel time…
3. Do you have insurance?  Why you should ONLY hire a professional DJ with insurance…
4. Should I tip my DJ?  How much?
5. Does the DJ bring a helper or assistant with him/her?

Check out this video for a quick introduction.  Below this video, I’ll go more in-depth about the three tips I give on how to appropriately ask a DJ a request.

1.  Wait for acknowledgment!

Most people that ask the right way will be patient and wait for mutual recongition, usually through eye contact.  Never, ever interrupt the DJ while he is working…and this is pretty much whenever he is not looking at you.  Don’t lose points either by poking or tapping the DJ as well.  This makes us uncomfortable, annoyed, and angry all at the same time.

2.  Ask politely!

This seriously may seem obvious, but always ask politely!  This means asking in a positive manner with a smile preferably.  One tip: Always ask for us to play your song, not simply tell us to play your song.  And always ask without criticism or a negative opinion attached to it.

3.  Ask for a song for the right reasons!

Again, this may seem obvious but it is true.  Ask for songs that are legitimately good or relevant to the party (Most of the time, DJ’s follow a specific playlist that was agreed upon with the party organizer).  Also, ask songs for solid, positive and or fun reasons….not lame ones!

Also, the biggest tip of advice:  Never ask for song that has already been played.  It’s excruciating painful to realize how much this actually happens.

Please, never ask because of these reasons:

“Because I have to leave in 10 minutes!”

“I need this song to dance with this girl…”

“Because it will be funny…” or “Because we want to embarrass my friend…”

Want to be cool with the DJ or always get your favorite song played.  Follow these tips and I guarantee you will always be successful in doing so!

I drive a semi-professional drag race car to “relax”. But since both DJ’ing and racing occur on the weekends they make for some good adventures. During the weekdays I am on the phone with clients, searching for music, or trying to be a good father to my 7 year old daughter.

This happened just a few Saturdays ago.

A – Wake up at 6 am (not normal for a working DJ at all….)
B- On the road to the racetrack at 7 am.
C- Arrive at the race track at 9 am unload race car.
D- Warm up race car.
E- Tow up to staging lanes for first run of 2012.
F - Fire up car, do burn out, stage car, unleash 3000 HP.

G- Shut down car at only 1.5 seconds. Car pulls 3.5 g’s goes 0-80 MPH in 1 second.
H- Tow car back to pit and make adjustments.
I- Back to staging lanes to make last attempt of the day.
J - Repeat of Letter “F”.
K – Shut car off at 2.4 seconds, violent sideways move, maneuver to avoid contact with wall.
L- Go into RV for shower and change.
M- Head out to DJ a birthday party at a bar in Oakland, CA (90 minute drive!).

N- Arrive at gig to find only street parking (booooo) but only two spaces away from the venue. Time to unpack $6,500 worth of gear directly in front of a wino.

O- Wino immediately asks me for a couple dollars. I politely decline.

P- Go into bar…..Yikes, it’s tiny.

Q- Talk to bar owners about where to set up, I’m lead up the narrowest/steepest stairs ever built (I’m 6’4″….and this staircase was built for 5’4″ people).
R- “DJ booth” upstairs is approaching the temperature of the sun, also zero headroom. (probably built for 5’-4” DJ’s).
S- Bump head on low ceiling for the first time where I will be DJ’ing for hours. Should of brought a helmet.
T- Unload gear and wino is still there….still asking for money, empty change out of my car give to him.

U- Set up sound system, sound check, set up lights. (45min-1 hour process.)
V- Party begins, 70’s disco theme, rocking the house. Finally…
W- Continue to bump head on low ceiling.
X – Get a tap on shoulder, turn around to find a cross dressing dude asking me to play a song off a CD in his hand. He proceeds to lip sync to the song and the crowd goes crazy.
Y – I get Butt pinched by random party goer. (I still don’t know how these party goers were able to make it up this tiny and dangerous staircase…)
Z- 2 am…. party over! Load gear into car, drunk party goer (a different one) keeps trying to “help” load gear by dragging my expensive equipment across the sidewalk.  Asked her politely to stop.  She obliges.  Minute later, she’s dragging another box of equipment.  Had to ask her to stop no less than 3 times, then quite forcefully yelled at her to stop touching my equipment.

aa. Stop by Aldabertos on the way home – life saving meal.

Finally arrive home at 4 am.  Proceed to sleep for the next 12 hours.

Overall, it was an amazing day.  I loved it – from racing my car to DJing a fun and lively party late into the night.  You see something new every weekend and always come home with interesting stories – and that’s why I love doing what I do.

Any other professional DJ have a crazy day like this that they can share?  Let’s hear it.

Also, be sure to check out Why You Need a Photo Booth at Your Next Event!

At the bottom of this blog post, find out how you can win 2 Free Hours of our Photo Booth for your next event!

A few things covered in the tour:

• The attractive appearance of the Photo Booth
• Functionality and Process of the Photo Booth
• Step by step tutorial
• Proof of our world-breaking speed of 7.5 second printing (I dare you to show me a faster one!)
• Customization of the photo strip for your unique event
• Inside look at our own props available for fun pictures (Goofy hats, etc)
• Why The DJ Circle’s Photo Booth is the best!
• Fancy piano background music! (yes our Photo Booth has options of different background music!)

Enjoyed the video?  Check out our others at our YouTube channel!  As always, please share with friends and family….Sharing is caring!

Want to win 2 Free Hours of this Photo Booth for your next event ($495 value)???

Enter our Facebook Contest here. It only takes 30 seconds!

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1.  Awesome Souveniers/Party Favors

Photobooths that print pictures on the spot can be great party favors to give to guests or great souveniers for guests to take home.

2.  Memories

Fun Booth Live Photo booths are an easy, fun way to capture all of your guests having a fantastic time at your wedding! Little ones, your friends, your parents and your grandparents will have a fabulous time! And you have a lasting memory of them!

3.  They’re Fun!

There’s something contagious about photo booths!  Photobooths allow everyone to let loose and have fun.  Have you ever seen anyone frowning after coming out of a photo booth?  NO! Never! Photo booths make guests smile, laugh and create memories. Who doesn’t want that at their event?

4.  Entertainment for Everyone

It’s great to offer guests entertainment besides dancing or forcing people to retreat to their tables for small talk.  Everyone can enjoy Photo Booths

Some of the guests at your reception may not be the Dancing Queen type…so they might not get photographed…but get them in the funbooth, and they may just cut loose!

5.  It’s perfect for any event!

They are perfect for:  Weddings, Fundraisers, Sweet 16s and Quinceaneras, Trade Shows, Dances and Proms, and Corporate Events.  You can customize our photo booth for any event too!
1.  We have the fastes printing Photo Booth on the market.  Our’s prints in 7.5 seconds.  This means more time for your buck to get more pictures for more of your guests!

Reasons why The DJ Circle’s Photo Booth is the best:

1.  We have the fastes printing Photo Booth on the market.  Our’s prints in 7.5 seconds.  This means more time for your buck to get more pictures for more of your guests!

2.  Your guests can post their pictures to Facebook and other social media platforms.

3.  You can even create a scrapbook right on the spot for your event!  Have guests write commentary and comments on the strips inside the scrapbook.  Take home after the event to always remind you of your amazing event.

For our F.A.Q.’s on our Photo Booth rental, click here.

Here is how it works: Our friendly attendants invite your guests into the booth. We will then suggest you wear some of our fun props. Our booths will walk you through the entire process of taking your photos and choosing if you would like Color or Black and White.

Our booths will even ask you if you would like to email and upload your photos to Facebook.  This is the fastest booth in the world, it prints photos in 7.5 seconds. This means your lines are short allowing you to print more and

After the event we will burn a DVD or USB Flash Drive of all digital photos and videos taken, so that you keep the memories!

Our top of the line photo booth available for your next event! For more information, click here.

Take a Virtual Tour Below!