Here’s a gist of what you need to earn and learn to become a great DJ.
Skills and Knowledge Needed
Being a DJ requires two things from your personality – the ability and ease of socializing and improvisation. In a way, being the DJ for a party is like being a clown; you need to put forth a constant environment of entertainment, regardless of the crowd or the place. You need to understand that crowds, music preferences and locations keep changing, so you need to learn the flow of the masses to adapt and play the kind of music that will have people hooked to your style all the time.
This is the kind of knowledge that you will only attain by being the most social animal that anyone has known. If your tastes match the crowd, then you’ll end up having fun too! In all fields of music, the art of disc jockeying is the one that requires the most knowledge about what’s going around in the circuit.
Expected Pay
Now talking about the disc jockey salary aspect, the kind of money you can expect is the same as all other professions in music; the more your popularity grows, the more you earn. On an average, a respectable DJ can earn anything from $35,000 to $55,000 in a year. The pay entirely depends on how well you publicize yourself, your total experience, who’s hiring you, and your knowledge on being a DJ. Disc jockeying as a job is one tough egg to crack, so you’ll have to be on guard for everything.
Future
The only way you can earn a fixed income is through radio broadcasting. Find out if any station is looking for a new DJ, and don’t waste time in applying for the job. Unfortunately, it has been observed that radios are slowly falling out of listeners and the business will see a steady decline over the next few years (as concluded by the BLS). The other way would be to enter DJ battles to earn both prize money and fame, but be prepared for intense competition over there. Again, all these are pretty much one-time deals, and you’ll need to be on your toes if you want to find out more of them.
Being a DJ is indeed a tough profession. If you don’t love your job like it’s worth your life, then I suggest you find another one. For the rest, the message is clear – there’s only a point to which equipment and small-time parties can take you. There is a whole world beyond that, just waiting for you and your style, but the question remains to whether you have what it takes.