Month: June 2022

BLOGS Taking Note of Good DJ Etiquette

June 27, 2022
Taking Note of Good DJ Etiquette
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Good DJ etiquette is incredibly important when it comes to hosting a great event. Before you hire that DJ for your next event, you should consider asking some preliminary questions about their line of work. 

Knowing how they conduct business with customers and event organizers and how they intend to bring life to your party are just a few examples of doing your due diligence in securing the right DJ. Here are some pointers on spotting good DJ etiquette ahead of your big event.

Do Your Due Diligence

In looking for a DJ for your next event, doing your due diligence will better help inform your decisions. You’ll want to look out for good DJ etiquette, which can often be heard about through customer reviews, testimonials, and first-hand impressions. But before you begin gathering that research, you have to decide: what exactly is good DJ etiquette?

Look for traits such as timeliness (being punctual to meetings with you and to their events), how they treat event guests and staff, and how communicative they are with their clients.

With that being said, you can keep an eye out for such traits when reading reviews on a potential DJ. You can even reach out to local venue owners to get an idea of how certain DJs in your area conduct business. On top of customer reviews, venue owners often provide a valuable barometer of good DJ etiquette.

Understand How They Work Alongside Clients

Another core tenet of good DJ etiquette is how they operate with potential clients. Are they willing to work alongside clients to ensure event success? Or do they march to the beat of their own drum?

A DJ that demonstrates good DJ etiquette should be able to balance working alongside clients while also using their experience to make informed decisions — all without trampling over potential clients’ wants and needs. This skill in particular requires good listening and communication skills, so that DJs can hear clients out and provide essential feedback that’ll allow their events to run smoothly. 

If a DJ has a reputation of doing whatever they want without taking the client’s needs into account should be avoided. On top of that, good DJs also are respectful to other musicians who they may share the stage with throughout the night.

What Does the Community Have to Say?

DJs often operate within the same circle as other DJs. In turn, there’s a big chance you’ll see other DJs work in conjunction with each other from time to time. Whether it’s opening for a fellow musician or headlining, good DJ etiquette also translates to what the music community has to say about them.

This can be seen especially in how a DJ functions as an opener. In opening for another DJ, there’s a huge responsibility to warm the crowd up, but not to over-hype them. Playing mid-tempo tracks and avoiding the hugely popular songs are crucial here. 

If an opening act fails to do this, it’s considered disrespectful and does a disservice to the following acts, as the opener just took away the majority of the headliner’s work. This can lead to a bad reputation and venues will not invite them back — signifying poor DJ etiquette.

What is Their Preparation Regimen Like?

Preparation is an important aspect of good DJ etiquette. Signs of peak preparation include having a setlist ready to go, as well as a malleability to adapt to the changing dynamics of the room. Another important aspect, which often goes understated, is showing up to the venue early.

Showing up early to a gig will allow for a DJ to get set up, get acclimated to the crowd, and feel comfortable with their upcoming set. Not showing up early can throw a wrench into venue owners’ plans, as they may have to scramble to find a replacement or postpone your set — thus potentially postponing all sets that follow.

This is also a skill that inherently ties into good communication. If a DJ has good communication skills, they’ll prepare ahead of time by coordinating the setlists and tailoring their performance to the client’s needs.

Everlasting Productions’ Commitment to Good DJ Etiquette

At Everlasting Productions, we pride ourselves on our commitment to good DJ etiquette. With a team of devoted DJs, we communicate with clients and venue owners to ensure the utmost professionalism. With Everlasting Productions, we work hard to ensure your event is a success.

To learn more about how Everlasting Productions can take your events to the next level, visit our website and get in touch with us today!

BLOGS Establishing a Song Selection with Your DJ

June 13, 2022
Establishing a Song Selection with Your DJ
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Curating a soundtrack for your special event can be challenging. Whether it’s a wedding, birthday party, or graduation, establishing a song selection with your DJ is crucial to ensuring a successful event.

Catering to everyone — from the young child to the grandparents in attendance — and maintaining the room’s energy comes down to a carefully-chosen song selection. Here are some tips you should consider in creating that perfect soundtrack!

Set a Meeting with Your DJ

Before your special event, it’s best practice to schedule a consultation with your DJ to go over the song selection. There are plenty of fine details to be ironed out to host a successful event, so holding a meeting with your DJ can help remediate any issues beforehand.

Common issues that can spring up during an event include an energy lull, not maintaining the interest of the crowd, and haphazardly playing songs on the fly. In meeting with your DJ before the event, you should establish a song selection that will avoid these pitfalls. Preparation is key!

You should also let the DJ know what kind of songs you want to hear, as well as songs you don’t want to hear. A “Do Not Play” list goes a long way!

You’ll also want to highlight the range of demographics of your party’s attendance. Consider factors like age, race, ethnicity, and gender when establishing a song selection. What gets the 5-year-old in attendance pumped up will most likely differ from what’ll get the 70-year-old grandfather excited. Try to find a sonic middle ground that’ll bridge the gap for all those in attendance!

Establish the Tone of the Event

Once you have the demographics sorted, the next step in curating the perfect song selection is establishing the tone of the event. What exactly is the occasion? Is it a birthday party for a 10-year-old? A party for a college graduate? A quinceanera? Informing the DJ of this will allow the performer to make the most informed decisions regarding the song selection.

As a DJ, you should then consider song qualities that’ll keep the crowd dynamics leveled throughout the night. Throw in a healthy mix of upbeat songs to have the room jumping. Keep the slow jams for when the audience begins to tire out (you’ll notice this when the dance floor begins clearing out and people start sitting down). Mid-tempo songs are perfect to segue from high-energy to low-energy music, and vice versa.

Another element to consider is the timeframe of your song selection’s release. Are you catering to millennials? Throwing in some iconic throwback songs from the 1990s and 2000s, for example, can ensure a big reaction from the audience. On the other hand, if it’s a party of Gen Z’ers, you can throw on some 2000s and 2010s hits. And who can forget about the TikTok crowd?!

Set Boundaries with Your DJ

Lastly, one of the biggest steps you can take in establishing a song selection is setting boundaries with your DJ. This mainly is a timing issue, which can partially be circumvented by choosing songs that are of appropriate length. DJs should also be hypervigilant of their allotted amount of time and should coordinate with the event hosts and venue to remain within their appropriate timeframe. 

On top of that, if your event calls for multiple DJs, you should make it very clear about set times and what songs will be played by other DJs. If there’s an opening act, that opener should avoid playing the top hits that should be reserved for the headliner. Instead, openers should rely on throwbacks and mid-tempo tracks while ultimately setting the tone for the night.

Establishing a Song Selection with Everlasting Productions

Everlasting Productions is a DJ service based out of Melville, New York. With over a decade of experience and a team of fully dedicated professionals, Everlasting Productions is sure to bring you a memorable experience — curated song selection and beyond!

We even offer services such as a photo booth and giveaways alongside dedicated photography and videography — thus making your party last a lifetime! One satisfied customer said of Everlasting Productions, “They did music for my ceremony, cocktail hour and reception. My family and friends were on the dance floor the whole time and only had amazing things to say.”

To learn more about how Everlasting Productions can bring your party to life, visit our website and contact us today to learn more!