Our DJ's are HUMAN too!

Brought up rather a lot of late, including Deadmau5 in regards to button pusher DJ’s etc. Should DJ’s be more creative with their sets? Should they preform live? Or play pre-recorded sets? Many people are fighting about this, and here are my thoughts.

DJ’s have a lot of people to please many gigs to attend and a tour schedule that not many can accommodate . So how should they perform?

In my opinion for DJ’s to fill all tour dates pencilled in there has to be some compromise. Not every DJ can play live all the time. Why? well take a look at many DJ’s dates the answer is clear for all to see. There is not enough time to plan out each set between dates. A 2 hour set can take hours if, not days to plan for a live performance. They have to find the tracks they would like to use, which in itself can be a tough target, scan through hundreds of promo’s, list them down, check if they work together, get to grips with the equipment supplied, travel to the destination, get settled in. Then get a feel for the club and the people within it.

Only when the above is done, and plenty more I’m sure, as I’ve only covered the basics, can they play. Live DJ’s play off the crowd, they constantly read the crowd and answer the following questions. How are the crowd feeling now? Which tracks are working well? Are they hyped enough? Do they need more bassline? Do they need an uplifting tune? Should I play something harder? That track went down well which track should follow? And many more. That in itself is a tough job you can’t please everyone, and even when you think a set works and sounds acceptable to you, you can’t always guarantee the crowd will feel that way.

So that is live, imagine having to do that every night, for months if not years on end. It will have its downsides, especially in the health department, it will tire even the most prestigious DJ. It’s a monumental challenge. Add to that jet lag, miles of travel every day from one country to the next, with only an hour or two to spare in-between arriving at the hotel, to shower, change and eat, yes some DJ’s arrive 24 hours before, but not all do. Then the emotional side of things, our DJ’s are human too, they miss being away from their homes and families.

Now and again, many DJ’s can not cope with that onslaught. So to make things a little easier, if they are not feeling at their best, they will pre record a set and play it at a show. In my opinion, this doesn’t always work, but at the same time, if the crowd are enjoying the show who cares? They have left happy and have enjoyed what was on offer. They danced, they smiled, they had a terrific time.

Clubbers do not come to a club to analyze a DJ set, most of them have no clue or care for how the music has been created or mixed, they only care for the tracks played, and enjoyment of it all. It is only the part timer DJ’s that care, the ones who stand in a club and analyse every move the DJ in the booth is making. Then after a shit night of analyzing , they then go home and share their mindless opinions of the night and how a certain DJ preformed. Key Board Warriors, those who have nothing better to do with their time, than to drag down others, mostly because they feel they are better than everybody else or simply because they are jealous.

Now, reading a crowd is massively important I agree, only when you follow the flow of the crowd can you create the best sets that the crowd can genuinely become engrossed in. The crowd trusts that you will follow their emotions, and show them the way forward. That is exactly what our clubbers want, they put their trust in you, and in return you put your trust in them, the clubbers guide you, and you guide them. Like a hand in a glove, it works, and we all love it.

But, you must also trust that your much-loved DJ is not out to play a pre recorded set to fail you, but merely to make sure they can give you exactly what you came for. And yes sometimes it works and everyone is happy, and sometimes it doesn’t, we all live and we learn. But we should also respect ,and most importantly remember that our DJ’s are human too. Stop giving them such a hard time.

Artist / People Tips on How to create an Online presence (Part One)

It shocks me to hear that artists do not have the resources or information readily available to them, when it comes to starting out in the Music Industry, the how to’s and what not to do’s when developing your Online presence, not to mention honest thoughts from those who know, about the best options and opportunities out there for you as an artist.

Well, for that exact reason I would like to change that. I find it key to help and nurture our artists for the future by supplying them with all the information they need to get themselves ready for their future ahead. Not only will this help them to succeed, but it will also make our jobs as label owners, promoters, and artist managers much easier in the long run.

So, you are an artist, and you are unsure of what you should be doing when creating an Online presence for yourself. Lets tackle the first part together, and as I get time to share more, you will find everything you need to know from this blog. I don’t claim to know everything, but I have learnt rather a lot from Beatsmedia and from dealing with many artists over the last 7/8 years. Before we start, you must appreciate “Rome Wasn’t Built In A Day” doing things properly takes time, if you have the time then read on.

The first steps in creating an Online presence:

Social networks are key when connecting with music minded people, a resource free to use and very valuable. If you are not connected to Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and Pinterest then I strongly suggest you start here. Very simple information for some I know, but you wouldn’t believe how many artists / people out there actually don’t know how to use these services correctly. So lets fix that.

• When creating your Facebook start with a personal page, don’t go straight in to a Fanpage. A Fanpage is there for artists who have already gathered a steady Fanbase, it’s a fantastic resource for fans to find out all the latest goings on from an artist. If you set up a Fanpage too early, you will find you have nothing to share, no gigs to speak of, no releases on fast supply, and nothing but your own rambles to share, in turn putting people off in an instant and leaving you finished before you have even started. So yeah, lets start with a personal page, grab an amusing photo of yourself, don’t add logos or release pictures to your personal page, this is not your selling spot, and remember people like to see a face, a human on the other side. Create compelling conversations, involve people’s opinions, share your favourite music, pictures of your lifestyle and add some humour, everyone loves to connect with a person who has a terrific sense of humour, and they will approach you much easier if you make them smile. Get to know your followers, talk with them often, find out what music they like, and essentially just be yourself.

  The above is an excellent way to find out how social networking actually works, and this first step is key in becoming successful later. There is a time and a place for creating a Fanpage, but we shall talk about that at a later date. Getting yourself out there is hugely beneficial, everyone should be seen as a human being first, gathering respect and sharing musical interests, only after that first step can we then move forward when creating a brand for yourself as an artist. Thus, successfully transferring your friends and new acquaintances over to your hidden talents.

• Twitter Can be a bit tricky for most, if you are not aware of the rules of tweeting, find out first. There are so many basic things you can try, and the more you try the better you become. But remember Twitter is nothing like Facebook. When creating your short message be sure to tag people you mention such as @BlackHoleRec thoroughly enjoyed your latest release, where can I buy it? Or @RachelRixham Just read your blog and recommended it to @bobsyouruncle. This will not only collect you followers, but it will also earn you the respect from other users. One lesson I learnt, when talking to one person or replying to their tweet, start your conversation with @Betty and then {your message} not {your message} and then @Betty. This will not only annoy people as they will see every message you type on their timeline, but it will also make you look a right plonker, as it did with me. Thanks to the lovely @MaxGraham I learnt that lesson rather fast. #Facepalm.

  Did you see what I did there? #Hashtag, you will have heard about this on TV, well this is a straightforward but effective thing. A #Hashtag is a community of people who are tweeting in one place. Such as #Trancefamily a group of people on twitter who share their passion for music or simply chat to one another during radio shows, #ASOT being a popular one. You can click the hashtags, and it will open a page, there you will be able to see that community messaging one another in realtime. This is the same for #Edm #Trance and many other genres, there is even one for #Bieberfan, but lets not go there shall we! Anyway, this is another fabulous way of grabbing yourself some new followers, get involved and try it out. The more hashtags you try the more people of that same interest will check you out.

• Google+ and Pinterest, both very new but also worth a try, Google+ gives you the same type of layout as Facebook, you can also tag people with +RachelRixham or +Beatsmedia, not to mention share your interests, play some games, and chat. Pinterest is a bit different, this is for sharing articles you are reading, quotes you like, or books and music. You simply create a board and share your interests. I have one for “My Fridge” even that works. There are too many social network sites to try, and you may prefer others, but as far as I know the above are the most popular and easiest to update.

• Websites and blogs are the next best thing when creating your Online presence. As you can see my blog here is pretty personal really, I add things that muse me information I learn, my opinions although not everyone agrees and my background. Not to mention it is WordPress based which means it is free, and you don’t even have to pay for a template as they come free too. You just sign up, and get your information out there. However, if you do decide to start your own blog then make sure to keep it updated. If you want to share your music, mixes and podcasts you should do this on your blog, you can then tweet or share each post in to your social sites. Make sure to add the share plugins on your website so that people can share your music if they want to, as this is another powerful tool for getting the word out there, and if you are lucky to gather the support overtime then this basic tool will become highly effective.

  Websites can cost you a little, this would be a brilliant move for you once you have released a few tracks. To own a website you have to set up a domain name for yourself which costs money, then pay someone to code up an HTML layout for you, and then also set up a server, there are many to choose from just ask around to find one that suits your budget. You can also go down the WordPress route, in which case will be free to set up. Once you have purchased a domain name for yourself, you can either use templates suggested by WordPress or buy one you like, as you can see the cost is exceedingly small. Over time you may decide to spend some cash and get a customized template, but for now this is more than enough to keep your costs down.

• Youtube,an artist who is starting out doesn’t genuinely need a Youtube page, after all you will not need to add any videos of your music just yet, but it is beneficial to at least get started and set up an account for yourself in the future. In the meantime, use it for sharing videos you find on YouTube, add them to your favourites and comment on other people’s videos. Then over time, this will create a community for you that will keep on growing in the background.

• LinkedIn is another notable resource for connecting to people with the same interests as you, it serves as ample storage for your artist information and contact details. You can also join many intriguing Music Industry related groups, get feedback and contact people.

• Lastly, Soundcloud Mixcloud both again you will not need right away, but setting up accounts via Soundcloud and Mixcloud will be useful later on, so sign up, and we will talk about how to use them later in another article.

So we have covered getting started on a personal position regarding the social networks, blogs and websites, and we have taken the first step towards creating an Online presence. Next time I shall share information on how to start promoting your mixes, demos via Soundcloud and podcasts via Mixcloud. How to create a professional biography, contacting, getting help and support from music related websites, and I shall also guide you through the ins and outs of contacting labels with your demos. I hope this has helped. I shall hopefully see you again for Part Two.

If you have any questions for me please feel free to contact me via the following email address, rachel@beatsmedia.com and I shall do my best to provide the information you may want.