photo by Safia Fatimi

These are a some minor but essential tips for the beginner dj. Following these basic guidelines will allow you to relax, be creative, and have fun.

1. Bring enough music.

   This might sound obvious, but most people don't realize just how much material is needed for a whole night of dj'ing. Consider that the average song is 3 minutes long with a few seconds shaved off the beginning and end for segues. That's an average of 20 songs an hour.
   Also take into account that what you had intended to play might not end up being appropriate (parties tend to be very unpredictable), and if you plan on taking any requests, then it is a safe estimate to bring at least 30 songs per hour that you know you definitely want to play.

2. Organize your music.

   Whether you bring a CD book, a laptop, or a milk crate of LP's, it's important to know approximately where any given song is. There is nothing worse than frantically searching for that track as silence slowly fills the room. A footnote to this rule is that it is a good idea to decide what you are playing next before you do anything else. Bring a play list if you want.

3. volume consistency

   The volume in the room should be of a level that people can hear their conversations but you can't.
   If you can understand what people are saying across the room, the music isn't loud enough.
   If you notice people leaning way towards each other and talking into each other's ears, it's too loud.
   Also, the volume between one song to the next should be the same.

4. old and new

   Now for my last and only aesthetic suggestion. It's been my experience that when a dj plays all old music it can make people feel old, and when he plays all new music it can make people feel old as well.
   Nostalgia is fun, people definitely like retro, but too many non-stop memories can be depressing. Likewise, too much of the cutting edge or unfamiliar can be alienating if one doesn't recognize any of the music.
   A nice contrast does make both sound better.