jefina Posted February 8, 2017 Share Posted February 8, 2017 Hi people. I am a lady and a beginner at this..i do it part time, due to time restrictions with Uni and everything, so anyway i have the Pioneer DDJ SB2 as my controller..which i think is great for a beginner!. I just recently learned how to make mixes. I am not confident enough to share a mix just yet, i am all about waiting until i get to a level where i feel comfortable enough to share. I know that i am probably looking way ahead but i wanted to get your opinions on what social media platforms work best when you want to get like your very first gig? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted February 8, 2017 Share Posted February 8, 2017 I have a love/hate relationship with SoundCloud. The only thing I hate about it is the copyright restrictions, which, while understandable, are annoying for DJs sharing mixes. If your mix doesn't get taken down though, I think it's one of the best places to host stuff due to its popularity. YouTube can be great, although you can run into the same copyright issues there too. I've had mixes where content owners have just monetised my video and left it alone outside of that, but on one occasion, one company put in a copyright claim that got the audio from my mix removed, so rather than cut the song out, I just deleted the video. Building an audience is another matter though. I like SoundCloud and YouTube because of their large userbases, but there's a lot of competition and a lot of other DJs out there trying to get their mixes heard. I haven't made a new mix for a while, but when I used to make them I'd go around various forums I was a member of, posting the mix on those. There are also blogs that will feature mixes - getting one of my mixes on Flea Market Funk and Pipomixes gave that mix a big boost in listens and got people sharing it on social media and their own blogs. As for first gigs, I think getting involved in your local scene helps a lot. I used to go to this small local club called The Surgery just as a punter, but I got to know other DJs, the bar manager and bar owner, so I wasn't a complete stranger when I first asked the manager about the possibility of DJing there. I'll be honest though, I'm out of the loop when it comes to gigs. Welcome to the site. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ Rock Well Posted February 8, 2017 Share Posted February 8, 2017 I'd definitely go for Mixcloud for DJ mixes these days. Although I'm still not totally convinced on how much social media success translates into actual gigs. Personally I don't think you should ever underestimate real life contacts... Over the years it's been the one thing that's always sorted out myself and most of my mates. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phology Posted February 8, 2017 Share Posted February 8, 2017 Confidence is a big factor as well. When I first started out I had terrible stage fright, but the more and more you practice and play gigs you get to meet loads of people and overcome all of that. Plus your skills will improve, you'll know what tracks to play to get people into your set. As for social media, I hate Facebook but I guess if you're advertising yourself as an artist it helps to have a profile on all platforms. Mixcloud is great, I prefer it to Soundcloud. Talk to your local venues and maybe give them a mix CD or a link to a mix online so they can hear you before deciding to book you. And make sure to follow them on social media. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadAbbott Posted February 8, 2017 Share Posted February 8, 2017 yeah as rock well says I don't think a social media presence will necessarily equal gigs, but it won't hurt - I would agree mixcloud is probably the most reliable place (ie won't get randomly taken down for copyright infringement). whilst anything online won't guarantee gigs, it's always good to have something you can refer someone to, ie "this is my best mix you can check it out here "I've lost count of how many times when I've told someone I dj they've then said, oh what's your link/video page?" . You have to remember that (if) a promoter/club/bar owner gives any aspiring DJ 2 mins of their time, they're going to go to the page and if it doesn't work or they can't find your page/mix that's the opportunity gone. I'd imagine a site like digital dj tips has whole articles on stuff like this - how to captivate a promoter within the first few miutes of your mix etc etc Certainly the best advice I could suggest (and should've heeded myself) is to not say no to any gigs when starting out, it's all exposure and you just being in the right place or knowing the right people will mean you're the first one they call when _____ is ill and can't play that night...maybe do your own live streams as well to get your confidence up in the meantime and ask for constructive criticism (here is a great place for that too) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadAbbott Posted February 8, 2017 Share Posted February 8, 2017 also to add I would say having a presence on instagram for your music is really good too - short clips are seen by loads of people with the right tagging etc 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jam Burglar Posted February 8, 2017 Share Posted February 8, 2017 The old-schooler in me says focus on your skills and expressing yourself now and worry about promoting yourself later. There's a great window of time when you're first starting out when you don't know the rules or norms and you can come up with some crazy and unique ideas and techniques. That window starts to close the more you learn from outside sources. I say lock yourself in your room for a year or more and shut off all the outside noise. You might actually come up with something worthwhile instead of being just another DJ with a mix that sounds like everybody else's. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Symatic Posted February 8, 2017 Share Posted February 8, 2017 as people have already said - real life experience is way more valuable than internet/social media experience. The social media thing will come naturally to someone who is already making moves in the real world.... and vice versa its easy to live a fake life on the internet (either consciously or not) get out and go to gigs, speak to people, ask questions, ask for help, offer your help, and you will naturally build a network of people and learn from experience. It will take time so the sooner the start doing these sort of things the sooner you will be able to apply what you learn. and yeah what Jam said about building your own style is spot on if you want to chill and scratch and play mixes for people we have a online video chat room where we take it in turns to show stuff we're working on and just hang out.....check out Tinychat here if you want 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jefina Posted February 13, 2017 Author Share Posted February 13, 2017 Okay, thank you for all the feedback guys..i guess most people here know what it feels like starting from the bottom and have pretty much very awesome ideas! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Symatic Posted February 13, 2017 Share Posted February 13, 2017 started at the bottom??? we're still here 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ Rock Well Posted February 13, 2017 Share Posted February 13, 2017 started at the bottom??? we're still here Didn't you get the memo from Ronnie Scott on how to make a million from jazz? I'm sure the same applies to tablism! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest petesasqwax Posted February 13, 2017 Share Posted February 13, 2017 You'd need more than Ronnie's 2 suggestion! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jefina Posted February 14, 2017 Author Share Posted February 14, 2017 I know this might end up sounding silly but i might as well just ask anyway but how does Soundcloud help you as a DJ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Symatic Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 I know this might end up sounding silly but i might as well just ask anyway but how does Soundcloud help you as a DJ?? it helpfully points out every time you've played a track and then bans you, then tries to convince you to give it money..... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ Rock Well Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 That about sums it up. They didn't build it for DJs and at many points since they've made it pretty clear that they don't want us either. Good for uploading your own tracks but not for mixing others' 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jam Burglar Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 I know this might end up sounding silly but i might as well just ask anyway but how does Soundcloud help you as a DJ?? it helpfully points out every time you've played a track and then bans you, then tries to convince you to give it money..... Is that still going on? I thought they eased up on the copyright thing. I guess I shouldn't attempt to put my 80s mix up on there, ha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jefina Posted February 23, 2017 Author Share Posted February 23, 2017 Turns out this copyright topic is quite sensitive. I didn't know it was that important of an issue until my boyfriend, who happens to be a software developer, had to register a website he developed with the U.S. Copyright Office. Just in case someone finds this copyrighting topic complicated, over the weekend, i ran across this short guide which talks about software copyrighting quite interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jam Burglar Posted February 24, 2017 Share Posted February 24, 2017 I wrote an article on copyright and sound manipulation while I was in law school, about how most sample based music should basically be fair use. ASCAP gave me an award which is pretty funny when you think about it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Symatic Posted February 26, 2017 Share Posted February 26, 2017 You still have the article? Sounds intersting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jam Burglar Posted February 27, 2017 Share Posted February 27, 2017 I'll have to check to see if I still have it. I was probably sill keeping data on floppies back then. I should load that shit up into the SP yo! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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