Though you might have dreams of becoming a DJ, you need to make sure that you will be able to handle the costs of this endeavour. It is not the most affordable enterprise on the internet, and you need to be careful when it comes to balancing your books. Here are some of the costs of becoming a DJ that you need to think about.
Vinyl
If you want to be an old-school DJ spinning the decks, you need to make sure that you have a good collection of vinyl behind you. Though there is a lot to be done with laptops and other equipment, but there is something to be said about taking the time to learn how to DJ on a turntable. This is a valuable skill that should not be underestimated and it can help to inform other parts of your career and skillset too.
However, you need to make sure that you have a good collection of vinyl so that you can have as rich a discography as possible. There might be some tracks that will form the heart of any set you might perform but having a good range to sift from can allow you to try out different sounds.
Unless your parents and grandparents have a stack of vintage vinyl that you can sift through, it can take quite a bit of money to build up this collection. Hit charity shops and specialist stores where you can to see where you can pick up some vinyls at an affordable price. If it is in good condition, buy it. You never know when you might discover the perfect sound that you need to finish off your latest mix.
Equipment
One of the biggest costs of becoming a DJ can simply be getting the right accessories. You don’t have to break the bank to get all the goods that you need, but you do need to have some key DJ accessories to ensure that you will be able to make the music that you want to hear. Just imagine a chef trying to cook without the right knives or pans, or a carpenter attempting to build something without their tools. We would never expect them to do a satisfactory job here, so why should we expect the same of a DJ?
Take the time to track down the right DJ accessories for you. Everyone will have an opinion on the types of decks that you should be using, or the mixer or microphone that you need to use. As an artist, you need to experiment and find the ones that best suit you. This can be quite the process, so it is important that you try out as many different makers as you can until you find the ones that truly work for you.
Time
If you want to become a DJ, you have to respect that this is going to take time. It is not something that you can just pick up overnight, nor will you become a success story overnight. Even just learning how to mix music and get to grips with decks and equipment will take a lot of time on your part. You will need to put in the hours in order to see an improvement in your music. Make sure you keep records and keep track of things as you go. Going back to one of your first mixes several years down the line can be a really good indicator of how far you have come.
You will also need to devote plenty of time to building a community around your music and networking so you can start to receive gigs. It does not matter whether you just want to DJ weddings and parties or whether you are dreaming of playing to packed-out crowds at massive music festivals, you need to make sure that you are putting the time in to get your name out there.
This could mean that you have to work long hours for not much in the way of pay or recognition. It could take many years of hard work before you begin to see any sort of recognition for your efforts.
The costs of becoming a DJ might be high, but there are lots of benefits to be gathered along the way if you are willing to fight for them. If this is your dream, it will always be worth it to try and chase things down. From finding the right equipment to learning the skills you need to stand out to simply building a community who loves to hear your tracks, there is always a way for you to do this within a budget that you set yourself. If you can reach a high level of success, the costs of becoming a DJ might be more than worth it in the long run.