Make a Career As a DJ in India

A Disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a profession that is talked about a lot in today’s youth. But where did the word DJ or disc jockey come from?  Well, in the early 1980s gramophone records were called discs, hence the word disc jockey. Who is a DJ? What does s/he do? Simply put, a DJ is a person who has a really good understanding of all kinds of music, and has immense passion for it. A DJ plays music whilst adding their own groove and twist to it.

Being a DJ is considered to be a really cool thing in today’s young generation, since a DJ is the person who brings any party to life. And also the current generation is really keen on dancing. However, tempting it may sound, djing is not easy. It is indeed a really hard job. It involves going to parties at sometimes odd hours and playing music for a long time.

Truly, it is not actually a walk in the park. It’s not child’s play. Being a DJ requires a lot of skills, understanding of almost all kinds of music, a tuned ear to mix tracks, being able to blend in with people easily, reading and understanding what kind of music will do its magic on a particular crowd. The list can go on and on.  I sympathise with people who say “it’s easy to be a DJ” and “Even a child can play music, what’s the big deal?”  They live in cloud cuckoo land. Being a DJ is as hard as any other profession.

That all being said, the next question that arises is “what is the scope for a DJ in today’s world?” Well, the djing industry is quite new in India and it is growing faster day by day. Considering the growing obsession for organizing huge lavish social gatherings, parties and other community events, there will be a huge demand for good DJs. Given the fact that the present generation is all insanely interested in dance and music, DJ is seems a cool profession one can opt for. With a huge demand for music-filled evenings often accompanied with dancing, the demand for proficient DJs is bound to be on the rise. Also the rewards in terms of money isn’t bad. Earning while having fun!

Now, what qualifications do you need to become a good DJ? The first and most important part is to be well versed in all kinds of music and knowing what kind of songs will pump the crowd up. The second most important thing in my opinion is a tuned ear; while mixing two songs you must be able to tell even the slightest difference in the beat of a song. Without this ability, it is almost impossible to become a successful DJ. The next thing is an outgoing personality and the ability to blend in with new people easily. As a DJ, it is of utmost importance to be able to gel well with new people so as to entertain them. If they are satisfied, they can fetch more work in the future.

So now you may be thinking “oh! This is very interesting. I can get paid to play music and go to parties and there will be no stress in my life!”  This a grave mistake. If you want to become a DJ just because it is a cool thing to do, you are in for a world of trouble. Being a DJ just because you want the glamorous life is ludicrous. The fun and glamour is just a small part of a disquieting and stressful job. Yes, you read that right. Being a DJ can be a really exasperating job. There are innumerable things that can make being a DJ a bothersome task.

“What could be so stressful about playing music”, you may ask. Well, first and foremost, there will be a lot of sleepless nights. There will be times when you will have to go to bed at 5 in the morning and get up before 12 noon. Sometimes the crowd just won’t dance, no matter how prolific and exciting your music is. Situations like these can be really stressful for a DJ. You need to locate new music off the cuff; you have to update your music library every day. And let me tell you, performing in front of a crowd of a couple of hundred people isn’t everyone’s cup of tea! All of these hurdles and more can only be tackled if a person has unmatched passion and thorough dedication towards music.

All in all, what I’m implying is that if you want to become a DJ just because of the glamour, fame and a lavish lifestyle, you are making a big mistake. Make sure that the choice you make is out of your passion and not greed.

The last question that I get a lot is “What inspired me to become a DJ?” To be honest, I’ve been a music nerd ever since I started listening to music, but I didn’t really know that I wanted to make a career out of it. Then one day I went to a club where a DJ was playing some really good music. I don’t know how but at that moment a thought sprang in my mind “I want to do this, this is what I want to do!” I chased that thought.

A truly great DJ, just in a few moments can turn a room in heaven. Because Djing is not about choosing a few tunes. It is about generating shared feelings, emotions and moods. It’s about understanding the feelings of a group of people and directing them to a better place. Songs can create a spiritual union and that can be the most powerful experience in people’s lives. When the crowd loves your music when they react to what you are playing, you feel inspired to do more.

Let me end with one of my favourite quotes: Music is in the soul and can be heard by the universe. – Hardwell

– Mann Dhanik