Booking Your DJ: What are some good questions to ask when looking for a DJ?

“I've never worked with a DJ before. So…like…what do I ask you?"

Yep, this is way too common and you are not alone! Most people really don't know what to ask a DJ to qualify them for an event. More times than not they rely on word of mouth and trust that it'll be fine. However, if you want to give yourself inner peace of mind, here are some questions that can come in handy when searching for a DJ.

1 - How would you describe your style of DJing?

Offhand, you'll want to ask this question just to get a feel for how a DJ is…especially if you haven't seen them in person. DJs can vary sooooo much so it's good to get an idea of if they are genre-specific, thrive in a certain wheelhouse (think genre, decades, etc), or if they are free-form (meaning they play whatever).

For example: You have dance DJs who play electronic dance music (EDM) or house music, other DJs who may be vinyl experts (the wicky, wickys), Top 40 DJs who play the hits, quick mixers that will change songs every 30 seconds, etc.

Also, this should be an easy segway for them to share how they work with the crowd.

Are they natural hypemen or do they prefer to let the music do its thing?
You may find you prefer a certain vibe which might be high energy or laid back.

Overall, you'll want to find someone who is going to match the vibe of your event.

It's a good idea to request some video if they have some highlights to show or see if you can catch them at a local event.

2 - How do you prepare for when things go wrong?

This is something I find not many people ask - what about when things go wrong?

Well, let me share some scenarios many people don't consider:

What happens if your laptop crashes?
What happens if the outlet blows and the next available outlet is far from the dancefloor?
What do you do if drunk Uncle Lou falls over and destroys your speakers?

A DJ shouldn't have an issue explaining their process, no matter what scenario you name.

The easiest and correct answer you should receive is…I have a backup [computer, power source, speaker, etc].
This shows they are at least somewhat prepared in the event something goes wrong.

3 - Do you have some prior clients I could chat with about their experience with you?

Ideally, the DJ you are interested in booking should have some reviews and references to share.

Granted, some fantastic DJs may not - results may vary but usually you'll want to lean on reviews if at all possible.

Again, if you've seen the DJ live you probably don't have to ask this but it never hurts to hear other people's feedback to get an idea of their experience before book.

4 - Tell me about your Experience. Have You DJ'd [insert event here] Before?

This is a good open-ended request to learn about who you are potentially going to work with.

Most seasoned DJs are going to have no problem listing their experience and skillset.
Most DJs are going to welcome any questions you have about that experience.

Don't sleep on this - better to ASK than ASSUME the DJ you're interested in has all the experience in the world because, again, it's all fine until it's not so don't let your event be that learning experience.

Hope this article has been helpful! Let me know your thoughts and if there are any ideas you'd like me to explore in future postings :)

DJ Glennjamin