In todays day and age, becoming a great DJ is not as difficult as it has been in the past. But with the right essentials and setup, you can become a great DJ and host your own events in no time.

What To Consider When Learning How To DJ

A DJ board may look confusing to look at when you first see one, but in reality it’s not too difficult to understand with the resources DJs nowadays have access to. When learning how to use a DJ board, you have to let go of any stress or anxiety you have and you just have to fully commit to understanding the music and how you can warp and adjust it. Similarly in this article talking about making music, the topic of not overwhelming yourself is a core factor when making music https://searchversity.com/blog/making-music-at-home-5-reasons-you-can/.

When I say warp and adjust, I mean what DJ’s call mixing, which is when you use the board to mix two songs in your playlist together. Being fully immersed in the music you’re playing and really understanding the beats in the music is essential to learning how to DJ.

The best way to do this in my opinion is just to have fun with the board and mess around with it. By just messing around with the board and hearing how the board adjusts the music will make you realize what the purpose of the board is and how you can use it to mix your songs.

Essentials For a Beginner DJ Setup to be Great

When becoming a DJ, your skills to mix and use a DJ board are not the only things you will need. There are essentials to becoming a great DJ today that require the resources and essentials that will make your DJ setup a real DJ setup. These items are crucial to your DJ setup being ready to go whenever you want to perform. 

Essential 1# Laptop:

An essential of a great DJ is a laptop. When DJ’ing, you need to be able to cue tracks, access your playlist, and access the program of your choice to mix. Your laptop is your home base when you are a DJ. A DJ’s laptop is equivalent to a student’s laptop, it is arguably your biggest essential to you being able to do your job efficiently as a DJ.  

As pictured below my main essential, my computer. I use a Macbook Pro in my DJ setup. Here is a link to purchase a Macbook: https://www.apple.com/macbook-pro/

Essential 2# Board: 

The biggest essential to being a great DJ today besides your laptop is your board. Your laptop and your board are like the Batman and Robin to your DJ set. Your laptop won’t matter unless you have your board and your laptop.

However, every DJ has their preferences when choosing a board so as a DJ it is your mission to figure out what board works for you and your setup. Personally in my setup I use a Hercules Djcontrol 500 impulse.

In my opinion the Hercules board is a great beginner DJ board because it is small and manageable making it easy to transfer when moving your setup. The Hercules also has less controls than more advanced DJ boards so it is easier for a beginner to learn and experiment with it.

Besides the Hercules there are a lot of good options for beginner boards, but I still would recommend the Hercules board though. 

Pictured below is my Hercules Impulse 500 Board, an essential to my DJ setup. Heres a link to Hercules website: https://eshop.hercules.com/en_us/djcontrol-inpulse-500.html?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwzN-vBhAkEiwAYiO7oOZRf8b81Yhy8sTM7UwebJVYY_REDMkYqYTipuNW5PpBySuelIPrTRoCTxwQAvD_BwE

Essential 3# Speaker: 

When DJing, you need something to play your music and mixes through, also known as a speaker. A speaker is essential so people can hear your music and enjoy your mixes.

As a beginner, when you are practicing it is perfectly fine for you to just use your computer volume to practice. But when you’re not practicing you will need a speaker that will do the job depending on whatever venue you are performing at.

For my setup I use a Bose Soundlink Revolve, it’s a relatively small speaker but it is loud and it does the job. For your starting setup I would recommend you get a Bose Soundlink Revolve or a Beats Pill+.

These two speakers are smaller speakers that have very good sound quality for the price you pay. Both are under $200 dollars and my Bose speaker has lasted me a very long time with no problems whatsoever.

The Bose Soundlink Revolve pictured to the right is the speaker that I use in my setup, it is also the speaker I recommend for beginner DJs. Provided here is a link to purchase a Bose speaker: https://www.bose.com/p/speakers/bose-soundlink-revolve-ii-bluetooth-speaker/SLRVII-SPEAKERWIRELESS.html?dwvar_SLRVII-SPEAKERWIRELESS_color=TRIPLE+BLACK&quantity=1

Essential 4# Headphones:

As a DJ you need to be able to hear the track that is currently playing and you also need to be able to hear the track that you are about to start playing. This is essential so your mixes are on point and so you can move into the next track smoothly and effortlessly.

Your headphones are the tool that you will use to make all your mixes happen on cue. With the Hercules board your headphones plug directly into the aux outlet on board so you can hear the track you are about to start playing. If you don’t have your headphones, you won’t be able to mix properly and your mixes will be off beat.

With headphones, there are a lot on the market so it is up to you what you want to use in your setup. I personally use a pair of Skullcandy earbuds, so I can have one earbud out and one in so I can still hear both tracks playing. I recommend a pair of Skullcandy earbuds or any pair of headphones for that matter.

Your setup should be based on your preferences as a DJ so finding the right headphones for your setup is crucial.

As pictured below, are my Skullcandy Earbuds. Earbuds such as these are essential to your DJ Setup. Here is a link to the Skullcandy earbuds I use in my setup: https://www.skullcandy.com/products/set-1?variant=42419388383289

The Most Important Essentials to DJ’ing

The most important essential to becoming a great DJ in 2024 is the ability to have fun. If you’re having fun you will enjoy learning how to use the board. Also, don’t make it more complicated than it has to be because then you will overwhelm yourself. If you don’t overwhelm yourself, you will become an experienced DJ in no time.

When I first began trying to DJ it was difficult at first but eventually I adapted and learned how to DJ through experience. Perseverance is key to learning how to do anything in the world, and with perseverance you will be able to DJ too.

 Having the essentials to DJing as listed above is crucial to you becoming the DJ you want to be as well. If you have your essentials your DJ event will go smoothly and you will be able to harness the energy of the event you are DJ’ing at. 

When you DJ, you also need to be able to read the energy of the crowd. As a DJ your job is to keep the event fun and to reciprocate the energy of the crowd within your music. Doing this you will be able to keep the crowd engaged with the music you’re playing and keep the energy of the crowd at the same energy of the music you are playing.

As a DJ you have the energy of the crowd in your hands. It is your job as a DJ to keep the crowd excited and hyped at the event that they are a part of. As a DJ you and the crowd should be having fun. When you’re performing you are the life of the party and you have all the power in the world behind that board.

It’s up to you to play the tracks the people want and to make the mixes with your tools so the event can go smoothly. If you are having fun and the crowd is having fun though, you are doing a great job being a DJ.