The busier you get behind the decks the less time you will have to collate sets. Stay organised from the outset and I promise, you will thank me down the line.
I have all the time in the world..Library management
So, you're sitting there wondering how you get busier as a DJ. You have all this time on your hands, no pressure, no deadlines, no adorning crowd.
Enjoy it. This will change.
I promote a few rules when I teach. The first is:
The definition of Good Luck: When preparation meets opportunity.
Sets lack value when they are not prepared properly and 'winging it' is not something that's going to help you turn gigs into more gigs.
'...but I don't have time I'm so busy DJing this weekend..'
I got you.. but it's totally your choice.
How to attain an organised library
This important value can only be attained by spending valuable time in the preparation stages.
This stage comes in various forms. Sitting in front of the TV with one headphone in one ear and Made in Chelsea in the other.
- Listening and categorisation stage.
- Set choice stage.
- Finding new tracks stage (shopping).
Be Zen in your approach
This process has to be Zen in its nature. You need to be in a flow state when choosing tracks that 'you think' may work well together. Drop n drag into a well-titled new playlist.
It needs to be fast and to achieve this you need to be pulling tracks from an organised, well-informed library. A great set built can be in less than 30 minutes. Once this has been collated, it's time to move to the second stage. Standing behind the decks working out mixes.
Time vacuum
So let's rewind for a second and then fast forward a few months.
You have 3 gigs this weekend. Each are 2 hour sets which may overrun.
They are all different vibes so the same set just won't cut it. You now have to sit down and work out 3 separate track listings in a short space of time..
You sit down and open a well-organised library, steam through it and your energy and confidence on how you are going to smash every set out of the park is untold - only now do you agree that the boring leg work you did whilst sitting on your couch is worth it's weight in gold!
I speak from experience
I witness first hand students turning up who are obsessed with hot cues but have the most unstructured track library. I can spend a whole 2 hour lesson just sorting out the infrastructure on their devices.
There are many ways to categorise tracks and I will write a post about this another time.
Now. Use this information in all this free time you have (!) to get busy in the organisational side of being a DJ. This will make set builds a breeze moving forward.
How's your library looking right now? Library management is so important. Go sort it.
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