Hiring a wedding DJ? Read (and listen) here first!!!

When it comes to hiring a wedding DJ, I’ve found that many clients have the incorrect perception that DJs who handle weddings are no different than the ones they hear at clubs or on the radio executing smooth, seamless mixes. I think many clients are surprised to find out that MOST wedding DJs (even ones with lots of great Yelp reviews) cannot mix music in a skilled fashion, and that they simply play songs in their entirety using a copy of ITunes or from CD. If you’ve been looking around at the different wedding DJs in the San Francisco Bay Area, you’ve likely noticed that almost NONE of them offer any type of demo DJ mixes to preview on their blogs, websites or through any other channel. Doesn’t that seem strange – a “professional” DJ with no work to preview?

Truth is, its never safe to assume that a person who calls themselves a DJ actually has any type of “technical” skill as a DJ, and it really amazes me how a majority of the Bay Area’s top-reviewed (on Yelp.com or on other review sites) present their dance music in an unmixed, “jukebox” style fashion (and beyond DJs who don’t mix at all, there are a many who cannot mix WELL). Yes, they may have a better sense of what music to play and when to play it then your brother in law or uncle, but any one of your relatives could present the music in the same fashion as these pseudo-DJs. Moral of the story is, many guests under the age of 50 expect a DJ to mix, and will be disappointed (or at least unimpressed) with a typical “jukebox” DJ.

This post is aimed at making sure you know what to look for in order to avoid booking a DJ who has little skill. As I’ve said before, knowing what tracks to play in a given situation is always the top skill a DJ must posses, but being able to MIX the songs in a seamless fashion (on beat, and where possible, harmonically) is what can make the difference between a good event and a GREAT one (or a mediocre one and a GOOD one!). Many wedding DJs will tell you that “mixing doesn’t matter at a wedding”, but that simply is not true. It’s possible to execute seamless mixes with music ranging from Elvis and the Beatles to Lady Gaga and David Guetta, and there’s NO reason to settle for less. Why have a dance session full of silent gaps, awkward transitions or off-beat fades when you can present the music as a seamless mix?

For those who aren’t super DJ-savvy, here are a few audio clip examples that you can use to get a sense of why mixing REALLY matters. Just imagine you and your guests out on the dance floor when listening to these, and think how the guests might react to each one.

1. Our first comparison showcases two songs most everyone has heard before – these examples will show three ways to transition from “Poker Face” by Lady Gaga into “Thriller” by Michael Jackson. I’ll show you three examples of how this mix might be executed, and I think 99% of you will agree, example A is the way to go if you want to keep guests out on the floor!

EXAMPLE A – A VERY, VERY simple, but on-beat transition that gets right to the first verse of “Thriller”. This is the kind of mixing I use when dealing with a conservative (this is an effective tact when playing for older guests) crowd – very simple mixing (without much interplay between the two songs) that gets right to the “hook” or chorus so the energy never dies: CLICK HERE TO LISTEN

EXAMPLE B – This is an example of what MANY unskilled wedding DJs do – Thriller is played in its entirety, from the start of the introduction. The songs are briefly overlayed, and many DJs will claim this type of transition as a “mix” (thus why you cannot take a DJ at face value when they tell you they “mix”!). This transition is an energy killer as the introduction on “Thriller” is long and drawn out – how do YOU think a dance-floor would react to this mix?: CLICK HERE TO LISTEN

EXAMPLE C – This one is the worst – this is an example of a bad DJ trying to do more than they are capable of (in DJ terminology, this is called a “trainwreck” – the non-aligned beats certainly have a terrible clickety clackety train track sound!). And yes, you will hear “this” DJ at weddings all the time! This is why you ask for a demo mix even if a DJ tells you that they “mix”! Better safe than sorry!: CLICK HERE TO LISTEN

2. Our second comparison showcases two examples of a mix between two of the hottest Top 40 songs of Summer 2011 – We start with “Party Rock Anthem” by LMFAO and transition into “Give Me Everything (Tonight)”. Once again, I think most of you will agree that example A is the way to go.

A. This mix is beat-matched, but a little more intricate and creative (there is more interplay between the two tracks) than the prior beat-matched mix used in the first example: CLICK HERE TO LISTEN

B. This mix is, well, painful (yes, another trainwreck). Imagine your guests dancing to Example A, and then think about how Example B would sound when you’re all in the groove. Even if you know nothing about DJing, I think you will see my point on why this example would have a negative effect on the dance-floor: CLICK HERE TO LISTEN

Here is an analogy I always try to mention to potential clients: Would you hire a photographer or videographer without previewing their portfolio of past work? Would you dare hire a caterer without doing a tasting? I don’t believe many folks would be bold enough to simply hire based on a Yelp review or a recommendation. HOWEVER, I find that DJs are constantly given a pass on this critical “litmus test” (ie they are hired without the client ever previewing live video of the DJ mixing music in “real time” or even listening to a demo mix from the DJ), and I think its absolutely mind-bending. ANY professional DJ who is serious about their craft should have demos to view or listen to – videos are obviously the best showcase as they show crowd reaction and cannot be faked, but even a recorded mix is certainly better than nothing. In a world where EVERYONE owns a video-capable phone, an HD pocket camcorder, or some other recording device, one should seriously question why a DJ cannot offer video of themselves mixing live. A live video is JUST like a portfolio or a tasting – its a way to show a client how well they can mix music. I can’t say it enough…ask for a demo, a LIVE video (sorry, “produced” videos with a BACKING track playing in the background are of NO value!) or a live preview if you care about how the dance music is presented at your wedding.

You’ll note that here on my blog, I offer at least 75 mixes for download, and somewhere in the neighborhood of 40 live videos to preview (most of which show at least one song-to-song mix so you can hear the actual transition from song to song). That said, don’t make the common mistake of assuming all well-regarded DJs are the same product just because they have bunch of positive online reviews or are on a preferred vendor list for a venue. DJ Jeremy