How Do I Become A Female DJ? (Top Tips)

When it comes to becoming a DJ, there is no strict path to follow to lead you to your dreams, regardless of being male or female.

Some successful DJs started and learned everything they know within their bedroom, whereas others have sought out music production degrees or attended courses in their area to learn the trade.

These will teach you the fundamentals and art of DJing, but they won’t always help you become a DJ.

It’s common knowledge that the music industry and the DJing world are male-dominated. If you’re an aspiring female DJ looking to make it within the industry, then you’ll want to follow our best tips below to turn a passion into a career. 

Buy Your Equipment & Software And Practice As Much As Possible

One of the apparent things necessary to become a female DJ is buying all your gear to get started. You don’t always need the most up-to-date equipment (although it may make it easier) so buy what you can afford to help you start practicing and learning the basics.

Buy second-hand equipment and buy the cheapest software you can until you find your feet. Practice as much as possible until you become comfortable showing family and friends your skills.

Get Inspiration & Network With Females In The Industry

Reach out to female DJs or artists within the music industry and ask them for advice on how you can grow to become a DJ. They don’t need to be a star in the industry; a local DJ could do weddings for a living.

A fellow female will know the struggle of trying to progress in this industry and may even offer their expertise to help mentor you. 

LinkedIn will be a helpful tool as you can link up with fellow DJs and also join groups that offer support and advice with your career or help out with queries with software or equipment. 

If you’re out at a club, wedding, or any event with a female DJ, take the time to introduce yourself, and it could even lead to an opportunity to help you further your DJing career. 

Learn To Become Thick Skinned

Becoming a DJ is hard work, and there’ll be many setbacks in your career before you feel like you have made it. Not only this, but you’ll have people you come across in the industry who’ll try to tell you you’re not good enough or to give up, whether they mean it or not. 

You’ll need to learn to ignore haters or grow a thick skin; otherwise, you’ll find yourself getting bummed out and wanting to pack it in.

Not everyone is going to love your music or mixing, so accept that and stand your ground and you’ll soon find your feet when trying to work the crowd, and you’ll discover what goes down the best. 

Reach Out To People

We already briefly discussed how important networking is when you’re a female DJ, but you’ll also need to realize that people won’t come to you, and if you want to work or progress with DJing, you’ll need to reach out to people.

For example, if you see someone on Facebook asking if anyone has any recommendations for a DJ for an event, recommend yourself and give your details, or even ask friends and family to recommend you should anything come up.

If you’re not a go-getter, then as hard as this may be to swallow, you won’t get very far as a female DJ.

Find Your Unique Style

Try to discover your DJ style so people will recognize you and establish you from others. This could be navigating what style or type of music you love to play the most or what gets the crowd going, to what kind of clothes and styling you’ll do for your DJ events.

Let’s use Deadmau or Marshmello (the electronic DJs) as an example. They’re globally recognized for the masks they wear when performing, even so much so that they don’t often get recognized when not wearing their mask.

This is a part of their branding now and coincides with their DJing style. 

Remain Professional At All Times

Always remain professional throughout being a DJ, no matter how stressful it comes. Ensure to show up on time and don’t cancel gigs last minute; otherwise, you’ll have a bad reputation.

As you’re a female in a male-dominated industry, there’ll be people out there who will try and bring you down and smear your name. Do not rise to comments and brush them off with ease, as people will want to see a reaction from you.

Ensure you behave according to the crowd you’re DJing at. For example, if you’ve landed yourself a DJ gig at a kid’s party, we’re pretty sure hyping the crowd up by cursing will not go down well with the parents. 

Showcase Your Talent

You won’t land yourself gigs or events straight away, but you’ll only get noticed by showcasing your work and talent. Post videos or mixes on Soundcloud or YouTube, and you never know someone in the industry may come across them.

Ask friends and family to share any work you do online to reach a wider audience. Take the opportunity to perform your work to a crowd as much as possible initially, whether at a friend’s birthday or to your family in your bedroom.

Market Yourself 

You need to market yourself and create a cohesive brand and image online and offline. Make the most of all social media platforms to post your work, current projects, upcoming events, and also to interact with fans or fellow DJs. 

Create a press kit to show potential clients for jobs and post fliers advertising your work and skills to potential clients. 

Always Be Prepared

DJing can involve you being out of the house and on the road for days, so make sure you prepare for your trip beforehand.

Bring a battery bank for your cell phone to stay in touch with loved ones when you’re traveling and double-check you’ve got all equipment before leaving the house for an event.

As a DJ, you’ll experience some super late nights packing up a car or grabbing a cab with your gear, and as a woman, you’ll be more vulnerable, so ensure you carry mace or try to bring a friend along to keep you safe. 

Try To Have Fun

DJing can be stressful, but it’s also a lot of fun. However, if you’re not enjoying yourself or not feeling it, your crowd will undoubtedly pick up on this, and the vibes won’t be right.

If you intend to be a female DJ as a career, then having fun will keep the job exciting and worthwhile. Try not to get too caught up in its technicalities, and make sure you and the crowd have a great time.