What equipment do you need to DJ?

 
If you're thinking of starting your own Dj service, this is the first question you need to ask yourself. Without the right equipment, your performance will suffer, word will get around that you're not that great, and you won't get much work (or any at all). However, if you know the right answer to the "what equipment do you need to DJ" question, you'll soon find yourself in demand and juggling all the work you can handle.

There are three main pieces of equipment that every DJ must have, no matter what. First and foremost is a set of turntables. You'll also need a mixer and headphones. Most of the hottest club tunes are released on vinyl first, as this is the preferred format of most club DJs. This one fact alone makes a set of good turntables necessary to do your job. You can use CDs instead, but they just don't have the same appeal to people who are partying out on a dance floor.

You've got to have a mixer so you can blend your songs seamlessly together. As you get more skilled at your trade, you can use the mixer to create some interesting effects to further entrance your audience. Finally, the headphones can help you distinguish one track from another amidst all the noise when you're lining up your next track.

There are other things that can fall under the "what equipment do you need to DJ?" heading that can be used to make your DJ business more interesting and help you stand out from the crowd. However, these things can be considered more like ketchup:  It will make your fries taste better, but you've got to have the potatoes to make the fries first.

Speakers and amplifiers are two things you might consider as important accessories. Even if you don't have these things right at the beginning, you'll definitely want to invest in them as soon as possible down the road. If you want to get really creative and put on a show (rather than just playing music), you can buy some light and smoke machines, too. Now that you know the answer to the "what do you need to DJ?" question, it's time to get out there and make it happen.
 
Also check out How to DJ a Party!

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