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So, you spent a few weekends preparing mixtapes. Then you spent a week spreading the news. You’ve handed out the link to your online mixtape; you’ve handed out CDs to all the right people. Now you wait … and wait … and wait. Weeks go by and your phone is still silent. Why isn’t anyone calling to offer you booking dates?

Well, first of all, don’t feel bad. It really does happen to everyone. There are a few different reasons why your mixtape isn’t getting the reaction you’d hoped for. All of those reasons are fixable.

  • Cold Calls. Handing out your mixtape to club managers, event organizers, or any other person responsible for hiring DJs when they haven’t specifically asked for your stuff isn’t actually a bad practice. You might actually get some valuable leads from it. Someone who didn’t know you existed yesterday might listen to your mix, like it, and hire you. But, you should know that dropping your mixtape into a crowd of hiring managers might only get you so far. “Might” is the operative word. It is a useful strategy, but not one you should be relying on. I’m not telling you to never send out your mixtapes randomly. I am telling you to do it sparingly. Save the bulk of your time, energy, and money for clubs and other hiring managers who are actually looking to hire a DJ.
  • Get the right person. Don’t address the package with “To the Manager”. With so many social media and internet research options (not to mention the phones all of us now carry!), not knowing the name of the hiring manager is not acceptable anymore. People really do expect that you’ll go to the effort of finding out who you should be addressing. Make sure you get their name right, too! Pick up the phone or do a quick internet search. You should be able to find the information you’re looking for. The best case scenario is to speak with that person. Ask them if they’d mind if you sent them a mixtape. Then follow up with them to make sure they’ve received it.

The follow-up is also a good time to find out if that person has listened to your mixtape. Remember that everyone’s busy. Tell them you understand that they’re tight on time, but that you offer something different that you’re sure is right for their market.

  • Keep the crowd in mind. When you speak directly with the hiring manager, you have at your fingertips the best possible opportunity to show that you know what the venue is all about. You know the crowd; so you know what music to play and how to entertain them. The mixtape that you’re sending to that venue also needs to show that you do know what makes that club crowd tick. The obvious example is sending a blues mix to a club that’s looking for someone to run its EDM night. It’s a lot of work for DJs, I know. But, try to create mixtapes that focus on exactly what each hiring manager is looking for. That alone will increase your chances of being hired.
  • This is going to take a while. Even if you’ve focused your marketing efforts to mainly those hiring managers who are likely to hire you, you still might find yourself twiddling your thumbs while you wait and wait for them to call you. Take heart. It’s just part of the way it all works. Maybe the money that the manager thought they had to hire someone suddenly evaporates. There are tons of reasons why someone who really wants to hire you can’t.

Here’s the key: if you’ve remembered to follow up with all the managers you sent your mixtape to, then you’ve already made a contact. If any of them expressed an interest in hiring you in the future, they’re going to remember that. You need to make sure you continue to follow up with them every once in a while to keep your name in their heads.

Running a DJ business, even if it’s something you’re doing for fun on the side, means spending some time doing tasks that aren’t always very exciting. Keep at it, though, and you’ll hear that phone start ringing more often.

Over to you: Tell us your tips for getting hired.