Beginner DJ Tips?

Also, buy some Lindens and get yourself a stream. You can find a good stream costing anywhere from 1200-4000L per month. Make sure to get at least 128kbps and I would suggest 100 listeners, but you can probably get away with 50. I think I've gone over 50 a few times in two years.....but the price difference isn't much, so why not?

If you pay 2000L for a monthly stream, you'll make that back in two gigs or less. If you have your own stream, you can also practice by yourself or for friends, which is huge when you finally get a paying gig. You'll need some land, or use of a friend's land to do this as well.

If you have any questions, IM me inworld. I'm out of town for this weekend and won't be online much, but my IMs go to email and I will get back to you.

Actually, my friend across the street allowed me to install the software from his disc, so it's no trouble getting SAM.

The thing is, I'm HIGHLY considering getting my own stream; Would that be in real money or lindens?

I'm just trying to avoid spending real money as much as possible until needed.

And also, I just usually get my music from LimeWire, Bittorrent, etc. Is that a problem? D:

I can't answer your question about getting your own stream, as I don't know enough technically to have any idea what that entails. That's why I rent from people who do. But I really doubt it's something you can do for free, and I can't understand why you'd want to.

Again, I rent a stream for just $4US for a month of a decent capacity stream. I make that back in less than one set. I guess it's up to you if a stream is worth laying out for, but I don't see how you can be a DJ without one, and I don't see how you can get one without paying something for it.

As for whether it's a problem to use unlicensed software and music, other people have laid out the legalities elsewhere in this thread. The rest, I suppose, is up to your conscience.

My two cents:

Find a genre you love and look for a club that specializes in that. The more you know about the music you're playing, the better you sound as a DJ because you'll be able to put together a set that flows nicely.

I've heard DJs who just slap together whatever they want and the musical speed bumps between the songs can get a little irritating. Unless you're doing a Stump the DJ or All Request thing, it's best to play things that sound good together.

You can rent a stream by the day, week, or month at a lot of places.
You also need DJ software like WinAmp, SAM, or Virtual DJ. WinAmp is free.

Here's a notecard I got from one of my groups recently. It rings so true.
************************************************************

I totally dig it when somebody requests 7 songs from the same band and rushes you to play them back to back! No, it's ok... hold your old school tape recorder up to SL as I play all 12 tracks from the latest slipknot CD you cheap twat! Oh, you want the 3 bonus tracks too? Sure!

It makes my day when a listener decides to get on voice chat and hoot and holler over my music, and oh golly gee gosh, it makes me super happy when they laugh hysterically, and slap their desk, and yell at the top of their lungs in local chat as I announce the next song, and the person who requested it...

Oh, thanks for the IM letting me know you didn't hear your request because you went to take a piss and stopped along the way back to grab something from the kitchen... SURE I can play it again fatass, hold on let me pick up my tip jar first, because I sincerely doubt I will be needing that!

I abso-freakin'-lutely LOVE it when you're spinning an all rock set, and somebody requests Eminem, or an all funk set and somebody requests Cannibal Corpse. Thank you!

AS a DJ, I am able to read minds.. YES, It's true!
So... when you tell me you want to hear that song... by that chick.... and she sings about how she's important.....and how she's sad.... and frustrated...don't yoU WORRY!! I'll get that Fall Out Boy song on for you in 3!

I think it's groovy when I spin at a place called... oh, I don't know... "Rock Forever" and I get cussed at in text for not spinning Ibiza Techno! First of all, you have taste! And your tastes SUCK just like your ability to comprehend a club name! Second of all, the bright pink building with the horrid script lag and people yelling over the DJ 6 sims over is where you need to be!

I truly enjoy when I get a request for Rib Zobme's Libin ded grl.. I SAID ROM BOMZIE LIGINV DEAS GIEL!...

I am a true DJ, so I will play it, you drunken ****! Only b/c it's Rob Zombie, and only b/c I know my fans will dig it...
A true DJ knows when to shut the hell up, and a true DJ knows when, and HOW to bitch...


A true DJ has sat down for hours on end, analyzing and truly enjoying the music they choose to spin, before they spin it.

A true DJ has ATLEAST 3 playlists saved.

A true DJ will take the time to actually listen to a song before they say "That song makes me want to headbang against a brick wall."

A true DJ stays loyal to their fans.

Please take the time to pass this to your fellow DJ's! Let them know....

A true DJ can snap at any moment....

If you find yourself in a fetal position infront of your computer, rocking back and forth with Dope's Die Mother F***** Die on loop, watching the people in local chat bitch....

Please... IM another DJ.....
so they can pass a LM around
and we can all come and watch and laugh at you!
LOL
YOU'RE NOT ALONE!

Only in the sense that you risk downloading gnarly viruses from Limewire and bad Torrents. Also, you run the risk of downloading incomplete songs, or songs that have that radio voice over (Nightwish songs are famous for that). I've heard DJs who have obviously downloaded from Limewire because of that voice over, or the song cutting off way before it should have.

Plus, it's piracy. Arrrrgh, ye maties. Hoist the colours.

I specialize in Goth, Industrial, and obscure 80s new wave. I will use torrents for stuff I can't actually buy anywhere, since it's wildly out of print, but for the most part everything I have was ripped from a huge CD collection.

I steer clear of iTunes. I hate them with an unbridled passion. There are other great places to download legal music, and some are far less expensive and unproprietary than iTunes. Just saying.

The advice someone else gave you earlier to hit other DJ sets inworld is a good one. Do a search for stuff that seems interesting, and watch how the DJ interacts with people.

Heck, my schedule's in my picks. You're more than welcome to come check out one of my sets, though my music may not be to your liking if you're a rock guy. I do a gothic/80s new wave set on Fridays, and Industrial/EBM/Futurepop on Saturdays. I have had my share of people requesting Keane and Radio Head during Industrial sets. You just have to be nice about it and let the person know that you'll be happy to play the songs in another club for them (and I'll always do just that), but this is a [insert genre here] club.

Don't want to get me fired, do you?