Episode 149: 20 Small Wins for DJs

On The Passionate DJ Podcast, we encourage everyone to dream big, make bold moves, and constantly get out of the comfort zone. But Episode 149 is about the small wins. Today, we're going to talk about 20 different ideas that can help get you get mild (but immediate) results! These are things which you can do to improve your DJing, boost your promotion, expand your horizons, or simply make your life easier... all without taking longer than an afternoon break. Don't forget: every month we release an exclusive bonus episode, only for our Patreon subscribers! Here's what we cover in today's episode: Small Wins Win #1: Create Some Playlists (05:45) Even when you aren't actively DJing, it can be helpful to "always" be building playlists which match a particular theme, sound, or concept. This can happen within your DJ software, but is also useful in your everyday media player, such as Spotify, iTunes, or even YouTube. Win #2: Prepare Your Bag (07:40) While not under the pressure of a gig, why not check out the status of your gig bag? How hard are you working to set up? How many times have you panicked, after realizing that you were missing something? What "extras" should you drop in there now, that might save your ass later? (Hint: you can never have too many headphones adapters* ...) Win #3: Build a "Rescue Kit" (09:00) Speaking of things that could save your ass, I highly recommend putting together a sort-of first aid kit for your DJ gigs. This could include any number of life-saving adapters (such as 1/4" to XLR, gender changers, RCA couplers, extension cords for audio and power...) In my own bag, I have a small plastic box which contains a plethora of these adapters. And yes, that little plastic box has bailed me out, more than once! I also recommend getting a breakout strip - that is, your own power strip to connect your hardware to, when sharing a booth with other DJs. This helps keep you out of each other's way. Win #4: Soft-Delete Your Collection (13:14) If your music collection has gotten unruly and oversized over time, it may be time to "delete" it and start over. But, don't panic... you can simulate this deletion without actually losing all of your hard-earned music.  By simply removing the collection and creating a new one in your software... or alternatively, by creating a new playlist that you work out of "from now on", you can get a fresh new perspective on your own DJing. Win #5: Key Your Tracks (16:09) Harmonic Mixing is a method which allows you to transition and layer tracks which are key-compatible. This allows you to mix styles that may otherwise clash, to mix melody-heavy tracks with each other, and to create amazing sounding mashups on the fly. Key-mixing is a lot of fun, and it allows you to seemingly get away with murder. We discuss the Camelot Wheel (used to identify compatible tracks) and the benefits of this mixing method. Recommended Listening: Episode 105: Thinking Harmonically (Our Chat With Mixed In Key) Win #6: Go Manage Your Cables (21:05) Perhaps now is a great time to figure out how you can tidy up your setup... for good. By simply searching for "cable management" on Amazon, you can yield loads of results* and come up with  ideas on how to manage that booth-spaghetti. A little bit of cable management goes a long way, but it's important not to paint yourself into a corner. Cable management can also be an extreme annoyance, if done the wrong way. For example, consider velcro wire ties instead of plastic zip ties. This way, you don't have to bust out the scissors and ruin your hard work every time you want to slide your CDJ over 4 inches. You can also find products which will help keep your cables and power strips hidden within a box, such as this Bluelounge* one that I use at my own desk. Win #7: Learn How To "Over-Under" (24:13) Speaking of managing your cables, this would be a great time to learn the over-under technique of cable wrapping. This was taught to me years ago, by a backline