Rather than trying to establish a set of New Year resolutions or specific goals for 2014 I have decided to list the 10 things I’m planning to do to become a better online DJ this year. I have outlined the actions here and plan to write more detailed posts on each of these areas over the next few weeks.
10 actions to become a better online DJ:
1. Improve my technique
I have been presenting a weekly online radio show on Ideal Bootcamp for the last six months. I want to develop this show by improving my presenting technique. This will include better use of jingles and spoken links and more interaction with the audience through the chat-room and on Twitter. I will also look at the equipment and software I use to broadcast and see what improvements could be made in this area.
2. Speak more naturally
Perhaps this is part of the above point but I think it is important enough to need its own bullet. Listening to recordings of my shows I feel that I often repeat the same phrases or do not speak conversationally enough. I will be looking for resources, such as books, to help me improve in this area.
3. Practice
This is something I really haven’t done since I started my online radio show. I have tended to adlib virtually all of my links and have not spent enough time practicing using my DJ controller. I know that I could improve my show and become a better online DJ through good use of the effects available on my Novation Twitch and I should be practicing beat-matching more.
4. Prepare
To make my shows flow better I will spend more time thinking about the structure of each two hour show and the type of songs by dividing the show time up into smaller sections. I also found with the one-off specials that I did during December that I needed more time to focus on interacting with the audience and to do this I must prepare more songs and links in advance.
5. Keep Learning
Although I have spent a lot of time listening to shows by other DJs on Ideal Clubworld and its sister channel Ideal Bootcamp, I will listen more actively to try and learn from these DJs. I also want to discover more online radio stations so I can hear how other online DJs and radio presenters work.
6. Aircheck every show
Airchecking is a way of critiquing the performance of DJs and radio presenters. The presenter and, in traditional radio stations, the Programme Director, listen back to shows and make suggestions for improvements. I plan to aircheck every one of my shows during the first quarter of 2014 and then review whether I need to keep doing it that frequently.
7. Develop my website
Towards the end of 2013 I rebuilt my website from scratch. I hope to make the site a good representation of my personal ‘brand’ but also to provide a resource for other DJs and presenters looking to get started online or who want to become a better online DJ.
8. Blog
Since I re-launched my website I have posted a few blog entries but I want to blog more frequently. Hopefully this will help to bring more visitors to the site. As a starting point I have entered my website in HubSpot‘s 30-Day Blog Challenge that is running throughout January 2014.
9. Create a press pack
I do not currently have any publicity images to use on my website, for social media profiles or other promotional purposes. I plan to have an initial set of photographs taken by a professional in the next couple of months and I am already in discussions with a photographer to arrange this.
10. Attend at least two industry specific conferences
I have already booked to attend the Brighton Music Conference in April 2014. I would welcome any suggestions on other conferences or events that you think might be useful for me.
I hope this was of interest so please leave a comment if any of this resonates with you or if there is anything specific you would like me to write about on how to become a better online DJ.
Keep an eye out for more posts soon and if you like classic dance and pop songs – why not tune into my weekly show on Ideal Bootcamp from 10am to 12pm UK time.
You can watch & listen at: http://bootcamp.idealclubworld.com or by using the TuneIn App (search for ‘Ideal Bootcamp’).
