Intro to Audio Editing for Students: Part Two

Another aspect to the world of sound is implementing this newfound sound to appeal to an audience, also known as DJ-ing. DJ-ing is very important for the development of music technology because it is one of the most popular ways of getting different types of music and audio technology to places everyone can see. DJ-ing is different from other sound production in the sense that it is more of putting all the pieces of the puzzle together rather than just engineering one specific piece. Similar to audio editing/production, DJ-ing is about establishing that connection to an audience through creativity in music. DJ Reedmix, an up and coming Boston DJ, said that the best DJs have “tons of creativity and determination to deliver the best possible track to the audience.” For those interested in picking up on some of these DJ-ing skills, Virtual DJ looks to be your best option.

Go to the Eduporium store and you can download, for free, one of the best and user friendly programs on the market. It even comes with an option to take an online DJ-ing course. Virtual DJ is known for its advanced sampling and effects, along with a simple layout, making it very easy to use, especially for those just starting out with the technology. However, as DJ Reedmix says, “the technology is only half the battle, the other comes from the spark of creativity within the artist, and the atmosphere you create for your audience.”

Along those lines, here are some keys from Reedmix himself about how to captivate your audience and what it takes to be a successful DJ.

Your sole purpose as a DJ is to make sure everyone at the event you are hosting has an awesome time. This could mean playing songs you absolutely love, or can’t stand at all. If everyone in the crowd yells in excitement at most of the songs you play, you are doing your job.

Regardless of how big your audience is, there will always be a contrast of faces in the crowd. One minute you could be playing songs that you and all your buddies around you love, but say a bunch of other guys or girls come to the dance floor, it’s about finding the right transition to make everyone happy. If you are in a group full of young teenage girls who like Katy Perry, maybe it’s not the wisest choice to play heavy metal. On the other hand, maybe the group of frat guys you’re performing for would appreciate a little more Outkast and a little less Lady Gaga.

This is probably one of the harder things to do because you are not a psychic and you cannot always tell completely what kind of music people want to dance to at any particular point in time. If people look like they’re dancing as a crowd, it’s probably best to keep that energy going and play songs everyone can vibe to. If people look like they’re dancing more with a few other people and there are more couples as opposed to a large group, continue to play songs to keep people dancing with each other.

When you are first starting out, take any gig you can get. Your little sister’s birthday party, take it. Your community barbecue, jump on it. It’s the little events that get you started and get your name out there. Worrying about what event will pay most right away is not the way to go about it. Take the unpaid ones; get yourself known as someone who everyone loves for putting on a great time, not someone who’s looking to break pocket books. And most importantly, your job is to make sure everyone around you has a fantastic time; make sure you (the DJ) are having fun with it to.

One often overlooked, but very important issue is one that revolves around copyright laws when dealing with DJ-ing. There are a couple of key things that DJs must remember to be alert to. First, you cannot illegally copy or distribute a song. Second, you must give proper credit to the owner of a song—failure to do this would be in violation of the copyright belonging to the original artist. Lastly, you must attain proper permission (from the original artist) when playing, remixing, or financially exploiting a song. Though these may seem like harmless guidelines, they are very important to remember when DJ-ing.

Sound is all around us. Music, radio, soundtracks, it's hard to find a place, in the technologically advanced world we live in, where sound isn’t prevalent. Harnessing the power of sound through these various technologies is something that could be very valuable to those who are willing or interested to learn. Making beats, editing songs or podcasts are things that are becoming more and more important in this day and age, so why not get a head start?