DJs are the party starters at nightclubs and parties, giving them instant street cred and coolness from all the party people at the venue, cheering at all the awesome tracks the DJ’s put on. But for DJs, constantly having to get parties to go wild and choosing what songs to play isn’t just these dudes and dudettes going with the flow of the party (though there is a bit of that). There is indeed a method to the madness that is making parties tops, and much of it lies in the hands that spin vinyl or double click their mouse.

1. Deciding What Songs To Play

Perhaps the most important part of a DJ’s job is to make sure the tunes they’re going to play are top notch and will get patrons into a party mood and have a bloody good time. They download songs currently in the charts, as well as old skool music from over the years that patrons will instantly know and will all of a sudden remember the words by heart, singing along while boogieing.

2. Blending Songs Together

Though many DJs might make an on-the-spot decision to play a certain song if they reckon it will go well at that particular moment and play requests, DJs plan beforehand what songs will be played and when. They have to think of ways to mix various songs together and try to make them blend together well to keep the rhythm steady to maintain the type of atmosphere the DJ’s going for. On many albums out there, when one song ends, often the tune of it, whether it be a dance beat, drum beat or guitar riff, will blend into the intro of the next song. This is a really cool effect, so having this happen at a nightclub with songs you’re dancing to is awesome.

3. Changing The Pace

Though it’s good to blend songs together to create a certain rhythm, this can become boring if the music’s creating one steady flow throughout the night. Patrons want excitement when they go clubbing, and one way to accomplish this is by all of a sudden changing the pace into something really fast, like hardcore trance, heavy metal, etc. This keeps things fresh and the audience engaged.

4. Consider The Audience

Every venue has a different clientele, whether it be a certain age group, subculture, or fans of a particular type of music. Obviously patrons who have just turned 18 would have very different musical taste to someone in their 30s, and certain groups only really listen to one particular type of music and completely dismiss every other genre. For instance, you wouldn’t play RNB at a heavy metal club; can’t imagine Kayne West songs going down well with headbangers. Generally people go to particular nightclubs because they have an expectation of what type of songs are played, so this obligation has to be fulfilled, otherwise they’ll crack it and go elsewhere.