How Much Music Should a Disc Jockey Have?

A primary advantage of hiring a DJ over a band is that a DJ should be able to provide a more versatile selection of music also a major "marketing pitch" used by many DJs is possessing a very large library of music. However, it does beg the question, just how much music does a DJ need to bring to your special day? Assuming that your event will have a standard four hour dance then the answer is 80 songs since that is all there will be time for, this is assuming the DJ has exactly the set of songs that you and your guest desire. While clearly a DJ should have more than 80 songs since it would be nearly impossible to have brought exactly the right songs, it does illustrate having the right songs is more important than having a large library. Having tens of thousands, and in some cases hundreds of thousands of songs, does not equate to being able to provide you with an enjoyable experience.

Furthermore, a DJ should not only have a large library but one that contains songs that are most frequently requested and desired. It is indeed possible for a DJ to have 20,000 songs but lack a significant number of "in demand" songs and therefore be unable to provide the level of service you deserve. The bottom line is that it is more important for a DJ to have the right songs, in other words quality is far more important than quantity. I myself would feel completely comfortable performing at a gig with my library of 1,500 essential songs, this is the number of titles that I have played from over the last five years or that research has shown to be "in demand". These are from across the entire musical spectrum and I know for a fact that these are songs that a crowd will dance too.

With that said, I still will bring my entire music library since it does offer me with a greater degree of flexibility and if the guest(s) of honor request an "odd" song then I will be able to play it. I intentionally use the term "odd" since a good DJ must be able to determine which requests he or she will field and there are just some songs that should never be played, even if the DJ has it. (Unless the guest of honor has requested it, then it gets played). It is also important to note that the "essential songs" that I alluded to earlier is constantly changing as new songs are released and some songs fall out of favor.

When hiring your next DJ be sure to look past the number but instead ask if the DJ can provide you with their "play list" where the "play list" answers the question of "what songs do you usually play from". If a DJ provides you with a list of 10,000 or more songs then you know he/she has no idea of what he/she is doing or is trying to "wow" you with numbers. To have played 10,000 songs at recent gigs the DJ would have had to have performed 7,500 gigs without having had played a single song twice. However, if the DJ is able to provide you with a list of 1000-2000 songs and tells you that he/she has played many songs from the list and that others he/she has determined to be "essential", based on marketing research then you can be assured that the DJ has taken the task of possessing a thought out library. Keep in mind that a DJ may have more than 1000-2000 songs in his/her library, especially if he/she has been in business for many years. As previously mentioned, the list is continually changing and just because a song is no longer considered, "essential" the DJ will likely have kept it. I myself now have over ten years experience which has been spread out over twenty years. Consequently my library is very large and there are many songs in it that at one time were popular and no longer are. There are also some songs that I have that I own because they were on the same CD that a "hit song" was on (I am thankful that I can now buy single songs online and not have spent money on unnecessary songs). The key to performing at a successful dance is to know which songs are most likely to get people out on the dance floor and to adjust what you plan to play based on how the crowd responds and on requests.

Scott Perowitz
Minnesota Cowboy Disc Jockey and Karaoke
http://www.minnesotacowboy.com