Playlisting: How to craft the perfect mix as a DJ
Crafting the perfect mix is a task that’s haunted many a party playlister, searching for the right way to put across the right vibe for the right amount of time. As a budding DJ, crafting the perfect playlist becomes more than a semi-regular occurrence; you need to be able to deliver the goods on-demand, for sets of all different types. But how exactly should you go about doing so?
What’s the Mood?
The single most important part of embarking on a playlist, whether for a radio show, house party or 1000-capacity nightclub, is properly understanding the mood. What is the vibe at your event, and how should you approach that as a DJ? Maybe you’re playlisting for a themed party with a fancy-dress element, which gives you handy criteria with which to narrow down your selections. Maybe you’re the last act after a heavy set at a nightclub, and your job is to slowly bring the mood back down to earth. The mood is your brief, and should be the main thing guiding you to any mix decisions you make ahead of time.
How Long are You On?
Next up, you need to take into consideration how long you are expected to provide music for. You might have a 30-minute slot, or a 4-hour set, and both need to be approached very differently to provide the best possible results. A 4-hour set can be a drag, especially if there are no dynamics between songs. Finding the right ebb and flow is key to keeping interest and preventing listener fatigue; try slowly shifting through genres, with peaks and lulls throughout the set. Shorter sets are theoretically easier to plan out dynamics-wise, but also harder in that every choice needs to be an utter banger to retain attention.
Knowing Your Library
Speaking of bangers, it will be difficult for you to efficiently build a set from scratch if you don’t already have an intuitive knowledge of the library available to you. As a DJ, you will have built up a huge repository of music and beats, off all different styles and genres. Knowing your library inside out enables you to slip between genres and create a textural, interesting mix without constant cross-reference and doubt.
Knowing your library has its advantages in other areas too, especially if your library is digitised. Some DJ mixers come with built-in tools for organising and accessing your digital library, enabling you to load up and cue tracks with ease. Coupled with CDJs and an intuitive understanding of your song library, you can meaningfully and effectively improvise mid-set – giving you complete control over the mood of your set, and even of the listeners.
Interaction and Participation
If your DJ set is part of a live event, you might want to consider elements outside of your DJ skills and selection. Audience participation should be judged very carefully, and could be an acquired taste depending on the situation or crowd – but if deployed correctly, you could elevate your mix to a new level entirely. For bouncing, active club nights or sessions as seen on Boiler Room, interacting with your audience is part of the fun, partaking in the music together and connecting people with a drop or transition. For other party-like vibes, using filter sweeps and encouraging the crowd to “get down” before bouncing back up at the drop can be an incredibly impactful way to get everyone on board with ease.
