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Have you ever wondered how a DJ works a crowd?

Creating the perfect dance set to pack a dance floor is more complicated than you might think. In this article we share how a DJ turns your playlist into the perfect dance set.

How Does A DJ Turn Your Playlist Into The Perfect Dance Set?

There is a phrase that you will hear mentioned throughout the DJ industry. You could even go so far as to call it the Golden Rule of DJing. “Right song at the right time.” It sounds simple… but there is a lot of preparation and practice that goes in to achieving that goal.

When most people think about the music at their event, they are concerned about the songs that make the final playlist. How are people going to react? Are the songs suitable for the audience and the atmosphere of the venue? Can people dance to it?

A lot of thought goes in to the “Right song” part. But what about the “Right time” part?

We like to think of the songs in the playlist as ingredients in a recipe. But they need to be combined in the correct order, at the correct time in order to get the best result. A DJ will take your playlist and separate the songs in to smaller lists that are suitable for the different stages of your event. Within these “mini sets” there needs to be a flow of energy that serves a specific purpose.

How-A-DJ-Turns-Your-Playlist-In-To-The-Perfect-Dance-Set-Graph

Songs can be coupled in to a “mini-set” for many different reasons.

  • Released around the same time – Catering to a specific age group
  • Same genre, similar production style – Songs sound similar
  • Similar Lyrical Content – Wordplay
  • Similar tempo (speed)

As you can see from the graph, once we hit dancing time, we still need to alternate styles and energy to help give dancers a break and to bring new crowds on for a dance. For maximum effect we want to play a sequence of 4 – 6 songs that a group of dancers will LOVE resulting in a high point, followed by a change in focus and a dip in energy as we bring a new group on to the floor.

Being able to feel the energy in the room and adapt the music to suit is the most important tool in a DJs arsenal. You can have an incredible playlist, but if you are bouncing around randomly between songs with no apparent connection you may not get the result you are looking for.

If you’re looking to hire a DJ for your event, contact us for more information. Our team of award winning DJs would love to help make your event a success.

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