DJ Types: What Category Do You Fall Into?

If you’re not completely sure what type of DJ you want to be, this post should provide some perspective. Most of us will likely fall into at least two of the four main categories during our time behind the decks.

Before we jump in though, let’s quickly answer the question:

What are the different types of DJs?

There are four main types of DJs: Club DJs, Mobile DJs, Turntablists, and Radio DJs. While there’s some overlap between them, each category represents a different style, setting, and approach to DJing. A common sub-category is the DJ-producer, typically a Club DJ who also creates their own music.

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1. Club DJs

As a club DJ, you’d be playing in commercial venues such as bars, club-orientated bars, nightclubs, and even festivals – whilst mostly using the industry-standard club gear that’s already set up in the venue, better known as Pioneer CDJs.

Whilst club DJs are typically more well-known for delivering a continuous “mix” or “DJ set” that usually stays roughly within one or more electronic genres such as house, techno, drum & bass, etc., that’s not always the case.

Truth is, it depends on the type of venue, what the local scene is like, or even what part of the world you’re in as to what you’ll need to play.

For example, you’ll find many bar and club DJs — especially in certain holiday destinations — that need to play a much broader ‘open format’ setlist. These guys & girls will play a whole host of genres to keep the crowds happy, whether it’s R&B, hip-hop, pop music — basically whatever’s required for that unique setting.

For any aspiring club DJ, a good target to aim for would be to get some regular slots, hopefully leading to a residency or two in time. Bar & club residencies are a great way to develop your unique style as a DJ, whilst quickly building up the time you’ve spent behind the decks and reading a crowd.

One of the main jobs of a resident DJ is to control the energy flow in the room or venue, often to keep the dancefloor moving as different people reach different stages of their night.

There’s every chance you’ll have to play ‘open till close’ as well (8 to 10 hours or more on occasions). Not only will this help you develop the skill of “warming up” a room, but it will also give you the great pleasure of taking one from empty, to ‘’Rockin’’!

If you asked 100 aspiring DJs what type of DJ would they’d like to become, a Club DJ would arguably be the most popular choice.

2. Mobile DJs

Just about everyone with a pulse has witnessed a Mobile DJ in action at some point. These folks play at private events such as weddings, corporate functions, birthday parties, and are usually required to play more commercially-orientated genres such as dance and pop music (the top 40, ect.).

Taking requests and using the microphone is more commonplace compared to other DJs — and they must have a diverse catalogue of music to accommodate a wide variety of parties. Depending on the gig, particularly for weddings, they’ll sometimes get provided with a brief, or even a playlist of tracks to include during the gig.

You’ll often find that mobile DJs set everything up from scratch for each gig, using their own portable sound system and lighting setup. Some will even offer video capability, typically powered through their DJ software.

Some are attracted to mobile DJing as it’s a bit like running your own business. That is, it’s easier to find your own gigs, which directly gives you more control over your income.

3. Turntablists (scratch DJs)

In the early-to-mid-70s hip-hop artists and other club DJs popularized using turntables more like a musical instrument. Through techniques such as ‘scratching’ ‘cutting’ and ‘beat juggling’ these DJs created completely new sounds and became known as turntablists in the early 90s.

Just as you would back then, you’ll need to be highly skilled to make an impact on this specialist scene today – with the best-in-the-business performing their routines at DJ tournaments such as the DMC Championships.

Check out 2019 DMC Online DJ Champion – Erick Jay

4. Radio DJs

In the traditional sense, I think we all know what a radio DJ is, right!? These guys were the very first disc jockeys, and are still relevant today (need I mention BBC Radio 1’s Pete Tong).

Now assuming we’re not talking about working for an actual radio station (which is still an option if that’s for you)—and as far as ‘’new’’ DJs are concerned—there’s certainly a market for high-quality, niche-specific radio shows if you decided to incorporate this into your offering as a DJ. The obvious place to start with this would be Mixcloud.

Whilst most DJs that have their own show typically produce about one per week, it’s perfectly acceptable to do a fortnightly, or even a monthly show when you’re starting out.

Whilst there’s sufficient demand, it’s still very competitive, and you’ll need to be on top of the latest tracks and trends in your niche if you’re going to stand out and build an audience. Certainly just doing a 60-minute mix with an intro and outro will only get you so far.

Other DJ Types (sub categories):

DJ producers

DJ-Producers have exploded in popularity in the last decade or so, with many self-confessed ‘‘non-DJs’’ having made a successful track or two and subsequently get booked at some of the biggest festivals on the planet.

Today, it has to be said, that nearly all of the top DJs on the circuit produce their own tracks.

There are of course a number of potential benefits that go with producing your own material – certainly for club DJs. For a start, they have the luxury of playing their own tracks, remixes, and re-edits in their DJ sets, which allows them to be completely unique.

Generally speaking, you’d be giving yourself a much better chance of financial success if you produce, as it can open up a number of other income stream opportunities, so you don’t have to rely on gigging fees alone.

A lot of beginners are often unsure about whether or not they start producing. To those people, our advice would be this: don’t start producing just because you feel you have to, rather, do it because it’s what you want to do.

And remember, you don’t need to be a music producer to be a good DJ — they’re two completely different skill sets.

Hobbyist DJs

I’m sure you’re all familiar with the term ‘hobbyist’ at this point as it relates to the ‘amateur’ or ‘part-time’ DJ community.

You might describe some in this group as bedroom DJs, or party DJs, perhaps? You could even use the term hobbyist as a way to describe an older more experienced DJ that, for whatever reason, doesn’t play out much anymore.

The point I’m getting to is this: we’ve seen an explosion of new DJs in this area, which is partly because the cost of getting started has lowered significantly in the last 15 years. And that’s before we mention the accessibility of the music itself, thanks to the internet.

Passionate hobbyist DJs have been able to gain an online presence in several different ways. Whether that’s simply having their own weekly radio show on Mixcloud, or sharing their knowledge and expertise about DJ gear on a blog or YouTube channel.

This is a very exciting phenomenon for this new generation of hobbyists, who now have more options to experiment with than ever before. The bottom line? If you’re hard-working and passionate enough, you can still contribute something of real value to the dance music scene, which simply wasn’t possible on this scale in the vinyl years …or pre-internet.

The world is your oyster, as they say.

What to do next

Now you know what type of DJ you want to be, the next step is to assess what you need to work on.

If you want a broader roadmap, our step-by-step guide to becoming a DJ dives deeper into what gear to buy, building your music collection, and getting gigs.

It’s the perfect all-in-one resource that connects everything together.

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This post was reviewed by Dale Ashworth.