A demo CD with the right music is an essential part of your promotion as a DJ. Without it, you’ll be lucky to get anywhere.

Of course, many DJs now simply stream their mixes from the internet and make them available for free download. You should be doing this too, but having a demo CD or several different promos is essential.

Why? Many people can listen to it in their car or easily put it on at home when they have a spare minute. They may not have the opportunity to search for your mix on the Internet, and the sound quality will be better on your demo CD than on the Internet anyway.

What do I need to show?

What a good club/bar owner or promoter will be looking for is essentially your ability to fill their venue and keep people happy, so they come back next time. Punters have to enjoy. Music is an essential part of a club’s reputation and no club owner wants to compromise that unless they’re clueless and you don’t want to work for clueless people.

You will need to tailor the music on your demo CD to the type of venue you want to play. However, this will come later. First of all, the best type of promotional CD is the one that shows off your excellent selection of tunes, your ability to follow the tunes with the right one, how you can climax, how you mix and match your tunes perfectly, and how professional you are.

1. The right choice of tracks

Assuming you’ve practiced a lot as a DJ, you’ll have an idea of ​​which tracks go with what. Program your tracks carefully and remember to start your CD off strong to grab the listener’s attention quickly.
Use some fresh new tunes that you feel have potential, but are still played by few people. Avoid using tunes that are played by any disc jockey and have been out for 6 months. Include the odd remix of an old song that fits, or even a classic from a long time ago. This shows your knowledge and depth of taste.

Start with a catchy tune, then build over the next few tracks to max out at about 70%, once your listener has opened up. Then drop the tempo closer to the end, with a couple of chosen tracks that are less energetic but have a deep feeling, so that the listener is left emotionally scarred by the experience.

Your mixture should last at least 50 minutes, but preferably no more than 1 hour.

2. Mix it well

Practice mixing your CD and record yourself several times to see if you mix well. You will find that your mix tends to get better each time you record and listening to it will help.
You may need to rest your ears until the next day before listening. I realize I can’t stand listening to my mix right after, it just doesn’t sound right to me, so I wait one day.

The BPM beat mix, EQ mix and harmonic mix must be perfect for your promotional CD. Any mistake and you’ll have to do it all over again.

Visit our site for some tips on how to mix better.

3. Produce it perfectly

By this I mean that you will need to record at optimal levels, make sure volume levels are consistent throughout the mix, check for distortion, and burn the CD at optimal level.
Many people record with Sony Soundforge, which is perfect for almost any audio recording. Its wide range of attributes means you can optimize what you’ve recorded very easily and apply effects when needed during editing.

For example, you may decide that your sound needs to be improved and the volume needs to be increased – all this and more is possible with Soundforge.

4. Set up your recording correctly

This part is easy, of course, but many people still need it explained. Connect your decks to your mixer and your mixer’s main output to both your PC and your amp. Your mixer must have a main output and a record output. You will need some RCA cables to connect to your amp and your PC. Most likely your sound card is ‘in’.

This means you can hear your mix through the amp to mix properly and record yourself through the PC simultaneously.

5. Make a great cover for your DJ promo

The CD cover is important not only for the image of your CD but also for your image as a disc jockey. Remember, your demo could end up in the hands of someone quite influential.
When you compare a plain promotional CD with no cover or a fancy and elegant CD in a case with your logo name on it, I don’t have to tell you which gives you the better impression.

Use a CD printer to personalize your CDs and ship them to them. It will cost you about $£EUR but it will be worth it.

You will need to design the cover yourself, or enlist the help of a friend who is skilled in graphics.