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DJ/producer careers can get stuck, plateaued, or difficult to make progress in for a number of reasons.
After seeing a lot in the industry over the last 15 years, these are the top 3 reasons why DJ careers might get stuck:
1. Consistency with music + content. Everyone knows how important staying consistent with music releases and content is, but executing this vision is another story.
You always have to be months ahead of the curve and plan. On top of that, you have to have the music done and finalized in order to plan. It can get stressful to get these stars to align, but it really comes down to your systems.
What does your system for finishing music + content look like? Do you work off a particular schedule, have productivity goals, deadlines? Maybe you need to outsource mixing and mastering and get stuck there? Maybe you need more video editing skills?
Organizing this like any job is the first start to develop that consistency. Lot of producers usually work off a dry erase whiteboard. Prioritize your 'works in progress' then be descriptive about what needs to be done to get those projects across the finish line. This is a good first way to systematize your music output. Software solutions like Notion templates can be a good way too.
At this point, I'd say a monthly release or remix is the standard, and 3-5 pieces of content a week, and that should be a rough target. A lot of upcoming artists fall short here, they may not release music for many months or post content for weeks. If you want to cut through the noise of other artists, you HAVE to be consistent until something hits, sometimes for many years. Build systems, discipline, and skills to help you do this.
2. Timing. Sometimes the genre you are in or making just might be not be in favor in the industry. The truth is there is a big pie with certain genres. Talent buyers and promoters are booking certain genres, and a few in that pie will take home most of the bookings. For example, house and techno probably occupy a lot of the global dance genres for clubs and promoters at the moment. It's a lot easier to have that big wave in your career when the genre you are making is in favor with promoters and overall dance industry.
If it's not, don't fret. A lot of artists that broke through just had conviction in what they were doing and eventually the tables turned over time. For this, you have to focus on building your own organic movement and fanbase. At the end of the day this is the most important thing to do. If you sell tickets you will get booked, and a lot of artists spend many years slowly building a dedicated fanbase for their particular sound. Focus on community, your story, and developing a professional brand to help you build a strong fanbase.
3. The music isn't ready yet. The truth is a lot of artists might still be in the beginning phases of finding their sound and working on the fundamentals, and the quality and uniqueness is not quite there yet.
In a previous blog article, I talked about a psychology phenomenon called The Dunning Kruger effect. Essentially the less you know, the more confident you are. That's why early on musicians can't figure out why their songs aren't gaining traction, they're just too naive and the music isn't there. I've been there, and see this quite often.
On the contrary too, there are many seasoned producers making great music that don't have the confidence. The more you know, the less confident you are. The Dunning-Kruger effect works this way too. Try to become more self aware about this and see which one you might be, and keep focusing on improving the music through education. Truly professional music can sometimes take up to 10 years of experience to make.
For you guys that feel stuck, maybe try to run through these 3 reasons and see where your pain point is and how you can improve. Every DJ career is different, but try to analyze it like a business, fix, and move fast.
-Henry
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PS, if you missed any of my previous newsletters you can read them all on my website!
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