Your Questions: What’s It Like To DJ In Ibiza?

Digital DJ Tips reader DJ M’z asks: “Is being a DJ in Ibiza all it’s cracked up to be? What’s it like to spin there, and how much can a DJ like myself (ie not a “superstar DJ”) get paid? And who takes care of accommodations, food, and transportation – me or the club I’m playing for?”

Digital DJ Tips Says:

I’m pretty sure a lot of us DJs have, at one point in our lives, dreamt of spinning on the White Isle from sun up to sun down, and maybe up until the sun rises yet again on that famous Amnesia Terrace. But apart from all the “Clubbers Guide” compilations filled with beautiful men and women dancing and questionable songs of Ibiza party life (I’m looking at you, Mike Posner!), just how far removed from reality is the hyper-romanticised Ibiza DJ?

Our forums moderator Terry_42 has this to say:

“DJing in Ibiza hugely depends on how big a name you are before going there. I know DJs there that get paid US$20/hour to US$1000/hour and have to care for themselves. All the perks like lodging, meals, transportation and so on are only for the very big names, as I always had to check all that for myself. If you are a top star you can get huge salaries and everything will be done for you, but there are loads of middle ground, so it’s definitely hard to say.

“Phil Morse and I have both jobbed there, and what I can say from my experience is that if you want to get into it and stay ahead, there’s an enormous amount of work involved. You have to put in at least 60 hours a week, where you only get paid for 20 (as this is the time you actually play at the club), and the rest is all about promoting yourself and your night. Even for the bigger DJs it’s seldom different, as there are always new players that want a slice of the Ibiza pie.

“Personally after the first ‘high’ you get when you DJ there, it becomes way too much stress and you realise building your name as a top Ibiza DJ has very much to do with luck, no matter how much effort you put in… that’s why I moved on and filed this under the ‘been there, done that, got the t-shirt’ section.”

So that’s it – DJing in Ibiza is certainly something to tell your grandkids about (don’t party too hard and you’ll live to see them!), but at the end of the day it still takes the usual elements to make it happen: tons of hard work, dedication, and a genuine love for sharing music with a group of people, whether it’s in the biggest club on the island or in a tiny little coffee bar by the Mediterranean.

Is it your dream to DJ in Ibiza? What’s your dream gig, and what have you been doing to get closer to that dream? Have you DJed in Ibiza, and if so what was that like? Share your thoughts with us below.