Over To You: How Can I Prove I Don’t Just Play Spotify Playlists?

Digital DJ Tips VIP Platinum Group member Joe writes: “Just had a meeting with a customer where they seem to have been bitten before by someone that just pressed play on an automated Spotify playlist. The customer seems hell bent on me proving that I do more than what Spotify and the Pacemaker app can do.

“I’ve shown testimonials, photos and videos of previous parties, evidence of courses I’ve done, recordings of previous mixes from gigs, talked about reading a crowd and energy levels throughout the evening, but it just comes back to Spotify and the Pacemaker App! Probably the only thing I haven’t done is show a video of my physically mixing the songs.

“I’ve talked about such things with customers before although not on this level of determination. But I’m wondering if anyone has had anything similar before?”

Digital DJ Tips says:

Two things spring immediately to mind. One, walk away – you really can’t win ’em all. And two, professionals never need fear amateurs – or algorithms.

You know and I know and most people reading this know that a good DJ in the right place, on the right night, can work the kind of absolute magic a computer couldn’t even approach. You’re right, maybe this kind of conversation is going to become a growing trend, especially with services like Spotify introducing party playlists. (I love auto playlists by the way – an amazing source of ideas for you to run with and do something decent with…)

But think of it like this: If you play a single gig where you make that magic, you’ll have 20, 50, 100 or more people out there on the dancefloor who know it was you who did it. Question is, how are you going to turn those people, their friends, or their friends’ friends, into your next customers?

If you want to get good bookings, charge decent money, and get the chance to play the music you love, that’s the question you need to ask yourself, because it’ll save you ever having ridiculous arguments with cynical cold call customers about whether you’re actually doing anything or not.

Have you ever had to argue your worth with a cynical potential customer, club owner or promoter? Got any advice to add? Please share your words in the comments below.