If you play live music for people to have a good time you may need a podcast (This is just my opinion). Gone were the days when every DJ aspired to be on the radio. Gone were the days of mixtapes and mix CDs.I’m not saying this method is entirely dead, because, In some cultures like hip-hop, it may still be used. I’m just suggesting an alternative, for you to constantly put yourself out there and build a loyal following.
You can have your own radio show
The first advantage of a podcast is that you the DJ can host your own radio show. You produce your show without restrictions. You have to freewill to design the format and play whatever music you want, as you share your style and type of music. Persons then become better familiar with who you are, and they have something to look forward to, for each episode.
Personally, I listen to a lot of electronic music podcast at work in my headphones, And I look forward to new episodes weekly.
Having your podcast puts you in a prime position to get new music from artists. they will see you as an asset to their promotion. This will happen because of your consistency, reach and loyal following built.
Radio Stations will come to you
This is another big advantage, once you’ve built up a good following and put out consistent shows., radio stations will come calling. I’ve seen a few DJ friends who did facebook live shows every week get contacted to do shows for radio stations across the Caribbean. The EDM DJs have their own podcast and do sets for other stations.
So you see if you start a podcast and consistently put out content then opportunities will come to you.
Book more live gigs
This is another advantage of doing a podcast. Back in the day, there’d be a sound system or you’d have a DJ that would release mixtapes/ mix CDs, and distribute them. The more persons have it, the more their name got out to the public. With fewer people buying Cds and opting to stream from their phones, etc., DJs have to adapt to the current patterns of music lovers.
The distribution of mix CDs create a momentum of awareness, and as as a result, live gigs tend to follow. From my recall DJ’s and sound systems like “ Copper Shot,” “Code Red,” “Black Chiney,” “Bad Influence” and other sound systems in the early 2000s, benefited from doing this.
If you take the same approach online, then you can have access to a global audience and book gigs anywhere in the world. The beauty about it is, you’d be in control of what you do. Keep in mind that it will take time to build a loyal following online. If you already have one, (a following that is) just feed them with new shows every week. It will only take you an hour to do it. Once you prep ahead what you plan to play, you should be good.
People are waiting for you to create that podcast.