The Business of DJing

Jamie Selects
  • 5.0 (5)
  • Music

The Business of DJing is the podcast for DJs who want to turn their passion into a real business. Host Jamie Selects talks with a variety of DJs and industry professionals about the business side of DJing. You'll hear real stories and practical takeaways you can use at your next booking, whether you're just starting out or ready to leave the day job. New episodes feature guests from across the DJ world. Follow along on Instagram and TikTok at @businessofdjingpod.

  1. 2h ago

    14. Traknologist - OCDevious, DJ Products in the AI Era

    This conversation with Valentino Paula, aka Traknologist, founder of RemixLabsXO and creator of OCDevious, covers how he started DJing at 13, landing DJ gigs for Xbox game releases, prepping clean music for corporate clients, engineering on Nicki Minaj mixtapes, ghost producing for an LA publishing company, what to watch out for in label contracts, building a DJ app with AI, how AI will change DJing, and much more! OCDevious is an on-device Mac app that takes a client's must-play list, from an email, a text or a Spotify playlist, and finds up to 200 of those songs in your own music folder in about five minutes, then exports them as a crate to Serato, Rekordbox or Traktor. Trak built it after a friend's daughter handed him her wedding list and it took him about three weeks to track every song down. He demos the app on screen, explains why it's a one-time purchase instead of a subscription, why it doesn't use AI to match songs, and why he wrote it in Swift and Rust so it runs natively on macOS. There's a free 30-day trial at https://r.freemius.com/29297/10601917/ (note: this is an affiliate link). 0:00 Introduction: Valentino Paula aka Traknologist  0:38 DJing at 13, Production and an IT Career  1:31 Landing the Xbox Release Gigs  4:13 Prepping for Corporate Clients and Clean Music  5:54 The Christiana Mall Xbox Event  7:49 Why Mall Gigs Are Underrated  8:10 Getting Into Production and Engineering (Nicki Minaj Mixtapes)  10:16 Stepping Away From Engineering as the Tech Changed  10:44 Ghost Producing for an LA Publishing Company  11:53 Life in LA and the Opaque Side of the Label Business  14:15 How the Publishing Deal Paid  16:20 Get Your Business Straight: ASCAP, BMI and Trust  17:03 Contracts: Watch Out for Label Options  18:05 What OCDevious Is: 200 Songs in 5 Minutes  19:40 OCDevious Demo  25:29 Why He Built It: A Wedding List That Took Weeks  26:35 Preview, Normalize and Export to Serato, Rekordbox and Traktor  28:54 Input Formats and Spotify Playlists  30:14 One-Time Purchase, No AI, Native Swift and Rust  31:31 Updates and DJs Who Work Offline  32:30 Building the App With AI  34:01 Jamie on Building With AI  38:07 Why DJ Software Companies Are Slow to Innovate  38:23 Where to Find OCDevious  38:53 How AI Will Change DJing  44:46 Stubborn DJs and Gatekeeping  47:43 Traknologist's DJ Style  49:11 Library Organization  50:05 Where to Find Traknologist Follow Traknologist Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/traknologist TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@traknologist YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@traknologist Website: https://www.remixlabsxo.com Follow Jamie Selects Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamie_selects X: https://x.com/jamie_selects Website: https://www.jamieselects.com

    14. Traknologist - OCDevious, DJ Products in the AI Era

  2. Oct 21

    13. Tuna Bahadir - ORDO, Commission-Free DJ Booking for Private Events

    This conversation with Tuna Bahadir, founder of ORDO, covers how a corporate lawyer from Istanbul who moved to London for his MBA ended up building a DJ booking platform, how ORDO works for hosts and DJs, how DJs get curated onto the platform, the rise of private and invite-only events in London, DJs playing coffee shops and pizza shops, corporate events, weddings in Turkey and Europe, and much more! ORDO is a marketplace where private event hosts and DJs meet, and it's commission-free for DJs. About 170 DJs are on the platform, and it has had about 40 bookings since going fully live in early September. Tuna walks through the platform on screen (watch on YouTube), shows how hosts request up to five DJs with one form, explains how emerging DJs can list at up to $50/hr, and shares what's coming next: an app, payments, deposits and booking forms that work as a documented contract so DJs get paid in full. You can check it out at ordo.events. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction: Tuna Bahadir and ORDO 01:24 What ORDO Is: A Commission-Free DJ Marketplace 04:29 Tuna's Music Background 06:05 Platform Walkthrough: Finding and Requesting DJs 11:15 What Happens After a Booking Request 12:27 How DJs Join, Curation and Emerging DJs 14:52 London House Party Culture and the Private Events Boom 17:36 Discovering a New Kind of Club in London 18:39 Types of Events and ORDO's First 40 Bookings 21:26 DJs at Coffee Shops, Pizza Shops and Unusual Spots 23:40 Markets, US Expansion and Corporate Events 25:11 The Agency Model and How DJs Can Help 26:17 Booking a DJ Is Cheaper Than You Think 28:14 Weddings in Turkey and Europe 31:28 Building the Platform: Dashboard, App and Payments 33:51 Getting Paid in Full: Contracts and Deposits 34:48 Where to Find ORDO Links ordo.events - ordo.events Follow Tuna / ORDO Instagram: www.instagram.com/ordo.events Website: ordo.events Follow Jamie Selects Instagram: www.instagram.com/jamie_selects Twitter: twitter.com/jamie_selects Website: www.jamieselects.com

    13. Tuna Bahadir - ORDO, Commission-Free DJ Booking for Private Events

  3. Sep 8

    12. DJ Munition - Building DJ Agencies and Formwav

    This conversation with DJ Munition covers a wide range of topics including special event DJing, music selection, booking strategies, transitioning from corporate to full time DJing, business entity structures and accounting strategies, how DJs can use AI in their client interactions, content ideas, and much more! DJ Munition has launched a new product called FormWav which aims to give DJs and their clients a premier experience when planning their events. DJs can use it increase their value during the process and clients will love the seamless integration with music libraries when planning their events. You can check it out at https://formwav.com/. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction and Business of DJing00:56 DJ Munition's Journey into DJing01:56 Special Event DJing and Event Producers04:03 Music Selection and Booking Strategies13:16 Transition from Engineering Job to DJing17:12 Entity Structure and Accounting Strategies26:15 Conversational AI and Content Strategies30:15 Production Strategies and Premium Brand Offerings31:30 Building Relationships and Adding Value33:35 Content Strategy and Niche Selection39:35 Introducing FormWave: The New Product53:15 Music Taste and Library Organization

    12. DJ Munition - Building DJ Agencies and Formwav

  4. Apr 8

    11. DJ Chase Morgan

    This conversation covers DJ Chase Morgan's journey into DJing, the evolution of his DJ business, the impact of parenthood on his business, and his business administration strategies and tech stack. We talk about music discovery and streaming, the use of Lexicon software for music management, DJing for sports events, and the Chase's DJ style evolution. Chapters 00:00 Introductions09:00 Impact of Parenthood on DJ Business26:02 Music Discovery and Streaming31:30 Lexicon Software for Music Management36:43 DJing for Sports Events47:28 DJ Style and Musical Preferences Notes and Links DJ Chase Morgan's IG - @djchasemorganVibodj.com - software for wedding / event DJs

    11. DJ Chase Morgan

  5. Mar 11

    10. Taxes for DJs Part 2: Christian Putnam, CPA

    Summary The episode features a conversation between Jamie Selects and Christian Putnam, a CPA, discussing DJ taxes, business structures, and financial operations. They cover topics such as business structures for DJs, including sole proprietorships, LLCs, and S corporations, as well as income, expenses, and sales tax considerations for DJ businesses. The conversation covers tax considerations for DJs, including sales tax, expenses, travel deductions, home studio deductions, estimated taxes, record-keeping, and hiring considerations. Christian P provides insights on tax deductions, self-employment tax, and the importance of tracking income and expenses. He also emphasizes the need for estimated tax payments and proper documentation. Christian P's website is www.auger.cpa. Key Takeaways Business structures for DJs include sole proprietorships, LLCs, and S corporations.Income for DJ businesses includes performance fees, merch sales, and event ticket sales.Sales tax considerations for DJ businesses depend on the location of sales and the volume of orders. Sales tax rules vary by stateExpenses can be categorized as current or capital expensesHome studio deductions require regular and exclusive useEstimated tax payments are essential for self-employed individualsProper record-keeping and documentation are crucial for tax reportingHiring considerations include 1099 filing requirements Chapters 00:00 Introduction and DJExpenseTracker.com05:02 S Corporation Election and Tax Savings13:49 Financial Order of Operations21:52 Income and Sales Tax Considerations27:03 Sales Tax Considerations34:30 Travel and Meal Deductions41:35 Home Studio Deductions47:48 Estimated Taxes and Hiring Considerations

  6. 06/19/2023

    9. DJ Frank G - Founding and building Exclusive DJ

    In this episode I welcome Stockton legend, DJ Frank G, founder and owner of Exclusive DJ.  We talk about his intro to DJing the music industry, what it was like digging for music in the early days, why and how he built a mobile DJing business, simple and effective mobile marketing strategies. I really enjoyed this conversation and I hope you do too!  Note: some timestamps may vary by platform.  0:00 - Gumroad store announcement 2:14 - Intro to Frank 3:55 - Early events in Stockton, CA 8:25 - Frank’s intro to music and DJing 22:12 - Getting into radio  25:07 - Discovery of music in the vinyl era 30:00 - The value of finding a rare gem 34:00 - Starting Exclusive DJ 37:47 - Marketing at bridal shows 40:13 - Building a long term business 43:42 - How customer acquisition strategy changes over time 46:36 - Different styles of DJs 52:17 - Software tools to run a DJ business 54:35 - Recognizing where your money is coming from 59:34 - Advice for young DJs 1:06:49 - DJ Style: Music taste and library organization Links jamieselects.gumroad.com Follow DJ Frank G Instagram: @exclusivedjgroup Website: ⁠exclusivedj.net Follow Jamie Selects Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/jamie_selects⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://twitter.com/jamie_selects⁠ Website: ⁠https://www.jamieselects.com

    9. DJ Frank G - Founding and building Exclusive DJ

  7. 04/25/2023

    8. Baywav - Residencies, building a brand, and content creation

    In this episode I welcome Bay Area native Baywav. We talk about building residencies, how to break out of your city, building a brand, managing a rebrand, content creation, and much more! This was a great conversation and it was cool to connect with someone else who is helping DJs build their businesses.    0:31 - How did you get into djing? 2:11 - Transaction from practicing to real gigs  5:06 - The process of getting the residency 8:39 - Lessons learned from swapping gigs. 12:16 - Navigating difficult conversations with DJs you book 14:24 - Building Cornerstone post pandemic  19:40 - Optimizing for health 24:00 - Rebrand to Baywav 27:00 - Online presence 28:27 - Building out a team 30:45 - Gumroad and selling digital products 33:33 - The problem with committing to one style of content 36:13 - Strategy for content creation and video editing tips 42:55 - Goals for this year 46:34 - What’s your music style? 49:46 - Library organization Links Capcut video editor Follow Baywav Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/baywav/ Website: baywav.com Follow Jamie Selects Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamie_selects Twitter: https://twitter.com/jamie_selects Website: https://www.jamieselects.com

    8. Baywav - Residencies, building a brand, and content creation

  8. 11/01/2022

    7. Soul7 - Building EMPIRE Latino From the Ground Up

    In  this episode I welcome my long time best friend and music industry expert, Alán Hensley, aka Soul7.  We go way back to our college days at Pacific and talk about how he came to study music business, learned to DJ, took a leap of faith going across the world to Berkeley College of Music, building EMPIRE Latino, and how DJs can market themselves professionally.  I really enjoyed this conversation and I hope you do too! 0:00 - Intro 2:10 - The early days, finding a love for music 5:00 - Finding Pacific for studying music business 7:30 - Being music bro and getting the first DJ controller 9:50 - The Getdown days 15:10 - Marketing The Getdowns 20:10 - Utilizing a street team 22:10 - Getting stuck post grad and finding new opportunities 26:00 - Finding Berkeley College of Music and taking a leap of faith 30:10 - Arriving in Spain 32:10 - If you want to work in music business, do this... 33:55 - Find a DJ group chat 34:30 - Favorite guest speaker  35:45 - Getting DJ gigs in Spain 43:05 - Finding a job post Berkeley 47:00 - Transition to EMPIRE 50:40 - Preparing for the interview 53:00 - Leveling up from the position you're hired for 56:00 - What is the role of a Product Manager at a label? 58:40 - How to pitch music to a label? 1:02:34 - What can DJs learn from artists to promote themselves? 1:06:05 - Pro tips DJs can take away from the music industry 1:12:20 - Selecta Style, DJ taste and library organization Follow Soul7 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soul7beats Twitter: https://twitter.com/soul7beats Sound Cloud: https://soundcloud.com/crate-gems Follow Jamie Selects Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamie_selects Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/jamie_selects Website: https://www.jamieselects.com

    7. Soul7 - Building EMPIRE Latino From the Ground Up
See All (14)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

The Business of DJing is the podcast for DJs who want to turn their passion into a real business. Host Jamie Selects talks with a variety of DJs and industry professionals about the business side of DJing. You'll hear real stories and practical takeaways you can use at your next booking, whether you're just starting out or ready to leave the day job. New episodes feature guests from across the DJ world. Follow along on Instagram and TikTok at @businessofdjingpod.

Information

  • Creator
    Jamie Selects
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    14
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Jamie Selects
  • Show Website
    The Business of DJing