Being a touring DJ and artist who releases their own music is a huge interest and passion of mine and what I want to pursue as a career. However, being a touring DJ doesn’t just happen overnight. It requires serious grit and determination. In this essay I will talk about certain topics around profession.
To become an artist, there is no qualifications or ‘formal’ education required. “DJs don’t have to fulfil any formal educational requirements” [1]. On paper you don’t need to have any qualifications, you can start releasing music tomorrow these days. However, it doesn’t mean people are going to listen to it and furthermore doesn’t mean it will sound good. Although not required “some pursue formal study, either by completing a relevant degree or by taking a few useful courses.”[2]. Taking a music course related to you would 100% boost your chances at success. This is because your being coached by people who have been in the industry and succeed. As a result, you would gain three main things. Practical skills (e.g. using a DAW), Experience, as you have set time to absorb as much information as possible, and finally Networking. All these three are arguably the main reasons for why people succeed or don’t. However, even with all this, there are still certain elements that are crucial to succeeding that can’t be taught, for example reading a crowd when performing, or creativity when creating music. These are all skills you must teach yourself. I would argue that there’s nothing stopping you from making it if you have no musical education or qualifications, however musical education will provide very useless knowledge and assets to help you succeed.
The skills needed as I mentioned previously range. Some skills are easy to pick up and others can only come naturally. There are 4 Main categories of skill required. Technical/musical knowledge, Creative, business and personal skills. All four are needed to succeed. For Technical skills, you need to know how to work the DJ decks and how to use your DAW, As far as musical knowledge, “a solid understanding of music theory is essential. Producers should be familiar with song structure, melody, harmony and rhythm”[3]. For creativity you need to find your own sound and that’s not going to happen unless you have creativity. From a business POV, when you’re a big-time artist, labels and teams will promote you for yourself. However, when you’re starting out you need to be able to market yourself and put yourself out there otherwise no one will find you. Similarly Personal skills like work ethic and people skills will help you to meet more and more people that are willing to give you a shot. Having all these skills will put you in a much more promising spot to succeed. “By building on these technical skills, you’ll not only become a more versatile DJ but also gain the ability to adapt to different gigs and venues”[4] Which would lead to more bookings and better production of music.
A Typical day in the life as a producer and DJ can vary. It depends on the type of DJ you are and how often you get booked. Personally, the type of DJ I want to pursue is a touring House DJ. A week in the life would change depending on seasons. In the summer you’re much more likely to get bookings abroad as its festival season and more booking opportunity’s and residencys are available. It’s your responsibilities to bring your USB with all your songs on it. Normally you will pre plan your set to make sure your prepared, however if it’s a more casual gig with lower crowd attendance many DJ’s will just ‘wing it’ so they can play to the crowd’s energy and make it a more personal set. However, being a touring DJ is not for the fainthearted, “Almost every weekend I’m skipping a complete night of sleep, but somehow I try and keep a healthy balance between weekdays and weekends.”[5] It takes real determination and motivation to maintain the lifestyle of a DJ.
Finally, a responsibility that’s indirectly connected to the job is the responsibility of looking after yourself. We have seen the toll it takes on people with a prime example being Avicii who took his own life after years of alcohol abuse and deep-rooted anxiety. There are very rewarding pro’s but also a lot of lows. You need to be able to take care of yourself otherwise it can really impact you.
Furthermore, on the producing side of things, most days of the week you should be making music whether that be in the studio or at home. You should constantly be creating new ideas for your shows and for your releases. It’s a music producers’ responsibility to provide “creative guidance”[6] when collaborating with artists “songwriting assistance”[7] and “mixing and mastering”[8] demo’s ready to submit to your label.
Overall, unlike a traditional 9-5 being a touring DJ is not likely to have a set schedule due to the constant traveling and bookings at any given time. A day in the weeks work will be completely different as a previous week and so. As a result, Producers need to get to grips with a relatively unpredictable schedule that requires them to be on top of their work, all the time. This is a big responsibility, as if you master how you work and find the perfect balance between yourself and work you will be in the right headspace to perform and make quality music.
The main financial issues and what you can expect in this job role is the fact there’s no guaranteed income or salary. If you don’t do shows or make music, you have no income so it’s very important that you graft and work as hard as possible. Furthermore, DJ’s may experience incredibly high earnings one month and then a couple months later have substantially smaller earnings that month. Secondly the unpredictability of earnings can be an issue for up-and-coming artists who don’t have the financial capability to go full time into music and still need to work a job. As a result, it means crucial time that could be used on gigs and producing music Is taken away from them.
A third point is, Management and agencies will take a fee of all money made at a gig or money made on a record. “Successful contract negotiation is an art form for music artists. Whether securing record deals, performance agreements, or licensing contracts, negotiating favourable terms is imperative for financial security”[9]Poor negotiated agreements can lead to exploitation and a falling out between parties ending in legal wars (Martin Garrix against Spinnin Records in 2017). Finally, the costs of touring e.g. plane tickets, must be carefully planned to maintain as much profit for all parties involved including the Artist.
Legal issues may include copyrighting of your songs and other material that needs permission to be used. “Intellectual property (IP) protection is paramount in the music industry. Safeguarding original compositions, lyrics, and brand assets is crucial for maintaining control and maximising earnings. Understanding copyright laws, licensing agreements, and trademark registration is essential to protect valuable IP assets.”[10]. By creating an ‘IP’ you help keep your work safe from being used in other pieces of work without your permission. Vise versa, if you want to remix a song or take a piece of song by sampling it, permission is needed, and it needs to be cleared before you can release it. This is something that needs to be carefully navigated as lawsuits and legal battles can follow. Overall, there are constant Legal battles going on in the music scene and the issues surrounding said lawsuits. As a result, you, and anyone involved with your work need to take careful steps to ensure you stay inside the laws of copyright.
One way you can market yourself as a Dj and Artist would be by uploading on social media. It is a fact that if you are an artist starting out you are substantially less likely to go. Social media is king, if you can find a pattern and a catchy persona that intrigues people into clicking on your profile and seeing what, music you release then that’s your best bet. Furthermore, using touring as promotion is an excellent example. For example, Sammy Virji headlined reading festival in 2025, and one month later he secured Two massive collaboration with Fred again, and his numbers are the highest they’ve ever been. Also, he combines both touring as promotion and social media to create a global known persona that attracts new traffic to his platforms. As I briefly mentioned earlier, to market yourself you first need to find something that isn’t already there. A sound that conventionally suits the genre of music you create but your own spin on it. “Defining and curating your brand is really the key to moving forward”[11]. By finding your own sound people are more likely to want to listen to you. “Think about the most successful DJs in the world, and you’ll realize that they have several things in common besides their technical skills and talent. They each have a distinctive sound, look and personality, and they each maintain a steady media presence–all of which connects to being memorable as a brand.” [12]–. Overall, marketing yourself correctly will be your best chance at succeeding in whatever your goals may be. Marketing and promotion will be your best friend when it comes to growing as an artist and will play a key role in deciding how people see you and why they should listen to your music and become a fan.
The range of potential career development paths are broad. From a performance side, touring is arguably the best way to gain momentum. If you start from local venues to bigger clubs, then onto festivals it’s only a small time until you start your own tour. This is a great way to build a fanbase with people connected and interested in the scene. Furthermore, by “building a strong network within the music industry, can open doors to new opportunities and collaborations.”[13]. Career development and progression will also be impacted by networking. The more people you know the more likely you are to get a gig in a big club or get a release with a big artist or even a remix. Networking is crucial for career development. The level of progression varies. For DJ’s, the local venue to touring DJ route is a typical example of ‘promotions’ from a progression point of view. The sky really is the limit when it comes to development, if you want to be one of the top DJs in the world then its more than possible with the right tools and people. Overall, the career development and progression for a touring DJ/ artist will vary, however once you have a foot in the door, networking and opportunities presented to you will open the doors for higher progression as a touring DJ and Artist.
Finally, and one of my favourites talking points so far in this essay, what are the intellectual and personal struggles for DJ’s/Artists. I briefly mentioned the story of Avicii earlier. All the problems that Avicii dealt with were caused by his occupation. The personal challenges to a touring DJ vary, weather its irregular sleep patterns, travelling constantly, or perhaps the constant ridicule against your music. There will always be hate no matter what song you create. Even the biggest songs in the world get hate, its inevitable. And especially in a world where anyone can leave comments on your social media, the challenge to block all that out and keep a steady head remains a real struggle. Some people are good at blocking out negativity and keeping a level head and others aren’t. Overall, the challenges presented to touring DJ’S/ Artists are mentally and physically challenging.
In conclusion, being a touring DJ an artist is one of the best jobs in the world. With the right marketing, skillset and tools available, you can Develop as a top touring DJ with regular song releases and be very successful.
[1] “How to Become a DJ: A Step-By-Step Guide.” Indeed Career Guide, 2025, uk.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/how-to-become-a-DJ.
[2] “How to Become a DJ: A Step-By-Step Guide.” Indeed Career Guide, 2025, uk.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/how-to-become-a-DJ.
[3] Yurii Havrylenko. “How to Become a Music Producer: Full Guide | Pibox Resources.” Pibox, 29 Nov. 2024, pibox.com/resources/how-to-become-music-producer/.
[4] Jimmy. “What Technical Skills Should DJs Know? | Bach to Rock.” Bach to Rock, 10 Nov. 2023, www.bachtorock.com/blog/what-technical-skills-should-djs-know-blgpst/.
[5] “Attack Magazine.” Attack Magazine, 2025, www.attackmagazine.com/features/long-read/on-the-road-how-to-survive-as-a-touring-. Accessed 7 Jan. 2026.
[6] Yurii Havrylenko. “How to Become a Music Producer: Full Guide | Pibox Resources.” Pibox, 29 Nov. 2024, pibox.com/resources/how-to-become-music-producer/.
[7] Yurii Havrylenko. “How to Become a Music Producer: Full Guide | Pibox Resources.” Pibox, 29 Nov. 2024, pibox.com/resources/how-to-become-music-producer/.
[8] Yurii Havrylenko. “How to Become a Music Producer: Full Guide | Pibox Resources.” Pibox, 29 Nov. 2024, pibox.com/resources/how-to-become-music-producer/.
[9] “The Ultimate Guide to Financial Support for Music Artists – the Gild.” The Gild Group, 19 Mar. 2024, thegildgroup.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-financial-support-for-music-artists/.
[10] “The Ultimate Guide to Financial Support for Music Artists – the Gild.” The Gild Group, 19 Mar. 2024, thegildgroup.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-financial-support-for-music-artists/.
[11] “Build Your Brand as a DJ.” Mixed in Key, mixedinkey.com/book/build-your-brand-as-a-dj/.
[12] “Build Your Brand as a DJ.” Mixed in Key, mixedinkey.com/book/build-your-brand-as-a-dj/.
[13] Jimmy. “What Technical Skills Should DJs Know? | Bach to Rock.” Bach to Rock, 10 Nov. 2023, www.bachtorock.com/blog/what-technical-skills-should-djs-know-blgpst/.
