DigitalMemoriesDJ.com

If you would like to exchange links with us please contact info@digitalmemoriesdj.com

Prior to any event we allow both you and your guests to choose any songs from our existing library or add your own custom songs that we will aquire for you! To give our potential clients an idea of how the music search / request function operates we include a link directly to the Requests page.

Finding your favourite song is as easy as entering a partial song title or artist. Our clients are then able to choose the Green Add button for songs that we Must play at the event, the Yellow button for possible options and everyone’s favorite, the Red Button for Do Not Play.

If you have iTunes installed on your computer there is a good chance that you can listen to a song before adding it to your list. At anytime our clients can go back and change any requests or add new songs.

Check out our entire music library and our Music Request page free of charge!

If you have any questions feel free to contact us: DigitalMemoriesDJ.com

Whether it’s wedding planning or planning any type of event that requires music, a lot of effort and money goes into hiring a DJ. It’s important to know who you’re hiring and having that knowledge beforehand that they are reliable!

After the cut, the CDJA has a list of 20 essential questions that you should ask any potential DJ. It is important to have the majority of these questions answered so that you can have peace of mind before signing any contract!

1. Our wedding date is January XX, 20XX. Our reception starts at about 6:00 pm, but we’re having an Ensemble playing during dinner. So we’d need someone from about 8:00 to 1:00 a.m. Are you available?

2. Do you provide a written contract?

3. Do you have wedding packages that we may view or discuss?

4. What is the total price for these package(s)?

5. How much are additional hours?

6. Is set up time and travel included in your fee?

7. How early do you arrive to set up?

8. Can you explain how you conduct the evening?

9. Do you provide a wedding reception planner (for scheduling timeline) that is available online?

10. What do you wear when you provide music for the reception party?

11. Do you Emcee and make announcements if required?

12. Do you provide us with the option to pick our music for the reception?

13. Are you open to requests from us and/or from the guests?

14. Is a wireless mic for speeches included in your fee?

15. Do you have basic dance lighting included in the price or do you provide lighting packages for a fee?

16. How long have you been in business?

17. How many WEDDINGS have you done?

18. How much is your deposit/retainer?

19. Are there any additional charges that need to be provided to us for consideration?

20. How is payment arranged?

GETTING STARTED

Choosing a Disc Jockey and or Master of Ceremonies for your wedding reception, private party, or corporate event is one of the most important decisions you will have to make to ensure the events success. Unfortunately it can also be one of the most confusing and frustrating experiences also. Everything else can be perfect but if the music and host aren’t first rate your party can fizzle. There are approximately 20,000 DJ’s in America, all promising to do a great job at your party. So how do you choose? The best and easiest way of locating the right music host is to hire those you’ve already seen. If you didn’t get the name of the entertainer ask the host or manager of the facility in which the event was held. If you haven’t seen a good entertainer lately, ask you friends. They probably have about the same taste in music as you and perhaps have been at an event you missed. Let them know ahead of time and ask them to keep their eyes open for you.

ADVERTISING AND PRICES

If these first two suggestions are not and have not worked your job just became a little more difficult. The next place to try is the yellow pages under “Disc Jockeys”, “Music”, and or “Entertainment Bureaus”. Notice the advertisements that specifically mention the type of event you will be hosting. You will probably find several ads that look good to you but remember, the bigger ad does not always indicate the price will be higher. How do I tell which is the best entertainment company for me? The worst way to choose is simply by pricing alone. DJ company prices can range from $150-$700.00 for a four hour performance. That’s a substantial difference and although tempting to accept the lesser priced alternative, this could very well be the biggest and costliest mistake you ever made. If that’s all the money you have to spend then you really have no further options, but if not, do your homework. Check out the DJ companies that most interest you. Check their public and private references. So why the difference in prices? Lets consider the laws of supply and demand for a moment. There is a very good reason why some DJ’s are more expensive than others. The more expensive DJ’s are generally the most experienced and their attire, music library, music equipment, and general attitude will prove that. They charge more because they have more shows and a great reputation.

The DJ’s on the low end of the pricing scale are generally just getting established or have less than an adequate reputation. The lesser priced DJ may do a great job for less formal affairs and may be worth a try but, there is no doubt a greater amount of risk involved on your part of hiring the lesser priced DJ. Now that you have phone in hand and are starting to call different entertainment companies pay close attention to their professionalism and phone etiquette.

WHAT QUESTIONS TO ASK

The absolute worst first question to ask is, “How much do you charge”? This is a bad question because the person your speaking with has no information about the type of event, its location, times of engagement, etc. The most important question you can ask is “What kind of experience do you have for my event”? It would not be out of the ordinary to expect a professional DJ to have performed at least 35-50 wedding receptions per year. You’ll be able to distinguish pretty quickly if the host your talking to is not grabbing your attention. Should you find a host who is interesting now is the time to ask for references, brochures, and have them describe in further detail, their performance and or technique.

MUSIC EQUIPMENT

A good number of DJ’s will boast again about their sound systems and this is great if you are an audiophile. If not you may not know the difference between which brands are great and which are budget.

Chances are that the brand names your DJ gives you should not be the same as the equipment you’ve seen at a local electronics retailer. If they do mention names you recognize this should be concern for further questioning. Home/Consumer stereo equipment is not designed to stand up to 4-5 hours of high power output. It could and may fail in the middle of your party, for example: a professional DJ will have an amplifier that produces 300-500 watts per channel, whereas a home/consumer grade amplifier is usually rated at about 100 watts. The same rule of thumb applies for speakers, microphones, mixing consoles, etc. Also do not be afraid to ask about back up equipment should theirs fail.

Click here for more information on choosing a DJ.

If you a DJ and interested in more information follow this link to a FAQ located on the Disc Jockey Music Supply website.

Here are at DigitalMemoriesDJ.com we feel that being open and honest in our business practices is most important thing we can do as DJ’s. Whether that’s with the insuring and licencing of our equipment and music or showing up an event at the agreed time. As clients ourselves over many years this is one aspect of DJ’ing that we felt very strongly about and is one of the primary keys to our business plan. Unfortunately there are still a few DJ’s out there who give all of us a bad name.  I’m sure all of us know of at least one instance where the DJ didn’t show on time, or at all, or a completely different DJ showed up. Here at Digital Memories we guarantee we’re at an event at least an hour in advance and that the DJ you speak and agree to hire is the one that will be at your event. BridalTips.com has an example of this type of scam and the best way to avoid it. Everyone wants their Wedding day or special event to go off without a hitch, so it’s definitely in your best interest to take a quick moment and make sure you get what you’re paying for!

How the scam works: You meet with your wedding DJ who happens to be the owner and agree to hire him for your wedding, and choose some upgraded lighting packages as well. Your wedding day arrives and you’re blindsided to learn that someone else is the DJ at your wedding, and you did not get your upgraded lighting either. You might even be shocked to see your DJ is not appropriately dressed. Sound familiar? I bet most of you know at least one newlywed couple who has gone through this. You also find out you only had the DJ for 2 hours and he’s threatening to leave now if you don’t fork over another $200 because your wedding is running over. But wait a minute, didn’t he verbally promise you 11 months ago that you had him for 3 or 4 hours?

See how best to Avoid the Scam after the jump

How To Avoid The Scam: Your contract should specifically state who your wedding DJ will be, as well as any additional equipment you want, the number of hours they are hired for, any overtime fees, what food they are allowed to get and any special requests. We’ve heard of the DJ getting drunk at the open bar. It’s so important to get all these details in writing, because people make all sorts of empty promises which they will forget about in the 11 months until your wedding. You’ll have no legal recourse unless you get it in writing. As with the other wedding vendors, you should check out your wedding DJ in the Better Business Bureau and court judgments on the county records web site. You should also contact your DJ two weeks before your wedding to review what is expected. Go over the list of all names and pronunciations and first dance and parent dances, etc.

To see the light in action follow the jump to a youtube video of it…

Top 50 Bride and Groom First Dance Songs

Top 200 Party Songs

]]> http://digitalmemoriesdj.com/blog/2010/01/top-dj-music-requests-of-2009/feed/ 0 http://digitalmemoriesdj.com/blog/2010/01/virtual-dj-pro/ http://digitalmemoriesdj.com/blog/2010/01/virtual-dj-pro/#comments Mon, 04 Jan 2010 15:13:44 +0000 Ryan http://digitalmemoriesdj.com/blog/?p=316 Here are Digital Memories we like to stay current with the latest software available for DJ’ing. One of my personal favorites to use is Virtual DJ. I have had zero errors with this software both at home testing it out and live on location! When dealing with computers and software, this has to be one of the most important aspects! No one wants the music to stop or skip right in the middle of a show. Nothing ruins an evening like having to wait to reset a computer or the software. Virtual DJ also has the ability to playback video as well as audio, so we are set for future opportunities here at Digital Memories! Without a doubt, I would have to recommend this software!

You can check out a demo of the Virtual DJ software here.

For a list of more features check out more details after the jump!

• Twin independent zero-latency players with:
  • Standard controls (play, pause, stop, cue)
  • Volume control
  • Pitch control (from -34 to +34%)
  • 3 band equalizers with Kill + gain
• One-click beat matching and synchronisation (new FAME algorithm)
• BeatLock engine: your songs will always stay in time, and you can work your mixes incredibly faster than any other DJ could
• Automatic beat-matched crossfading
• On-the-fly automatic BPM calculation
• Automatic pitch matching
• Automatic level matching
• Automatic beat matching
• Dynamic beat visualizer for easy drag’n'drop beat-matching
• Real scratch simulation
• Virtual scratch: Scratch your mp3 with your bare hand
• Automatic beat-aware LOOP function
• Synchronised sampler with 12 instant slots
• Master Tempo pitch algorithm
• Automatic first beat and last beat detection
• Automatic 4/4 phase detection
• OSC network synchronisation
• Infinite number of beatlocked desks (local multi-instance or network)
• Infinite number of cue points saved per songs
• Beat-aware effect plugins (included: beatgrid, flippin, vocal remover, filter, flanger, backspin, brake, etc…)
• VST effects compatibility
• Video mix with TV output (mix songs and/or video clips !)
• Full karaoke support
• Proprietary of FreeFrame video effects
• Inifite number of video effect simultaneously
• DJ-adapted video transition plugins
• Song database engine with easy-to-use search feature
• CoverFlow or text-only song browsing
• Compatible with iTunes playlists
• ID3 compatibility
• Automatic filter folders
• Automatic Hot-Swap of external harddrives
• Ready-to-burn file recording to burn your own mixed CDs
• Broadcast on the Internet
• CD to MP3 encoder
• Optional 3D sound card, 2 sound cards or Y-splitter for real-time monitoring or external mixtable use
• ASIO soundcard compatibility
• Fully customisable (skin engine and shortcut macro enngine)
• External MIDI keyboard compatibility for shortcuts
• Compatibility with most external controllers (DMC2, DAC3, iCDX, TotalControl, BCD2000, DJConsole, etc…)
• Optional automatic mixing: Virtual DJ recognizes the style of the music (techno, hip hop, lounge) and adapt its mix in consequence

Some new technology is a little out there as far as usability in real live situations are concerned.

I’m not sure if the below is actually real, but I know the technology out there exists and this one day may be possible. I’m not sure if any professional DJ’s would actually use this, but it looks like it would be fun to try out.

Check it out below: