Thanks to tremendous advances in MP3 and sound technology, more DJs can afford to work with higher quality equipment at an affordable price.  While this may be beneficial to wedding coordinators, modern wedding DJs must struggle with increased competition and seek out new and better ways to secure more gigs.  Therefore, modern wedding DJs would do well to consider some of the following most in demand skills and incorporate them into their own performances.

One incredibly important skill that has consistently been in demand for decades and remains one of the most highly regarded skills today is the ability to read and engage an audience of mixed generations.  Developed almost entirely through experience, DJs can hone this skill by regularly participating in social activities that appeal to all age groups, such as outdoor concerts, sporting events, community theater performances, church picnics, local fairs and carnivals, etc and taking the opportunity to actively engage those in attendance, especially the folks who were born decades before or after them.  The better a DJ can relate to their crowd, the easier it will be for them to put their audience at ease and encourage them to dance and participate in other wedding reception activities.

Families are blending and cultures are mixing more and more each year as evidenced by the consistent rise in intercultural, interracial and interfaith marriages.  For the wedding industry, this means an increase in demand for DJs who not only speak more than one language, but understand different cultural and religious customs and know how to address, respect and celebrate those differences when they perform.  DJs who possess this ability can effectively communicate with a wider, more varied audience and brides and grooms feel better knowing they won’t have to worry about providing an entertainer that might alienate or offend their guests.  Even if a DJ speaks only one language, he or she would benefit from the increase in work opportunities that come from studying up on religious ceremonies and cultural customs they may have little or no prior knowledge of.

Another highly revered skill of the modern wedding DJ is their ability to juggle multiple responsibilities and deal with unexpected setbacks and conflicts calmly as they arise.  For most wedding DJs, they’re not just up there spinning music, they’re controlling the lighting, introducing guests, announcing the first dance, the throwing of the bouquet and other activities, narrating slide-show presentations, politely chatting with guests and taking song requests all while doing everything they can to ensure the sound quality is at it’s sharpest, plenty of folks are dancing and everyone is having a good time.  All the best DJs know that anything can go wrong at any moment, which is why they come prepared with backup equipment pre-staged for easy, no fuss transition and they’re always ready to offer a polite declination when they know they will not be able to play a guest’s song request.

Adopting the skills mentioned above will give a wedding DJ a leg up on the competition and ensure their business is profitable for many years to come.