You have a big event coming up and now have one of the most important pieces of the puzzle solved — the music, because you’ve booked a top Toronto DJ. But to create a truly excellent musical experience, there needs to be alignment between the person who hired the DJ and the DJ herself.

For example, to get the music right, your DJ needs to know what kind of vibe you’re looking for — and you may want to get a better feel for the kinds of genres your DJ specializes in and a sense of what the performance will look like.

Getting these kinds of key musical details right requires some communication between event staff and DJ talent. Here are some good questions to ask.

What genres of music do you specialize in?

To be clear, this is a pretty important question to ask before the contracts are signed and the DJ booked for an event. But professional event DJs like the crew here at LUXELIFE are generally very good at being musically diverse and can flip between genres with ease. But to make sure you and your DJ are on the same page, talk to them about what kind of genres you think would work for your party and which ones they really know.

This conversion should also include giving your DJ some creative freedom so they can perform at their best and keep the crowd constantly happy and moving.

Have you worked with a corporate client before?

If you’re running a corporate party, it’s best to make sure you know your DJ knows the kind of guardrails such an event requires. Basically, a corporate party or marketing activation is not the club. The music should be clean (or as clean as you want it), and maybe more accessible to a wider audience.

For example, we’ve spun music for the launch of Shoppers Drug Mart Beauty Boutiques across Canada, which always has some families shopping the aisles, so it’s super important to understand what works and what doesn’t in such an environment. Booking a professional DJ for a corporate event can really convey the value of your brand and is an absolute must over a streaming playlist.

Do you have any mixes or samples of your sets as a point of reference?

This question builds off asking what kinds of music they specialize in (remember there are need-to-haves and nice-to-haves, no DJ is a master in every genre). Basically, you want to get an understanding not only of their technical chops, which is never a question when booking a pro, but also a sense of their skill at conveying mood or emotion and their level of music-mixing craft.

This is a key part of your research in finding a DJ (all good DJs will have samples) and in helping decide which genres work for your event and the DJ.

What your requirements for equipment and sound tech?

The only thing worse than having a DJ fail to show for their set is discovering the sound system isn’t working or there is a compatibility issue with the DJ gear. Never assume things will just work. This is why it’s mega-important to always establish who is responsible for what roles when it comes to sound tech. A lot of DJ services, including LUXELIFE, can provide the sound system, but other freelance DJs and DJ companies may expect you to have the equipment ready for them. We’re talking fundamental gear like the sound controller and turntables.

And even if your DJ is bringing this basic equipment to plug into your speakers, find out what their technical requirements are (or involve your sound tech in the conversation) so you don’t end up with compatibility issues the day of the party. While some may be a bit hesitant to rent professional sound gear for their event, it can make a huge difference and ensure your party goes off professionally without a hitch.

Hopefully these four questions help clarify the conversation you need to have with your DJ before your event. Whether you have four questions or forty, discussing your needs and getting on the same page with your DJ is an absolute must for event success.

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