When it comes to live musical entertainment for your corporate event, private party or wedding, the big question you need to answer early on is this: Do I hire a band or book a DJ?

Like a lot of things around live entertainment at events, this question is being reconsidered as trends and expectations of event music shifts. While before the default answer always involved bringing in a band, a lot of events — and their audience — are more often hiring and enjoying a professional DJ instead.

While a DJ isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution, there are a lot of reasons why a live Toronto event DJ is increasingly the go-to option, and is at the very least something you should consider before making your final call on who will create the music and good musical vibes at your event.

No genre restrictions with a DJ’s expansive song catalogue

The musical catalogue you can tap into with a DJ is as deep as you want it to be (and absolutely should be planned out with your DJ well in advance of your event date). Their selection can span any genre you want, so long as your DJ is comfortable spinning the genre, meaning you can have a range of music styles that change throughout the night. And if you have specific songs you want to hear, a DJ can work it into the mix without running off to grab sheet music.

Some of the biggest benefits of this flexibility is your DJ can adapt the music to what the crowd is responding to, and play different genres at appropriate times throughout the event’s duration. While a live band will bring a certain live-performance electricity, the one thing they can’t do is play across more than a handful of genres. This might not be a huge concern if your event is tied to only a few types of music, but to truly give your event the musical creative freedom to respond to the crowd and create the desired experience, a DJ is a must.

Adapt to any room size

A big part of planning your event revolves around the physical event space itself: What fits where? The same question applies to the musical talent. A live DJ is like a Swiss army-knife of live entertainment: they are highly flexible to the problem you are trying to solve. In the case of a room layout, this means the DJ’s space profile is very compact — they need a table and speakers (or to be plugged into the PA system) and nothing else. This translates into one less thing for you to think about.

A live band, however, will require a proper stage or at least a larger floor footprint. If your room is huge, this might not be a problem; but if your event is in a smaller space — this is especially true with weddings and corporate events like in-store brand activations — every square foot counts, and packing in a live band with three or more musicians and their instruments and related gear really adds up.

DJs appeal to younger audiences

You might not be aware of it, but a certain culture shift has been happening with how DJs are perceived. Whereas years ago there was a relative lack of respect or excitement at the prospect of getting your event music from a DJ, with live-band musicians carrying more esteem, this is no longer the case, especially with a younger audience. The truth is that, in popular music, DJs now have the same status as singers and bands, cracking the Top 40 charts and filling stadiums for DJ concert tours, and we can all name a few global artists whose names begin with the letters D and J.

The same shift has occurred in the event world, as younger demographics now view DJs on the same musical level as bands. What this means for your event is that the level of energy and audience engagement with a DJ will be no different than a stage of instrument-playing musicians, and this is ESPECIALLY true if your event skews younger. Live event DJs will engage with the crowd more than yesteryear, giving your event a huge amount of personality and good musical vibes.

Cost

If your event is looking to stay within a firm budget, a live event DJ is your best bet. Booking a band will require paying for multiple musicians, and this can easily reach the four- or even five-figure mark. Wedding bands in particular can end up as a substantial line item in your overall event bill. Going with a DJ, especially a Toronto wedding DJ, on the other hand, requires hiring just one talented and professional entertainer, who delivers a fantastic musical experience without the full-band premium.

Not sure if your event is ready for a live DJ? We can answer your questions on event music and make sure you find the right solution to give your event the perfect musical vibe. As Toronto’s top boutique DJ agency, we know what your event needs and have the experience to see it through to success, so contact us today with your questions or to get a DJ quote.