St. Louis, Mo. – For any veteran of the DJ game who’s serious about the industry, it’s always a relief…
All business owners have challenges, but DJ-business owners have unique ones: You’re part-business owner, part-entertainer, which means a lot of…
By Jordan St Jacques George Costanza from TV’s “Seinfeld” said it best: “Why must there always be a problem?” He…
Atlantic City, N.J. — Now in its 30th year, DJ Expo showed its time-tested experience by delivering another winning trade…
Roxbury, N.J. – At the 2018 DJ Expo in Atlantic City, Artem Lomaz won the “Entertainer of the Year” prize…
I’m going to make a confession here right from the start: As a longtime DJ, I’ve become fanatical about hearing…
At DJ Expo, Nick Spinelli from SCE Event Group and Rachel Lynch of DJ Rachel Entertainment will co-host “The Art…
By Con Carney From August 12-15 at Harrah’s Resort in Atlantic City, N.J., the DJ Expo is poised to once…
By Jerry Bazata Our economy has been in a growth mode for the past 11 years with the bull markets…
Manalapan, N.J. – Jordan Marshall has been entertaining for 15 years – he started as a dance motivator for bar/bat…
Dave Stephenson has been a DJ for over 30 years. In addition to running his DJ company, A Time for…
Most people believe that being a “mobile DJ” or “entertainer” is all about creating a particular atmosphere for the couple…
By Jerry Bazata Each year thousands of entrepreneurs take the leap of faith. You did, remember? Dropping the full-time employment…
By Mark Battersby Is your DJ business designated as an S corporation, partnership or sole proprietorship — aka a “pass-through?”…
It was a sunny afternoon in July of 2014 when a motorcycle in Marion, Ky., hit a patch of gravel…
By Leon Mendoza At last year’s DJ Expo at Harrah’s in Atlantic City, N.J., DJ Rob Peters presented “10 Things…
The best DJ is not always the one who mixes the best or has the most gear, but, rather, the…
Anyone who uses technology a great amount these days is very likely availing themselves of a concept that has become…
With 150 party animals packing the floor of the Andorra Banquets and Catering venue, DJ Paul Segal found himself with a perfect…
Running a DJ business in 1988 seems light years from running a one today — like the difference between the…
Hackensack, N.J. — Remember The Hustle? Jeffrey Craig Siber does. That was back in 1974 when he started his DJing…
Hard to believe DJ Times has been publishing for 30 years — since the last year of Ronald Reagan’s presidential…
Ithaca, N.Y. — Mike Melice’s DJ career started at the blackjack table, when he was just out of college and…
At DJ Expo, DJ Mick Uranko of Uranko Productions in Pottsville, Pa., led a seminar (“Tech Innovations for Mobiles”) that…
When a guest at a corporate party once asked Michigan mobile DJ Corey Rusch to play Eminem’s explicit song “Chloraseptic,”…
By Jennifer Harmon Long before I became introduced to online DJ courses, my original interest in DJing began nearly two…
In the Bay Area of San Francisco, it seems like summer all year long. According to Mark Haggerty, the director…
After being hired to work a wedding reception for one of his wife’s co-workers, Indiana mobile jock Chad Hough was…
OK, wedding jocks… get the picture: One of the bridesmaids at the reception was refusing to walk in with her…
Whether you’re a single- or multi-system mobile-DJ operator, you can gain a lot of insight from job interviews — if…
There are DJ gigs and then there are DJ gigs. As many of us know, playing a New Year’s Eve…
When Lisa Capitanelli-Kasberg auditioned for a mitzvah-MC position in Los Angeles in 1990, little did she know that she would…
Syracuse, N.Y. — Cindy Ormond possesses the most unlikely DJ-origin story we’ve yet heard. She calls it a “right place…
The most recent DJ Expo—presented by DJ Times in Atlantic City, N.J. this past Aug. 14-17—was another triumph for education,…
Allentown, Pa.—Adam Skuba is that rare fellow who went to college for TV-and-radio production only to find it completely and…
When we asked mobile DJs across the country about using drones, some cited reasons why they don’t use these flying…
Each August, DJs and company owners congregate in the seminar halls of the DJ Expo to learn about the latest…
By Chadwick Harrington New Jersey-based mobile Artem Lomaz has a background in marketing and advertising. In his career, he’s had…
The cruise line industry and the DJ business are cousins — if not siblings. Both have two key components: selling…
By being aware of the needs and perspectives of wedding photographers, Missouri-based mobile Cole Coleman no longer uses high-end lighting…
Clifton Park, N.Y. — Like most DJs, Caroline Kurkowski grew up with music; it was a huge part of her…
New York City — It was while playing keyboards in a seven-piece disco cover band out of high school —…
By Sal Hyams Running a business is less art and more science, but running a successful one does require a…
At the top of his DJ wish list, John “DJ Gallifrey” Horne in Huntington, Pa., says he’d forever banish audience…
By Moses Taylor It’s really simple: Get on a preferred-vendor list at a venue and you’ll see an increase in…
Pottsville, Pa. – Mick Uranko’s DJing experience is unlike many. When he’s not spinning—and he spins Serato DJ control vinyl…
First off, I want to thank all those that attended my “Advanced Mixing Seminar” at the 2016 DJ Expo in…
It’s graduation time again… meaning plenty of ceremonies and parties on tap for mobile entertainers to play. So we decided…
Marshall, Minn. — Ask Rob Anderson about his first time and he’ll tell you he was fairly young—14, to be…
In being careful to remain relevant and appealing to younger generations, mobile jock Kevin Porter in Rock Hill, S.C., says…
Mick Uranko is the owner of Uranko Productions, a mobile-entertainment company in Pottsville, Pa. At the upcoming DJ Expo this…
San Diego—Jason Tokita is one those guys who wants to inhale life. That’s why he’s a touring nightclub DJ who…
It’s every mobile DJ’s nightmare, but suddenly Mike Mahoney realized he was not dreaming. The father of a bride for…
Each year, thousands of entrepreneurs take the leap of faith. You did, remember? Dropping the full-time employment and beginning your…
Staten Island, N.Y. — Like many in the New York metropolitan area, Mike Kazis’ path to the DJ profession ran…
Last August, Mark Haggerty had a groom from hell. “What made him a Groomzilla is that he wanted all the…
In the service economy, customer service is usually the difference-maker—repeat bookings for DJ companies just don’t happen by themselves. If…
Easton, Md. – For multi-op DJ owners, it’s always a challenge keeping a stock of talented entertainers. They either venture…
Here are some tips from business owners — both iconic and otherwise — to provide some inspiration for the coming…
Belleville, N.J. – In the beginning of his DJ career 17 years ago, Jack Bermeo considered himself just a nightlife/club…
For Matt Majikas of World Record DJs in Fitschburg, Mass., using Instagram is not about getting gigs at all—at least…
Donald Trump’s election-day victory initially cast the stock market into a tailspin. In the days since, it’s bounced—even roared—back. Why…
Sioux Falls, S.D. — Good thing Chris Hintz’s high-school principal knew he loved music. Otherwise, Hintz might have another career.…
The DJ career of Dean Goninen began when he was in high school, before he had a driver’s license. “Thankfully,”…
Mixtapes. DJs. Mixtapes and DJs go together like peanut butter and jelly. The mixtape is a DJ’s calling card, a…
At the DJ Expo in Atlantic City this past August, dozens of seminars designed to educate and inspire attendees did…
Stroudsburg, Pa. — The last time we spoke to John Donovan, nearly five years ago, he was navigating his way…
We asked several mobile jocks throughout the country about the best DJ gig for which they ever performed. Not necessarily…
It wasn’t long ago that I used to dread my monthly bill from the iTunes store. The production company I…
New Bern, N.C. — Like so many DJs, for Fox Feltman, it all began in a skating rink when he…
This year’s DJ Expo, held Aug. 15-18 at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, N.J., once again featured useful…
Mike Alevras of the DJ Solution has been producing trivia nights for years. The Hopewell Junction, N.Y.-based jock has found…
Philadelphia — As a child, Michelle Lee (aka DeeJay Shelly) always had music around her. She grew up listening to…
Small business owners, like mobile entertainers, are faced with a new and complex challenge in targeting and communicating with new…
Phoenix, Ariz. – Rani Gharfeh says he was 10-years old when it first happened. He wouldn’t call it “actual” DJing—but…
K.C. Kokoruz says his entire career has been based on networking. In fact, he’s become so well-connected in his Chicago…
Brian Buonassissi, managing partner at B-Boy Productions, has been in the mobile business long enough to have an opinion on…
Five Decades in Business: (from left) Dean, Casey & Corey Rusch. Freeland, Mich. – The way Corey Rusch tells it,…
No matter the season, the party never stops in Chi-Town. While many mobile DJs find their businesses handling typical high-end…
In today’s digital age of click-and-drag, many believe that American copyright law is outdated and, according to David Gunkel, a…
For all the talk of businesses increasingly generating customers online, as opposed to the old outbound methods, it’s tough to…
Hopewell Junction, N.Y. – Mike Alevras started working as a mobile entertainer in the Hudson Valley of New York in…
When a bride named Susan called DJ Shani Barnett in Northbrook, Ill., this past March to book entertainment for her…
We all want to be fun, different and unique entertainers. But what if you heard of one DJ who applied…
Anaheim, Calif.—After 10 years DJing at a club—Lechuga’s Hacienda, back in the day when DJs had their own parking spots—and…
Most DJ businesses create brand awareness in a number of ways: social media, sponsorships, a logo on their van, and…
Madison, Wis. – Travis Seibert was never shy about getting a party started. That’s what Mark Miller, the owner of…
I want to talk about mixing… as in the DJ kind of mixing. Beatmixing. As a longtime DJ myself, I…
Lisa Kasberg of I’m a Girl DJ Entertainment in Fullerton, Calif., and a former Female Entertainer of the Year, has…
There’s an old saying: Average people learn from their mistakes, but smart people learn from other people’s mistakes. Many DJ business…
Waterloo, Wis.—To get to the beginning of Scott Quimby’s DJ journey, one has to go back to the summer of…
In 1935, American radio commentator Walter Winchell coined the term “Disc Jockey.” It would later be shortened to the more…
Maybe you’re generating most of your DJ gigs through referrals. Or perhaps you’re generating many of them through bridal shows…
Alexxus: Mike Lenstra ditched the full-time job in ’08. Dubuque, Iowa—In 1992, Mike Lenstra and his wife were expecting their…
When he and his wife tied the knot in 1994, Erik Kent, publisher of NJWedding.com, and his bride had a DJ who…
For the DJ industry, Facebook and Twitter are the preferred social media channels—at least until someone figures out that brides…
Milwaukee – They always say you can’t put a price on your good health. But Brian Redd has a better…
In last month’s issue, Part II of my annual Expo Wrap-Up included tips on how to be a great performer…
Cranford, N.J.—John DePalma’s story, like so many DJs, starts “in the neighborhood.” He connected with a local DJ who was…
Chuck Yeager was DJing once at a Pennsylvania country club, and when this owner of Collegeville-based A&E Mobile Entertainment went…