So this raises a very important question that many beginner DJs have: what music should I DJ?

I can’t make that decision for you but I will give you a few helpful tips and suggestions to help find which music is best for you.

Play What You Love

First and foremost, you should DJ the music you love. You know, the music you can’t live without, the tracks that play through your speakers day in and day out.

If you aren’t DJing the music you love, you’re probably going after the money – this is the wrong way to do it. DJing is part love of the music and dedication to give people a good time.

When you play music you don’t love, you won’t have the heart to continue with it. Night and day, you’ll be stuck listening to music you don’t really care for just because you’re comfortable with a residency at a club.

It’s important to play music for your fans and the party-goers but when you truly love the music you DJ, you’ll be able to explore deeper into the musical genre to pull those gems that people will go crazy for.

A great DJ will choose to play music which will inspire them – something you can’t find when you don’t love it.

Playing What’s Available

Some DJs are restricted by the area they are stuck in. If you are in a part of the country that has a high following for Drum and Bass, you’ll probably have a tough time breaking onto the scene by playing Italo Disco.

Likewise, you’ll have a hard time breaking through this barrier because many local shops won’t be carrying the music you want to play for people.

There really isn’t an excuse to be limited by your physical location. With so many shops available online to buy music, you can literally find every genre by thousands of producers.

If you’re really having a hard time getting into the local mix, perhaps it’s time you move from your area and find greener destinations. Follow what you love, that’s the music you should DJ.

Start With Something Familiar Or Easy

When we rush into DJing, the first thing we do is start playing the tracks we are familiar with. The only problem with this approach is that it’s hard to get a good feel for beatmatching when we practice on obscure genres that you and your friend listens to.

This is why many people recommend starting off by practicing with House and other simpler forms of Electronic Music. These simple tracks give you a thorough understanding of breaking up a beat, beatmatching it and spinning you first mix.

When you ask what music I should DJ, you should remember that you need to start somewhere. You always have time to move onto the genres of music that are more difficult to mix.

Mix What You’ve Got

Another point to note is that you should really be using your money to invest in great gear, not dropping a load of money on music right away. Music can come at a later point but getting your first DJ setup up and running is essential.

Most of us already have a very extensive collection of music on our hard drives or sitting around in our crates. Save that $50 you want to run out and drop on a fat stack of vinyl towards a decent pair of headphones, practice with what you have for now so you can see what type of music you want to DJ.

Once you feel out the music you enjoy mixing the most, then go out and start grabbing up those hot and obscure tracks.

What Type Of DJ Do You Want To Be?

This is another important question to ask yourself. If you are planning to be a mobile or wedding DJ, you may be stuck playing Top 40 hits – it’s what people are expecting and know.

Dropping that dark electro track during a wedding will probably get you a lot of blank stares. If you know what type of DJ you plan to be you can start to figure out what music you’ll DJ.

Build your collection to what will help you support your DJ career. If you’re a wedding DJ, stick to buying the Top 40 tracks people will request – not dropping it on that rare white label wax you’ve been eyeballing for the last month.

Just Feel It Out

A lot of beginner DJs jump right into mixing with their favorite genres or ones people suggest to practice mixing and beatmatching. This is fine, as noted in the example above but over time you’ll find that even your favorite genre may not be your favorite to mix.

Even though you may really enjoy listening to Psytrance, you may find that mixing Minimal is more enjoyable and gives you more freedom as a DJ. When you decide which music you want to DJ, pick one that is going to push your skills but also give you enough wiggle room to play around and wow people.

If you can practice and learn to mix with many differnet genres, you’ll become a very versitile DJ that can play at a variety of venues. You no longer have to debate which type of music you want to DJ, you’ll just get up on the decks and start mixing whatever’s coming at you.