Forget technical skills. Yes they can make you stand out, define your identity as DJ and make things interesting for your crowd BUT those complex 4 deck transitions, scratch techniques and hammering away on the cue buttons, using them like a drum kit aren’t really worth anything if you don’t have a crowd in front of you in the first place!

This is why reading a crowd is the number 1 skill every DJ needs above everything else.

If you play the wrong song at the wrong moment and end up clearing your dance floor, no amount of technical skill is going to save you. Plus the reality is that 95% of your crowd don’t really care about technical skills- the only people that are really impressed by them are other DJ’s and enthusiasts.

The rest of your crowd…..well they are there to let their hair down and dance the night away and don’t really understand what is going on in that DJ booth.

This is not knocking creativity, or saying you shouldn’t practice technical DJ skills. This is just reality and why you should prioritise your ability to pick the right song for the right moment rather than just how technical those transitions can be.

But how do you read a crowd? Here are some top tips…

Think of your dance floor as a person initially……

I know this sounds weird, but thinking of a dance floor like it’s a person first can help you to answer some key questions. Does it have much energy? Is it in a good mood? Has it had a lot to drink? Is it here to look good or to get stuck in and get sweaty? I

If you can work out the answers to these questions, you’ll start to work out how to take the dance floor in the direction which you want.

Now break the floor down and spot the personalities

Party People

There are a lot of pretty average people on a dance floor however within the masses there will be some real party starters.

These are the people with great energy- the people up on the floor first, the group of girls on a big night out, the chap that seems to know every one of your tracks.

Basically these people are positive contributors to your floor and if you look after these people they will help to bring the energy to others around them.

Party Poopers

As well as your party starters you will also have your party poopers….we’ve all seen them. The people that stand at the front staring at you like you are about to perform a circus trick, the guys that are ‘too cool’ to dance and the people that are hanging about on their phones.

These people detract energy from the floor and so you have 2 options- try and make them dance or make sure everyone else around them is having that good of a time so they feel a bit awkward and move off to the bar!

Your mission

As the DJ, you need to learn enough about the people in front of you so that you pick out the records they will really like. So always be observing that crowd and not head down just looking at the decks and try and pick out the personalities and answer the questions above to yourself to help! There are also some other important clues to help you below……

Clues to help you with reading the crowd;

This list isn’t a sure thing but it can certainly help…..

Consider the location you are DJing in for example some towns/ cities/ countries are known for certain styles of music.
What has worked there previously? (speak to bar staff, management, door staff if its a new venue)
What are people wearing? (are they dressed up smartly or do they look like they are ready to rave)
How old are they? (this is not meant to be ageist- but yes age can matter)

Once you start playing…..

Finally once you start playing music, experiment with different records to find out more. Try a range of records- do they react well to faster or slower styles of music, vocal or non-vocal, big hands in the air moments or something more groovy. Watch and see how the crowd reacts and respond accordingly.

But I don’t have a DJ gig yet!

That is absolutely fine- the great thing about reading a crowd is that you don’t actually HAVE to be DJing. As a DJ, you should have an interest in nightlife and seeing other DJ’s play, so now you have read this article, you can keep this information in mind and apply the next time you are out - observe what tracks the DJ is playing, how the crowd reacts and where the night goes!

The Number 1 Skill Every DJ Needs…