About twelve years ago, I was practicing for one of the first trips I would make to DJ outside of North America. There were a few DJs who ran in the same circle, so I asked one of them for tips.
“Hey man, how is it that you can DJ here in the states, but also go overseas and get the same effect? It’s gotta be different right?”
Expecting a detailed answer that bordered on a tutorial, I instead received a single sentence.
It’s not what you play, it’s how you play it.
“Seriously? That’s it? That’s all you got for me?” I thought to myself.
What I didn’t know at that moment is I’d just been given a gem that I would think about for years to come.
I’ll never forget these words of advice. As it turns out, I would get the same advice from other DJs I looked up to throughout my career.
This saying is a great framework you can use to differentiate yourself as a DJ. In modern times, DJs have access to 90% of the same music in one way or another.
Especially true of the last few years — once laptops and digital music became a part of every DJ’s setup, the list of music we didn’t have in common got more narrow by the day.
Digital music and laptops really narrowed the gap between established DJs and those just starting out.
You see, “back in the day” you would have to physically visit the record store to get the newest songs. If the store only had 2 copies, and you were the third person there — well, you didn’t get to play that song at your club set. So having the first access to the actual music was a great way to get yourself ahead of your peers.
If you ever wanted to play older music, or find records that people sampled you had to go an exploration for records, what we called “digging’” Here’s what that’s like:
As you can see, it used to be quite a time investment to get actual vinyl that you wanted to play. It was also hella expensive!
But now, we can all source our music from the same 4-5 websites, which effectively levels the playing field in terms of access to music. Plus, the time to get the music has drastically shortened. And if you really want to shortcut it, you can just buy or copy another DJs hard drive.
Perhaps the only thing that got longer is the time to organize because digital hoarding is a real thing. Side note: Whoever becomes the Marie Kondo of digital organization is up for a big income stream.
So, if what tracks we have access to is the same, and often what genres we’re playing are also largely the same, what separates one DJ from another?
What makes a DJ standout is how they play it and how they’re doing it differently.
So now it’s even more important to differentiate yourself with the way you put the music together, the way you talked to the crowd, and the journey you took them on.
Take Four Color Zack for example. He didn’t invent it, but he popularized a style of transitions called Tone Play which he used win a world title in the Red Bull Thre3style DJ competitions. In this transition style, the DJ breaks down specific notes of the song, rearranges them, and turns them into the next song. This is opposite of the way most DJ sets work, where you try to smoothly blend one song to the next.
Sounds crazy, right? Check it out:
Check out some more of his videos and sets, he gets more advanced and modern with it. This recent live stream is a great example (NSFW!). He travels the world doing this stuff because he’s different and found a way to set him self apart through content.
Isn’t this supposed to relate to marketing somehow dude?
Yeah, ok you’re right. So, here we go!
Like I said, DJs find a way to set themselves apart via content.
The same is true of marketing–especially through the lens of marketing on the internet and social media (we’ll call this digital marketing from now on).
If you think about it, we all have access to the same library of tools and apps. We all have the ability to use websites, various social media apps, email newsletters, chatbots, and the list can go on and on.
And so, perhaps even more importantly in marketing — it’s not the tools you’re using, it’s how you use them. It’s the way you create videos. It’s the way you’re more consistent in your posting schedule. Not only that, but it’s the way you’re up on trends before anyone else.
Most importantly, it’s the story you weave together across all the platforms and channels that makes you stand out from the crowd.
In modern times the cohesive story is what makes people choose your brand over another. And no, I’m not simply talking about shooting a commercial or other content with puppies of anything like that. I’m talking about story as an experience.
If you can give someone a different experience than a competitor, it’s one of the single best ways to win customers. In 2021 and beyond, creativity and the experience you provide are the ultimate differentiator.
Put simply: Whoever is more consistently creative is the big winner at the end of it all. This creativity can come about in many ways. It can come from the video you shoot, the tweets you send, the newsletter you publish, and even the way you write on your website (often referred to as positioning).
In a world predicated on sameness, it’s time to be different.
So, what are you doing in your life or career? How are you going to play your music differently?
The music for this chapter is dedicated to The Neptunes. They were one of the first hip-hop artists that made it ok to be a little different - both in terms of fashion and musical style.
Bridging the gap between skateboarding and music was really ahead of it’s time when The Neptunes first launched.
Enjoy: