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That’s gold!
I’ve thought about this! Could certainly be fun to DJ on two OT’s
since 1992. it’s fun but (since I’ve only ever spun vinyl) also nervewracking. in general it’s a good skill for producers to have (imo) if only to learn how tracks are actually used on the floor in a set.
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I’m 48 and I do, hell yeah! No one’s gonna tell me I’m too old to party, not even me, fuck that.
(I’m a bit self conscious about the age and being seen as a creep so I keep my distance and just enjoy a dance party in my own little bubble.)
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back in the late 90s i learned how to DJ – and … instantly realized that i’m not interested in playing someone else’s music for the crowd.
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24 years now. These days I play every now and then. I don’t have CDJs and my tables are in storage, but every time I do play out I really enjoy it. Actually I began enjoying it the more the years went on. Part of it was that I’ve got better and better as the years went on, but also because by always being in the mix I was able to relax and get my mind off of any troubles or worries I may have been experiencing and just vibe out (as the kids say). Still love doing it and getting asked to play is usually the only time I get out of the comfort of my house and to ze clubs.
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I love DJing and I’m glad I put the energy into learning it when I was younger. I wouldn’t call it a waste of time to learn a new skill and meet people that are into the same music as you.
Are you going out to any parties? There’s a zillion in NYC and if you’re into techno/dub/ambient, im sure there are parties and people that are of a like-mind(yes, even married people in their 40s). I think making friends who are into The Culture(lol) would make the learning process feel more natural and less like “gee willickers I better do this to gain SoundCloud followers”
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This
and this
is for me a real thing.
I’m been making music and DJing for close to three decades now, but, perhaps like many here, as a hobby, intermittently, without much public output. I’d say it’s just a huge part of my life and identity and I couldn’t imagine not doing it.
The DJing part though has always been driven by needing to share good finds with others. You discover something that resonates with you musically or personally, and you just have to share it with your peers or someone else you think might appreciate it.
If you don’t feel the need to share other people’s music with other people - and there can be many reasons to this, every one personal, valid and probably more reasonable than the opposite - then I don’t see much reason to start.
Given the time it takes to find new music that resonates with you, to play out, it can easily become a chore. Same with actually finding gigs to play. It’s hard work, and you have to be your own promoter and manager just to get to play for free, sometimes with restrictions to what kind of music, or how load (bass) they can accommodate for their neighbours.
But if you do enjoy it, give it a try. And perhaps just play for friends at home, see if you like that.
As for whether your city needs another DJ?
No, but any city always has a need for more people who curates new work, showcases interesting juxtapositions, or open people’s ears to sounds from the periphery.
I’d love to hear what you have to play 
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If performing in front of real people is off putting, don’t sleep on the idea of doing something on radio / internet radio - either live or pre-recorded.
In my city (Leeds, UK) there’s a place called Chapel FM which is a community radio station and arts center. Nothing religious - it’s just cos they’re based in an old Chapel building. They do internet radio broadcasts of all kinds and have very inclusive attitude for content and demographics. Maybe you have something similar near you that might be a nice way to ease into DJ performances that isn’t such high pressure as 10pm in a packed club with an expectant crowd in your face!
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I DJed a few times when I was still into hiphop, but for me it wasn’t even remotely as fun or exciting as performing live. I guess if I took the time to become a proper scratch DJ, it would be much cooler, but I just preferred to “choke the mic” at that time 
And now I prefer knobs, pads, keys, sequencers…
If I was doing this professionally, I would probably have to DJ at least sometimes. Electronic music, especially psytrance scene just is like that. Not to mention the trouble of lugging the whole live setup around on planes etc…
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I think ideally wanting to DJ should come from a place of loving music and wanting to share it with people, rather than looking to gain exposure. Although this can be an added bonus if you find you have the passion and skills for it.
Everyone and their nan are djs now, very different to how it was even 10 years ago and feel a lot of people get into it for the wrong reasons… so many YouTube vids on ‘how to make it as a dj’ with tips like ‘start listening to music’ and ‘go to clubs to do some networking’ 
Not saying this is where you’re coming from at all just highlighting it’s a crowded space with some dubious motivations.
Also if you’re questioning your own motivation it probably isn’t for you and maybe focusing on your own music and building your confidence to perform live might be the route to go down.
Saying that I’ve been DJing for 20+ years and love it and would encourage anyone with a passion for music to at least try it. Have you got any friends who have turntables/cdjs etc you could have a go on?
Have only started making music recently but feel it’s been massively helpful to have experience playing records in terms of structure, mood and detail, so playing other peoples music could give you real insight on your own. Also producing my own music has started to influence how I might DJ in terms of selection and flow so has been interesting to discover how they inform each other!
Also if you got into buying vinyl (dangerous road and one I now need a whole spare room for) you live in a great city for digging. Check out The Thing in Greenpoint, thrift store with a massive basement full of $1 records. It’s an experience, albeit a pretty overwhelming one 
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If you’re, “ having trouble finding the proper motivation to get in to it”, don’t waste your time. There’s already more than enough people that are 100% dedicated to the craft. Save that time, energy, and money for your own productions and enjoy the fantastic DJ’s that are working the decks in your wonderful city.
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I do it for exactly the same reasons, A/B is / feels different doing it here, maybe more feel, less analytic, but in my opiniln the feel is a lot more important than the analytic part, we often forget this when working on details.
This is a really good point. I used to run parties and the amount of times I’d see other promoters book people off the back of having one or two hype tunes when they weren’t even djs. They’d turn up, play really bad sets, take the money and run… Paying £1k+ for someone to learn to DJ at your party is bonkers.
I get why they’d take the gigs, no money to be made from record sales really so you had to DJ (or play live) to make a living. Should be getting to a decent level before taking the gig though, and really it’s the agents and promoters fault for even creating an opportunity for it to happen.
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Today was the first time I checked out my SP404 II DJ function. I like it. Would love to try it on a PA system. Found a folder on my disk drive with vinyl rips of some classics in flac. SP App eat them so yeah lets party! 
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Just get a cheap USB controller and download free dj software and try it out
You can spend serious time and money AFTER you know if you’re into it.
I started mixing vinyl during COVID and now the setup had grown.
I quite enjoy DJing. Of course I never did it in public. Mostly for friends or myself.
It’s also a great way to actually listen to a lot of music.
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Totally, because, unless you are an insufferable nerd, the rest of the world doesn’t go, “oh shit, that’s the right combination of vintage compressor and EQ sprinkled with saturation that I like to dance to, damn listen that OTT!”
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Mostly active in DJing via ad-hoc mix submissions over the past two decades. I had regular club and radio station gigs in the very early 90’s. But, got bored with the scene in the late 90’s and the time commitment was interfering with music contractual commitments outside of Techno and House.
I was planning to do a few DJ club dates this year with friends still active in the Techno and House scenes, but backed out due to limited free time and a growing lack of interest. Overall, I decided to completely retire from Techno and House, music production and DJing, for the umpteenth time this Summer. My turntable setup was disassemble last week.
Based on history, I might return to DJing in the future, but highly unlikely. Just too busy with other projects.
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I really miss vinyl. To me, vinyl DJing was akin to playing an instrument. There was a tactile, manual element to it and you could appreciate the craft while watching and listening. Now it seems like mostly automated button pushing and even things like if tracks are playing in key is less about skill and more about following the machine’s directions. Perfect example of something that will mostly be replaced by AI one day because people took the craft out of the thing to “democratize” it.
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