Why talent still matters more than likes for DJs

In a world dominated by the influence of social media, there have been some unfortunate side effects. Until recently, DJs were booked on merit, talent and, to some extent, their popularity.

Though DJs having a buzz around their name has always played a partial role in bookings, in today’s market it can often be the main driver behind getting gigs. Today, the amount of likes or social media followers a DJ has seems to have eclipsed talent. Here’s why musical talent will always be more important than likes…

A LOT OF LIKES ARE FAKE

Unfortunately, a lot of artists have fallen into the toxic cycle of placing too much importance on likes and followers. Some of them buy fake likes and followers as part of a marketing ploy to make themselves look more popular than they are.

SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT DOESN’T EQUATE TO TALENT

Just because an artist has over a million followers, it doesn’t mean that they have any talent. It simply means that they have acquired a lot of fans. This could be due to clever marketing, a viral post, or buying likes and followers. Not necessarily because they’re good at what they do.

DJING IS NOT A POPULARITY CONTEST

The whole social media game has turned DJing into a popularity contest, where those who are best at marketing and branding get the most attention. This skews the culture, perpetuating and glamourising a more superficial version of raving.

DATA METRICS WON’T FILL A CLUB

Promoters who book DJs based on how many followers they have need a reality check. If someone has 10,000 followers, how can anyone be sure that even 5% of those followers will turn up to an event they’re playing? Especially if the majority of that following is from a specific locality.