So you’ve decided to take your love of music on the road so other people can have a great time at parties and other events. What a great idea. No wedding, birthday, quinceañera, or graduation party is complete without the mobile DJ.
DJ Music FAQ
Before you start, there are a few things you should know. Maybe you’re just thinking about becoming a mobile DJ and you have a ton of questions about DJ music. Don’t worry—we’ve got you covered.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do DJs Have to Buy Their Own Music?
Absolutely. It’s a common misconception that anyone can take on DJ responsibilities at a party as long as they have a phone with an internet connection and a cable that hooks up to some speakers. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. 
Professional mobile DJs are familiar with copyright law. They know that to operate legally, they have to purchase all the songs, albums, or samples they intend to use in their sets.
This means that before you start as a mobile DJ, you’ll have to build up your library—and this isn’t as difficult as you might think.
Nobody’s saying you have to go somewhere like iTunes and pay top dollar for individual tracks or albums. That could quickly eat into your DJ business budget.
Instead, what many DJs do is bulk-buy records, CDs, or even cassettes, and then digitize these tracks with a converter.
Second-hand stores, flea markets, auctions (both in real life and online), and garage sales are good places to pick up bulk music for minimal cost. There are also sure to be plenty of friends and family who are happy to offload their collection onto you, especially if they’ve gone digital.
That way, the music you own has been paid for, but you’re not lugging around whole boxes of LPs or CDs.
If you’re careful about how you source your music and pace yourself building up your library, you’ll soon make back the cost of the initial outlay. Factor the purchase of newer music into the cost of your set. People don’t mind paying for high-quality things, and that’s you and your DJ service.
You May Still Need a Separate License
Once you have your music library digitized, organized, and ready to go, double-check the licensing laws of your country. Some countries require you to have a license to do things with the music you own that are specific to DJing.
For example, you might have created the perfect mix using one or more tracks, and you love to use it as part of your set. You might own both pieces of music for personal use, but when using these tracks to play to a crowd, you might need a license. Just to be sure, check the laws in your area. In the US, you don’t need to worry about it.
How Many Songs Should a DJ Have?
When starting out, you should have 100 songs ready for your first wedding. These 100 should be songs you’re actually going to play. Don’t download songs just to have a bunch of songs. 
Every wedding DJ wants to have as many songs as they can imagine in their repertoire.
As discussed, it’s not cheap to get started as a mobile DJ, especially if you’re building your library. But the bigger your collection, the more you’ll stand out from competitors.
Sure, you might have the entire Justin Bieber collection, but the family thinking about booking a DJ for their granny’s 80th birthday will remember that you carry her favorite tunes from years past too. There’s no better mobile DJ than one who knows their music.
So you don’t just want to collect; you want to understand what you’re collecting. There are limits, of course, but the best DJs know their stuff.
It also means keeping up to date with the latest music. Even though you might love the old stuff, the kids will want the most current tunes, so stay on the ball.
Mobile DJs who have been in the game a long time can have tens of thousands of tracks in their library, and most of them will sadly never get played. And yet, nothing beats the smile of someone who requests a truly obscure track and you pull it from the depths of your library.
Can You DJ Using Spotify?
Not anymore, unfortunately. As of July 2020, Spotify stopped allowing third-party apps to use their service. That meant apps like djay, a popular tool for mobile DJs, no longer support Spotify. This could be a setback for some mobile DJs, but a good DJ won’t be put off by losing the use of Spotify.
Tidal, SoundCloud, and other streaming services can still be used (for now), but as we explained earlier, this only underlines the importance of owning all the music you use in your set. How Do DJs Find New Music
Tidal might not be a good option.
How Many Songs Is a 30-Minute Set?
You’re looking at about 7 to 8 whole songs, or 12 to 13 mixed songs, for a 30-minute set. You’ll want to use this rule of thumb when calculating how many songs you’ll need, from an hour to eight hours.
Classic wedding songs like Berlin’s “Take My Breath Away” and Chris de Burgh’s “Lady in Red” are about 4 minutes long. Songs like Dixie D’Amelio’s “One Whole Day” and Ed Sheeran’s “Afterglow” are about 3 minutes long.
Remember to have a theme or style to your set. If you throw in too many songs that all seem unrelated, you’ll lose the flow of your set. For example, if you’re DJing the birthday of the 80-year-old granny because she was impressed by the set you did for her niece’s wedding, you might play some Diana Ross or a couple of Elvis tracks to get people up and on the dance floor.
What you’re not going to want to do is throw in some Metallica or Jay-Z as the birthday girl is about to blow out her candles. Some of the guests will love it, but the woman of the hour will be a little confused.
That doesn’t mean your whole set has to cater to one type of taste, either. Get a feel for the mood of the party and be prepared to deviate from the plan if you sense the songs you’ve chosen aren’t setting the right mood. You’re also going to want to stick to the radio edits of most tracks you play. Sure, the 8-minute extended version is your personal preference, but people get bored quickly. You want to keep them on the dance floor, so keep the set moving. Being a mobile DJ is 10% song planning and 90% gut feeling and experience.
How Many Songs Do You Need to DJ a Wedding?
A wedding reception usually lasts around 5 hours, and basic math tells you that if you want 8 songs for a half-hour, then for 5 hours you’ll want 75 to 80 songs.
In that case, make a playlist of around 100 or so, so you can adjust depending on how the party’s going.
But don’t forget that during that time, there will be other things going on. The father of the bride will let the champagne go to his head, grab the mic, and tell everyone tales of his baby girl for 20 minutes. There will be cake-cutting and more speeches. Many couples have the idea of allowing each guest to choose a track they want to hear too. This is where you practice your diplomacy.
I talk about requests from past events at How Do DJs Find New Music. One of my favorite ways to find new songs is by taking requests during school dances and weddings, especially years ago when I was starting out. I’d get a song requested at an event that I didn’t have, but by the next event I’d have it. Add these requests to your DJ sets. Most of the time, if it worked at one wedding or school dance, it would work at another. It was the fastest way to discover songs I’d never heard.
Take requests. Work out the order so the tracks have a smooth pattern and blend moods and styles, and don’t be afraid to have a quiet word with the couple if one or two of the choices are particularly rough. Either that, or leave these choices for the end of the night. Pro tip: take requests no matter how bad they are. That song might mean something special to that person.
Conclusion – DJ Music FAQ
Welcome to Mobile DJing
You’re going to meet some interesting people and hear some great music on your journey as a mobile DJ. Don’t be afraid to reach out to more experienced professionals who’ve been in the game for a while to get tips on becoming the best DJ you can be.
People love a wedding DJ who keeps the music flowing without making the set all about them. You’ll soon find that the music you select and the way you mix your set is what keeps customers coming back for more.
Looking for more? Check out our DJ articles page, or jump straight to these popular guides:
- How Do DJs Find New Music?
- DJs Don’t Skip the TikTok Songs
- How to DJ a Party
- What Is a Mobile DJ?
- What Does a Mobile DJ Do?
More from Mobile DJ Basics
- Best New Wedding Songs | Absolutely Should Be In Your Playlist
- 5 Important Questions to Ask Clients Before You Say Yes to Their Event
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