Questions to Ask a DJ in an Interview
For a student, blogger, podcaster or radio host interviewing a DJ, with a final group for a venue manager or event host interviewing one to book. The questions run in the order the conversation tends to go: starting out, building a set and reading a room, gear, the best and worst nights, then producing and money.
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The questions
Each question, and why to ask it
Starting out
How did you start DJing, and what was the first set you played in front of people?
Why ask it
Most DJs have a polished origin story, so ask for the first public set as well: the room, the crowd, what went wrong. Those details are what make the answer yours and not a copy of their bio.
How do you describe what you play to someone who has never been to one of your nights?
Why ask it
Genre labels mean little to a general audience, so push past them and ask for three tracks that sum it up. A listener can go and play those titles, which they cannot do with a phrase like "melodic house".
Who taught you, or who did you watch closely enough to learn from?
Why ask it
Listen for a named person, a local night or a record shop, not a general "the internet". A name gives you someone else to mention or interview, and it shows readers how a scene hands its skills on.
Where does your DJ name come from?
Why ask it
A light one that settles nerves and often gives you a quotable line. If the story is short, ask which names they tried and dropped first, since the rejects are usually funnier.
What were you listening to at home before you ever touched a mixer?
Why ask it
The music someone grew up on and the music they play now often do not match. Follow the gap: a techno DJ raised on gospel or country has a story about how they got from one to the other.
How long was it before someone paid you to play, and where did you practice until then?
Why ask it
This puts an honest length on the unpaid years, which is what a student or beginner wants to know. Bedroom hours and playing to an empty bar teach different things, so find out which it was.
When did you first think this could be more than a hobby?
Why ask it
A good answer is a scene: one night, one booking, a message from a promoter. If you get a vague "it just grew", ask what they gave up to make room for it, such as a job, a course or their weekends.
What did you get wrong in your first year behind the decks?
Why ask it
Beginners in your audience get more from this than from any success story. You are hoping for something they did themselves: playing too fast, too loud, or every big track they owned in the first hour. If it is all bad promoters, ask what they would do differently with the same booking.
The set
What does a DJ do that a good playlist cannot?
Why ask it
Put it early for a general audience, because it is what many of them privately wonder. Strong answers are about timing and attention: when to change direction, how long to let a track run, what the room did a minute ago. If they bristle, say you are asking on the listener's behalf.
How do you prepare for a set, and how much of it is decided before you arrive?
Why ask it
Some plan the first three tracks and nothing more, while others build a folder for every mood the night could take. Both are fair methods, so ask what the preparation looked like for their most recent gig and you get a real example.
How do you choose the first track of the night?
Why ask it
The opener shows what they think their job is at that hour: warm the room, announce themselves or pick up from whoever played before. Have them name what they opened with last weekend and why that one.
Which track has never let you down, and when did you last need it?
Why ask it
Some DJs call this a secret weapon and will not name theirs on the record. If they hold back, ask for a retired one: the track that used to rescue a night and no longer does, and what changed.
What are you watching on the dance floor while you play?
Why ask it
Good answers are concrete: the edges of the floor, the line at the bar, whether people face the booth or each other. A DJ who says they "just feel it" can usually be drawn out by asking what they noticed the last time a floor thinned.
What do you do when a track you were sure of clears the floor?
Why ask it
Most working DJs have a recovery move, and the interesting part is how fast they reach for it. A worrying answer blames the crowd. A good one names the track they went to next and what it fixed.
How do you handle requests, and which ones do you turn down?
Why ask it
Policies run from never to always, and the reasoning matters more than the rule. The oddest request they ever said yes to tends to be the story of the interview, so ask for it.
How is playing a warm-up slot different from headlining?
Why ask it
Warming up is the skill of holding back, and DJs who respect it talk about leaving room for the next act. It suits anyone who mostly plays early slots, since they are rarely asked about a craft they practice every week.
How do you find new music, and how much of what you find ever gets played?
Why ask it
Expect record shops, promo emails, download stores, friends and long hours of digging. The ratio is the telling part: someone who keeps one track in fifty is describing their taste more exactly than a genre label could.
How do you organize your library so the right track is ten seconds away?
Why ask it
Other DJs and students in your audience will lean in for this one. If you are in the same room, ask to see a playlist or folder name, because how they label music shows how they think about a night.
Is there a track you are tired of that the crowd still wants?
Why ask it
Here you learn how they weigh their own boredom against what the room came for. Find out whether they still play it and what keeps it fresh for them, such as a different way in or an edit of their own.
How do you end a night?
Why ask it
Closing tracks tend to be chosen with more care than anything else in the set, and some DJs keep a short list of them. Get one title and the night it belonged to. It also makes a natural last line for a segment or a section of your piece.
Gear
What do you play on now, and what did you learn on?
Why ask it
Let them name the equipment, then ask what each change made easier and what it took away. Keep model names for a music or tech outlet and cut them for a general audience, who want the second half of the answer.
Vinyl, CDJs, a controller or a laptop: does the format change what the crowd hears?
Why ask it
Opinions on this are strong on every side, so put it as a real question and not a provocation. The useful answers separate what changes for the DJ, such as feel and risk, from what changes for the dancer.
If everything were stolen tomorrow, which piece of gear would you replace first?
Why ask it
It cuts the equipment list down to what they depend on, and the answer is often modest: headphones, a particular USB stick. The reason for the choice gives you their working habits without a tour of the whole setup.
What do you ask a venue about its sound system before you agree to play?
Why ask it
Experienced DJs tend to have a short checklist: the monitors, the mixer, who the sound engineer is, where the booth sits. If they have none, ask about the night that taught them they needed one.
How do you protect your hearing?
Why ask it
Worth putting to anyone who has played for more than a few years. Report what they do themselves and leave health advice to a professional. If a hearing problem comes up, check that they are comfortable having it printed.
What is in your bag that has nothing to do with music?
Why ask it
A good way out of the gear talk, because it brings the person back: tape, a spare shirt, snacks, a lucky object. It often opens a story about a long night or a venue with nothing backstage.
Nights
What is the best night you have ever played, and what made it that?
Why ask it
Steer them toward what happened in the room and away from the size of the crowd or the name on the poster. The best versions come down to one moment: a track, a face in the front row, the lights coming up.
Which night went so badly that you still think about it?
Why ask it
Save it until after the best night, when they are relaxed. A DJ who can tell a disaster with some humor and say what they changed afterward is giving you the most honest part of the interview.
What is the worst technical failure you have had in the middle of a set, and what did the crowd see?
Why ask it
Dead decks, a pulled cable, a laptop restarting: nearly every DJ has one. The second half is the point, since how they covered the silence shows composure better than any direct question about pressure.
Have you played to an almost empty room, and how did you play it?
Why ask it
Listen for whether they treated it as practice, a private party for five people or an insult. That attitude tells you how they regard small gigs in general, and it is useful to print for readers who are playing those rooms now.
What is the strangest booking you have said yes to?
Why ask it
Boat parties, shop openings, a child's birthday: the oddest job usually came with an unusual fee or a favor attached, and that is worth asking about too. Have a follow-up ready on whether they would do it again, because the story tends to stop too soon.
What do you do in the hour before you go on?
Why ask it
Routines vary from watching the previous DJ to sitting alone in the car. Ask what they avoid as well. The things a performer refuses to do before a set are often more specific than the things they do.
How do you deal with someone at the booth who will not leave you alone?
Why ask it
You will hear a practiced line or two and probably a story. If the answer turns to feeling unsafe, slow down and let them decide how much to tell, and confirm before you publish any of it.
What does a late-night schedule cost you, and how do you look after yourself?
Why ask it
Sleep, relationships and day jobs all come up. Put it plainly, without assuming there is a problem, and let them set the depth. Leave it out of a short or lighthearted interview.
What is the scene like where you play, and how has it changed since you started?
Why ask it
A local paper, a campus station or a class project needs this more than a national outlet does. Push for the venues that opened or closed and the nights that moved, then check each name and date afterward, because club histories are easy to get slightly wrong.
Which room or festival do you most want to play, and who would you share the booth with?
Why ask it
Dream-gig answers come out bland unless you ask why that room and not a bigger one. The person they would play alongside is the better half, since it names a living influence you can ask about.
Work and money
Do you make your own tracks or edits, and has producing changed how you DJ?
Why ask it
Some DJs produce mainly to get booked, and others keep the two apart. Have them explain how one of their edits differs from the original. A specific change, such as a longer intro or a vocal taken out, explains the craft better than a general answer.
What does a working month look like for you: how many gigs, and what else pays the bills?
Why ask it
Go after the mix, such as club nights, private events, teaching, production work or a day job, without demanding figures. People who will not name a sum will often describe proportions, and proportions are what a reader weighing this kind of work needs.
How did you arrive at your fee, and when do you still play for free?
Why ask it
Fees vary widely by city, scene and type of event, so treat any number as their experience and not a going rate. The playing-for-free half often brings out a principle, such as only for friends or only for a cause.
What do you wish you had known earlier about contracts, deposits or getting paid?
Why ask it
Many working DJs have a story about a fee that arrived late or not at all. Print the lesson as their experience and not as advice, because what an agreement should contain depends on where they work.
How do bookings reach you: an agent, promoters, social media or word of mouth?
Why ask it
The answer maps how their local scene works, and that differs a great deal from place to place. Ask what first got them a booking from a stranger, which is the step beginners find hardest.
What takes more of your time than people would guess: email, travel, social media or digging for tracks?
Why ask it
It shows the job behind the two hours the audience sees. That makes it a strong pick for a careers piece or a class project, while an entertainment interview needs only a sentence of it.
How has being filmed and posted online changed what you play?
Why ask it
Some DJs say a camera makes them play safer, and others say it gets them booked. Longer-serving DJs can compare before and after, newer ones have known nothing else, and both views are worth having.
What advice would you give someone who wants to start DJing now?
Why ask it
A standard closer, so ask for something they would not have said five years ago to avoid the stock reply. "Practice and be nice to people" is true and will not hold a reader. A named first step will.
What are you working toward next?
Why ask it
End the interview here so they can mention a release, a residency or a date. Check spellings, dates and links before you leave, because this is the part they will most want you to get right.
Hiring
What kinds of events and venues do you play most, and which are you not the right DJ for?
Why ask it
From here the questions are for a venue manager or event host interviewing a DJ to book. Someone who can name what they turn down knows their strengths. Someone who plays anything for anyone needs a recording to back that up.
Can you send a recording of a full recent set, or tell me where I can watch you play?
Why ask it
A live recording from a room like yours tells you more than a studio mix, which can be edited. If all they offer is a short promo clip, go to their next gig before you decide.
What do you need from us on the night: equipment, space, power, setup time and a contact?
Why ask it
A professional answers quickly and usually has it in writing. Vague answers here turn into problems at load-in, so get the list by email and pass it to whoever runs the room.
What do you bring yourself, and what is your backup if something fails?
Why ask it
You are listening for a second music source and spare cables at the least. Ask about the last time something broke. A DJ who says nothing ever has is either new or not telling you.
How do you work with a brief: music we want, music we do not, and a volume limit?
Why ask it
The right DJ asks questions back about the crowd, the hours and the purpose of the night. Resistance to any limit at all is a warning sign for a venue with neighbors or a host with a mixed-age room.
Are you comfortable on the microphone if we need announcements?
Why ask it
Plenty of very good club DJs never speak, and a birthday, a school dance or a company party usually needs someone who will. If they say yes, ask what they said at their last event and how often. If not, decide who on your side will hold the microphone.
Do you promote the nights you play, and what would you expect us to do?
Why ask it
Venues differ on this: some book a DJ partly for the crowd they bring, and others treat promotion as the house's job. Say which you are before they answer, then ask to see how they announced their last two dates, so you judge what they did and not what they promise.
What is your fee, what does it cover, and what happens if either side cancels?
Why ask it
Get the hours, travel, equipment and any extras stated, then ask for all of it in writing. Deposit and cancellation terms differ from one DJ and one place to the next, so ask how theirs work and read the agreement before you pay.
Is there any licensing, insurance or paperwork we need to sort out before you play here?
Why ask it
Rules on music licensing, insurance and tax paperwork depend on the country, the venue and the type of event, so neither side should assume. Ask what they carry and what they expect from you, then confirm it with the venue or the body that handles it where you are.
Who have you played for recently that I could call?
Why ask it
A venue manager or event organizer who will take your call counts for more than a list of big names. Put one question to that person: did they book the DJ a second time?
How to interview a DJ and come away with more than a bio
Practical guidance for the conversation itself
Before the interview
Hear them play first
Listen to at least an hour of their playing before you meet, either a recorded mix or a night in the room. Two specific references, such as the track they dropped after the break or the way they closed, do more to open a DJ up than any amount of general praise.
Pick ten, hold the rest
A twenty-minute interview has room for about eight to ten questions once you allow for follow-ups. Take two or three from each group that suits your outlet and keep the others in reserve for when an answer runs short.
Choose the time and place
A booth at one in the morning is a poor place to talk. The afternoon of a gig, the soundcheck or the day after usually gets longer and clearer answers, and your recording will be usable. Avoid the half hour before they go on.
Agree the terms out loud
Say how long you need, whether you are recording, where the piece will appear and when. If you are a student, say what the assignment is. A DJ who knows who is listening gives answers pitched at that audience.
During the conversation
Ask for the last time it happened
General questions get general answers. 'How do you read a room?' becomes far more useful as 'What did you see on Saturday that made you change direction?' Whenever an answer stays abstract, ask for the most recent example.
Write down every title
Track names, artist names, venues and club nights are the facts of this interview, and many are hard to spell. Ask for spellings as you go, or have them type the names into your phone, and check each one before you publish.
Let them show you
If the equipment is in the room, ask for a demonstration of one thing they described, such as a mix between two tracks or how their folders are arranged. For radio or a podcast, have them talk through what their hands are doing so the listener can follow.
Money and private matters
Ask about proportions and sources, not sums, and accept a refusal without pressing. The same goes for health, hearing and trouble at the booth: put the question once, plainly, and let them decide how far to go.
If you are booking, not writing
Which questions to use
Start with the Hiring group, then borrow from The set: how they prepare, what they do when the floor clears, how they treat requests and how they play a warm-up. Those answers tell a venue more about a night with this DJ than a list of past clients.
Hear them in a room
A conversation shows whether someone is organized and easy to deal with. It does not show whether they can hold a floor. Before you confirm, listen to a full live recording or stand in a room while they play.
Put the agreement in writing
Date, hours, fee, what each side provides, and what happens if either cancels. Licensing, insurance and tax requirements vary by country, venue and type of event, so ask the DJ how they handle them and confirm with your venue what applies where you are.
What flattens a DJ interview
Asking only for the biography
Start dates, residencies and big names are already on their page. Spend one question on the history and the rest on how they work and what happened on particular nights, which is the material nobody else has.
Gear talk for the wrong audience
Model numbers delight other DJs and lose everyone else. For a general audience keep one equipment question and ask what the gear lets them do, not what it is called.
Turning one DJ's numbers into a rule
A fee, a contract habit or a route into bookings is one person's experience in one scene. Report it that way, and tell readers who want to follow it to ask how things work where they are.
Fishing for gossip
Inviting them to run down another DJ, a promoter or a venue by name puts them in a hard spot in what is often a small scene. Ask what went wrong and what they learned, and leave the names to them.