Have you ever wondered why some DJs make mixtapes that fans eagerly await while others don’t even make it to streaming sites? If you get online today, you will find some of the hottest mixtapes that ultimately transform their creators into celebrities in their own right.
Why is this? You might ask. How come some mixtapes fall on deaf ears – no plays, no likes, and ultimately, no point.
We compiled some common traits that set DJs apart and can either make or break your DJing career. And we plan to share them with you in this post.
What are the Best-Kept Secrets About the Hottest Mixtapes?
The truth is, you won’t find some big secret to overnight success no matter how hard you look. You have to work hard to get your content in front of your audience and get them to listen to it. The key to creating the hottest DJ mixtapes is to build a strong, loyal, and engaged audience. You want people to listen to your mixtapes. And building your own loyal and engaged audience is how you get there.
Here’s how:
1. Great Ingredients Make the Best Recipe
As you may already know, you cannot make a great meal from the wrong ingredients. Likewise, you cannot create a good mixtape from the same old tunes that have played since the 90s. What you want is to go the extra mile to get great content for your target audience. Compile this material with creativity.
You want to create a banger – something unique to you that gets your audience thinking, “I can work with this.”
The best part is that you don’t even need all the best new content for your mix. You need the best blend of tunes. Get versions that blend seamlessly into the mix and share what you’re trying to say with your audience.
Get this part right, and everything else should be smooth sailing!
2. The Quality Must Be Spot On
Unlike in a live venue where you can basically get away with simple mistakes (sound quality-wise), mixtapes are something else. By creating and uploading your mixtape online for your target audience, you’re basically opening yourself to scrutiny.
That said, the quality of your content and technical equipment must be spot on. Remember, you are committing content from some of your fans’ favorite artists to record – for life.
This is your calling card for DJing success; invest your time and effort into it.
3. Keep It Looking Fresh
Most DJs don’t always realize that DJing isn’t just about sound. There are a lot of moving parts like your page banner, album artwork, profile image, and other factors to consider.
The more care you invest in how your mixtapes authentically represent you and your work, the more your content resonates with your fans. Therefore, you always want to keep your signature look fresh and creative. Don’t just reuse one album artwork throughout all your mixes.
Besides being creative with sound, think about using a creative and unique signature style, logo, and watermark so your fans can immediately recognize you or your materials.
The trick is to keep your look and feel fresh and consistent across your social media platforms and websites. You want your audience to identify your content easily as soon as they hear it.
4. Upload Your Material Regularly
Ever wondered how come the hottest mixtapes circle radio waves and other platforms more regularly than others? It’s quite simple: top creators create and publish content almost all the time.
It’s no secret that creating great mixtapes regularly is hard, hard work. You have to create great content all the time.
Consistency is your friend here. It helps you stand out from the crowd because you’re always in your fans’ ears. They’re always listening to your material.
Consistency proves you are the real deal, you have a plan, and you are invested in this for the long haul. If you think about some of the hottest DJs out there, consistency is the main thing they all have in common. Prove to your fans that you are reliable, can deliver, and thoroughly capable of getting fresh hits rolling.
It may sound simple, but uploading fresh mixtapes regularly is a critical element of building a loyal and engaged audience. The most successful DJs upload their material daily, weekly, or monthly. Follow suit.
You can also choose to upload your material at specific times. Doing this will open doors for you, provided you stick to a specific timeline.
5. Get Social
Here’s another critical trick you must adapt to get your material in front of your target audiences’ faces.
Shout out about new mixtapes on your social media and engage fans to react to them. To be the best in this industry, you must invest time and effort into your social media presence. You already have great material. Now’s the time to promote it.
Make your new mixes a regular part of your social media posts. Use hashtags and other relevant genres to make your stuff even more discoverable.
Build a successful online presence on your social media profiles to keep your content consistent and authentic. You also want to engage with your fans as much as you can, especially after uploading new content. Ask your audience what they feel about your new material. Write about what inspired you to create the mixtape.
No matter how big or small your fanbase is, ask them questions. Get feedback from them. You will learn from them what they like about your material, where to improve on, new material to add, what they don’t like, and much more.
Show your fans you appreciate their support, and they will love you for it.
Conclusion
Like with all things, remember that even the hottest DJs started from somewhere. You want to give yourself achievable small steps that you can commit to and achieve. Be honest with yourself and stick to what you can achieve. You can always get better once your foot is in the game, but you have to get in the game first.
Follow the steps above, and you will have some of the hottest mixtapes doing rounds on the internet and radios.
But remember to have fun. Because if you’re not having fun creating your mixtapes, you won’t last the distance.
Best of luck!