The electronic music scene has been in India since the early 1990s and is growing every year. Electronic Dance Music (EDM) genres like house, techno, and dubstep have gained popularity in the last two decades and have become mainstream recently. As the trend rose, a wave of aspiring DJs and music producers began in India, and now various Indian artists are getting global recognition. However, growing in this industry is not some stroll in the park, and just learning a lesson on creating music is not going to work. DJs and music producers face numerous challenges in getting gigs, and one of the major problems of today is the unrealistic demands of promoters and event organisers from DJs to bring people for a gig. When clubs hire DJs, they often weigh factors like social pull and DJ skills. Due to the emphasis on profits, the main agenda of hiring a DJ to play music for the crowd goes in vain. The primary focus while hiring a DJ should be their ability to perform music for the crowd rather than their social circle or the number of people they bring in to their show.
It is not a DJ’s job to bring a massive crowd and do the promotion, just to get a chance to perform at the venue. The effort that goes into making good music is not a cakewalk and DJs deserve to be hired for their talent, not for their social outlook. They have a good understanding of music and keep people engaged in the venue, which drives sales to the bar. The promoters and organizers should consider the aspect of promotion.
The focus of these clubs on making money rather than getting talented DJs surely indicates the embracement of capitalism. Also, popularity plays a role when DJs are hired, as the market is filled with clout chasers. Although an artist’s fandom shouldn’t be a concern, the credibility of a DJ is at stake when they are not preferred just because they can’t bring a huge crowd to the venue.
Artists belonging to metropolitan cities do not face much difficulty in getting into this music scene as they pay for the tickets that are not sold, or if some artist manages to bring the crowd, they prefer not to consume anything from the club. Clubs are not that open to aspiring and new DJs in the electronic music industry, and this is a major issue, especially for those who are not from the big cities or don’t have the privilege. Apart from the DJs, in tier-2 cities, there is also a lack of awareness among the people about job opportunities in the electronic music scene, as there is not much talk about electronic music in these places. This becomes another factor in the challenges of any event’s promotion.
To overcome this issue in the industry, there are better ways of practicing getting the crowd through a DJ where they can offer a percentage of bar sales as an incentive to them. To have a jam-packed house, venues should hire a talented DJ, have somebody to look after the promotions and have a nominal ticket price for the people who wish to come in.