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Unless you are one of the most elite DJs in the world playing only the biggest festival stages, you’re bound to get a song request from time to time. If you’re a DJ in a bar or a mobile DJ, you’re probably getting them at every event you do. Requests come in many forms – the drunk request, the “I have no idea what I’m asking for” request, the insistent request, and the mother-in-law request. Responses from DJs to those requests are almost as varied, from downright saying no to becoming a human iPod. Today, we’ll talk about different types of requests we may get, what our role is when it comes to handling requests, and how we can effectively take those requests and leave guests happy at the end of the night.
Requests at the event
Taking requests live at the event is what the majority of DJs will have to deal with. While some DJs will flat out tell guests that they are not taking requests (which I don’t advise, by the way) most will be more than happy to play a song that someone wants to hear. A lot of the time, a request turns out to be a song I had forgotten or that had fallen out of my rotation in the past. But not all requests make sense or are able to be accommodated. A request for “some Metallica” at a corporate mixer. Or maybe a request for explicit Cardi B at a church youth dance. When someone asks for something you know you can’t or won’t play it’s important to handle it delicately. If you’re too harsh or blunt you may turn that person (and their friend group) off of dancing for the entire night. If you’re wishy-washy, they may end up dissatisfied at the end of the night when you completely ignore their request.
Instead, aim for a neutral response that doesn’t promise anything but clearly explains your thoughts. Validate their request so they know you heard them and aren’t brushing them off. My ultimate response to a request that I know I won’t play is “That’s a great song! I’ll see if I have time to fit it in.” With this sentence, you let them know they have great choice in music (even if they don’t) while also letting them know you have other songs lined up. You don’t promise you’ll play it, but there is a chance. Other similar responses include “I’ll see if I have it with me” and “I’ll try and get to it after my other requests.” These are all valid responses that won’t make anyone feel like their request isn’t important.
The volume of requests you’re getting is also important to keep track of. On average, I normally receive between 2-5 song requests a night, but this isn’t always the case. I’ve definitely had nights with dozens of song requests, especially if a crowd is particularly rowdy or intoxicated. If you’re getting a request every other song, this can lead to a huge obstacle to effective music programming. With 100 requests there is simply no way to play them all by the end of the night. Now it becomes important to prioritize those requests. If a song is requested more than once by different guests, it’s obviously something that people want to hear and you should make an effort to put it in the rotation as soon as possible. If a request is a song that I would normally include or one that I was already planning on playing it will get bumped up the priority list. Lastly, if the request was made by someone important (bride’s mother, club owner, etc.) it will get pushed to the top of the queue.
Pre-event requests
If you’re a mobile DJ like me, you deal with a special type of song request – the pre-event playlist. As a wedding DJ, asking a client’s must play and do not play tracks is an essential part of my planning meeting. Most of the time the people I work with have one or two songs for each category and trust me to handle the rest of the music. However, from time to time, we all get those clients who hand us a 12 point font bulleted list of songs that could go on for a week if played end to end. What should we do in this scenario?
The first thing to do is not panic. Many times, people that produce a large list of requests simply had a bad experience with music at a past event they attended and are worried that the same thing might happen to them. They overprepare, not knowing how involved or experienced you are when it comes to music programming. So first things first, pause. Take the list and give it a once-over. Often, their lists are full of great tracks that I probably would have played anyway. Throwing in a handful of other songs that are obviously important to them won’t affect my programming too much and will most likely make them elated.
But what if their requests are terrible? What if they want completely vulgar music at their church event? What if their list is 300 songs long and the event will only last 2 hours? This is where it becomes our job to educate. Ask them about why they chose these songs and talk to them about how they see their guests reacting to them. Tell them to visualize the dance party at their event and see if they can picture everyone enjoying their playlist. This is usually enough to make people reconsider a playlist that was more personal favorites than party essentials. If their list is too long, explain that the average song is only three to three and a half minutes long and there is simply no way you can play everything. Explain that you really want to play their most meaningful songs and ask if they can whittle the list down to their favorites. If after all this explanation and discussion the client still wants to proceed, don’t be afraid to give them what they want! At the end of the day, this is their event and they just might know exactly what it needs.
Final thoughts
Requests can be a source of unplanned bangers for a particular crowd or they can be a source of headache. How you handle requests both before and after your event can make a big difference in client and guest satisfaction at the end of the night. Learn to use a neutral response for requests and prioritize the best or most important ones over the fluff. Don’t immediately turn them down and don’t become a “no requests allowed” DJ; instead, know how to respond to weird requests and do not play lists confidently. Requests are a powerful thing – use them to your advantage.