How to Find a DJ Name That Isn't Taken

Were you born to make the crowd move? Have you always known that you've wanted to spin the ones-and-twos? If you want to make it as a DJ, you've got to stand out from the crowd, and if you want to stand out, you've got to have a catchy, unique, memorable name. Unfortunately, with millions of amateur DJs across the globe, many of the most obvious names have already been taken. This means that checking to make sure your name is truly unique is an essential part of starting successful a career as a DJ.

 

  Run a simple search engine query. By far the quickest, most direct way to see if a DJ name is taken is to do a thorough search on your search engine of choice. If another DJ has already chosen your name, his or her website or social media page will usually be included in the results. Keep in mind, however, that obscure artists may not appear on the very first page.

• Remember that the absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence. While seeing another DJ pop up in the search results can be a strong hint that the name you've chosen is already taken, not seeing another DJ isn't necessarily proof that the name isn't taken. For definitive proof, it's best to couple your initial search with one of the other methods below.

 

Use a name-finder utility. One way to check whether a certain name has been taken is to use an online name-finding site. These sites usually check large databases of site listings to tell whether the domain name you input has already been registered. Best of all, many of the best name-finders are 100% free.

• Note again, however, that just because someone hasn't already purchased a website that uses your stage name in its address doesn't mean that no DJ has already taken your name — someone using your name may just not have a strong online presence.

 
 

Use a social network search utility. In the modern world, even the smallest bands and musical artists often have pages on social network sites like Facebook. Searching popular social networks for usernames or pages that match your DJ name is one great way to check whether it's been taken. Since the most popular social networks are free to join, you have a good chance of uncovering even the most obscure artists this way.

• While Facebook is the most popular social network site on the planet, it's far from the only one. Thus, you'll save lots of time by using one of several online utilities that instantly search multiple social network sites (like namechk.com) rather than searching each individually.

 

Search a trademark database. Musical artists' names can legally be trademarked by their owners — this includes names like R.E.M., which have alternate meanings, names like Paul McCartney, which are simply the artist's actual name, and, of course, DJ names. Thus, searching a trademark database is one fairly definitive way of determining whether a name is already taken. If you can find a trademark registered for the DJ name you've chosen, this means that someone else has already taken your name and has legal grounds to force you to change yours if there's a likelihood you may be confused as artists. Some trademark databases are free to search, while others may cost a small fee. For a fairly definitive list of trademark databases, consult uspto.gov, the official site of the US Patent and Trademark Office.


 
 

Understand the legal protections trademark holders have. If you find out that the DJ name you want for yourself has already been trademarked, you may be out of luck. Trademark owners have a legal claim to their trademark, especially in cases where you are likely to be confused with the trademark holder (like, for instance, if you are both active musicians in the same geographical area). This risk increases if your logo, font choices, and aesthetic direction seems to match or imitate the trademark holder's. Musical artists can (and have) sued rivals who were unwilling to cooperate with a name change.

• Luckily, there are ways around this sort of trademark infringement. The most direct is simply to change your DJ name. You may also be "off the hook" if you can prove that you don't directly compete with the trademark holder — for instance, if you're only well-known in New York State and the copyright holder is only well-known in Florida, you may not need to change your name until one of you begins touring and promoting your act on the other's home turf.