Picking a Great DJ Name

 

 

 

Keep things short and sweet. Try to think of famous DJs with names that contain more than four syllables. If you can think of any, there are probably only one or two in your mind. Most DJs don't have especially long names, and with good reason — the longer your stage name is, the harder it is for people to remember and the less likely it is that it will sound "catchy".

• For example, imagine that a new DJ who specializes in spinning diss tracks wants to call himself "Diss-establishmentarianism". While the "diss" pun is amusing, this name will have a hard time catching on — if the DJ's fans have a hard time remembering his name (let alone pronouncing it), his word-of-mouth potential is seriously limited.

 

 Pick something timeless. Don't name yourself after a passing trend, a sub-genre of electronica that may not be popular in a few years, or anything else that doesn't have long-term appeal. These sorts of names immediately date you and make it harder to capture new listeners' attentions after your name loses significance. Instead, pick a name that has lasting relevance — something that won't sound silly a few months or a few years down the road. For example, imagine that an up-and-coming DJ named himself "DJ Harlem Shaker" during the height of the meme's popularity in February 2013. This a bad move — within just a few months, the meme's popularity had faded dramatically, so this DJ's name would probably sound hackneyed.


 

Consider the aural effect your name creates. Ideally, the syllables in your DJ name should complement each other and produce the effect you want to convey when spoken. Some names sound smooth and pleasing, while others sound cold and sinister — depending on the type of music you play, you may want to choose to use softer or harsher sounds in your name.

• For example, words with g's, k's, z's, t's and hard c's tend to be hard and edgy and are considered cacophonous, or phonetically unpleasant. In contrast, words with many l's, w's, long o's, y's, s's, and soft c's tend to sound soft and fluid and are considered euphonious, or phonetically beautiful. A DJ might want to go with either of these styles, so choose your own sounds accordingly to make the name appropriately gritty for your persona.

 

Make sure your name passes the radio test. In radio broadcasting, the names of people, places, and events that are being promoted on-air should ideally pass something called the "radio test". This isn't as complicated as it sounds — the radio test is just a simple way of telling whether your name will be intelligible to listeners who can only hear it spoken — not written out. Generally, the more complex your DJ name is, the harder it will be for people to understand on the radio.

• A name that passes the radio test should be easy to understand just from the way it sounds while spoken. It shouldn't be hard for the announcer or the listener to pronounce or spell — remember, people who will be hearing your DJ name on air may not have ever heard of you before.
• For instance, imagine that there's a DJ named "DotComrad3." This name would have a hard time passing the radio test. Someone reading it on-air might have to say something like, "If you liked the song you just heard, check out the artist's website — www.Dotc0mrad3.com. That's w, w, w, dot (as in a period), "Dot" (as in the word "dot"), c, zero (not o), m, r, a, d, 3 (not e)." This is a serious mouthful for the radio announcer to get through — if he doesn't make a mistake, there's a good chance many of the listeners will.

 

Consider logo/artistic design when picking a name. If you're looking to make a career out of your DJing skills, you may want to consider a potential name's aesthetic qualities before making a final decision. Some names naturally lend themselves to good-looking logos and on-stage designs, while others may require you to do a little more work to pick visual components that "fit". There's no right or wrong answer here — this is just a question of how far you're willing to go in service of your image as a DJ.

• For example, a DJ who calls herself "White Tiger" might naturally want to use lots of tiger imagery in her on-stage show. She might, for instance, wear a tiger mask on stage while she spins her music. If she has access to a projector, she might even project psychedelic tiger designs onto herself during her show.
• On the other hand, a DJ with a name like "DJ Palindrome" has a logo that practically designs itself. Since palindromes are words that are spelled the same way forwards and backwards, DJ Palindrome's logo might look like this: PalindromemordnilaP — basically, as if it's reflected in a mirror.

 
 

Decide whether or not to include “DJ” in your name. This is the age-old question that every DJ has to face at one point or another: whether or not to include "DJ" in his or her name. There's no right or wrong answer here — many of the modern world's most famous DJs (like Tiesto, etc.) have decided to forego the "DJ" prefix, while many others choose to keep it. It's up to you!

• In general, including the "DJ" may give a slightly more "old-fashioned" or "classic" flavor to your image because of the tendency of old-school hip-hop DJs to include "DJ" in their stage names (see: DJ ). This is by no means universal, however, so try to consider each name on a case-by-case basis.