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Technology has changed the music industry over the past few decades. In the past, musicians typically used conventional instruments like guitars and pianos on stage. Now, technology has transformed genres, musical tastes, and the overall culture of musicians. Today, global megastars often play music using turntables that they made in the comfort of their home studios.
While DJing and music production may seem similar to outsiders, they are quite different and represent two completley different sides of the game (or at least our little pocket of the dance music industry).
I will break down the key differences between a DJ and a music producer in this article. I will touch on their main differences while highlighting the overlap between the two. My goal is to provide a clear understanding for those new to the game and outsiders looking in, drawing from my experience as a professional music producer and DJ for the past decade.
What Is A Music Producer?
Let’s start with my main career path: that of a music producer as a music producer since it’s my bread and butter.
A music producer is responsible for creating music, and their ONLY goal is to ensure that the music they work on is finished and of the highest quality when it is. The definition of a music producer has changed significantly over the past ten years, mainly due to the increased accessibility of music production technology. As more people enter production, they take on a much more creative and hands-on role in music-making.
In the past, music producers often had a more executive role, especially in traditional music genres like Rock or Jazz. Today, when people talk about music producers, they usually refer to those who actively create music, make beats, write songs, and design the sounds, all within popular digital audio workstations like Ableton, Logic Pro, Fruity Loops, and Pro Tools. Producers, in the more modern sense, which I explain in detail in my latest article, control every part of the production process, from the initial idea to delivering finished music to digital service providers or record labels.
Ultimately, music producers create and ensure that the music they are involved in is high quality, often making tracks that DJs play. Now, let’s move on to the next section.
What Is A DJ?
A DJ is responsible for playing music, a broad term that doesn’t quite do their job justice.
Their main job is to play recorded music, not produce it live and on the fly like a guitarist might do on stage. DJs carefully select music that matches the vibe, atmosphere, and crowd they perform for. This task is more complex than it may seem. A skilled DJ can read the room and choose the best songs from their collection to play immediately. They not only select the right tracks but also present them in a way that enhances the vibe and energy of the event. This involves using effects, cue points, and DJ equipment, typically Pioneer CDJs, to create the desired atmosphere.
DJs help set the tone for a night, a party, or radio airwaves. Often, they also take on the role of MC, especially at weddings and events, where they guide the flow of the occasion. Radio DJs may interview artists, interact with industry figures, and discuss local topics, such as traffic.
Ultimately, the main responsibility of a DJ is to play music that suits the environment and the moment.
An Infographic On Producers vs. DJs
Now that we have a brief overview of each role, and hopefully, you can see their key differences, let’s break this down. Instead of explaining in detail, let’s use a simple infographic to highlight the main differences between a music producer and a DJ.
Where The Confusion Comes From
I believe people, especially those outside the industry, are confused about the difference between a DJ and a producer because these two career paths are closely linked today.
Most successful electronic music artists are also DJs these days because you have to if you want any hope of finding any measure of real success these days (which I’ll talk about later on). They create their music and perform it live. In today’s world, if you want to make a name for yourself and succeed in the electronic music industry, you just need to do both. It’s rare for someone to earn a living solely by producing music in the studio without performing it live (or at least by having some auxiliary income stream to supplement the lack of payouts streaming and record sales net these days).
Technology has made it incredibly easy to jump into DJing, which is why you’ve likely noticed a massive influx of local DJs in your scene and city. From my experience, many of these local DJs say that they produce or are producers but spend more time walking the walk instead of talking the talk. While anyone who has been in the industry or scene long enough can tell that they hardly know their way around the studio, these not-so-subtle flexes can give the impression that EVERY local DJ is also an aspiring producer, which isn’t really the case at all and only goes further to blur the lines between a producer and a DJ.
Should You Learn To DJ Or Produce First?
This is a tough question: should you learn to DJ or produce music first?
The answer will vary for each person based on their needs, wants, and desires. If you start from scratch, nothing stops you from trying both and seeing which one you enjoy more. I want to emphasize that producing music and DJing are two very different skills, each requiring unique abilities and personality types. One person can have traits for both, as they are not mutually exclusive.
However, they do have different vibes and directly cater to the personality types of two very different types of people overall. Now, let’s discuss who might benefit from starting with music production first.
Of the two vocations, producing music is much more driven by personal motivation. Most of the time, you will be learning skills and writing your music alone, alone in the studio. It is a solitary endeavor, and it takes a lot of time to master the craft of music production. Many producers spend three to six years honing their skills before they attract attention from even small record labels.
So, you should not expect overnight success in music production.
However, if you enjoy overcoming challenges and learning new skills independently, and value personal self-expression, then learning to produce music is definitely the right choice for you. Many resources are available, including YouTube channels, online masterclasses, e-books, and traditional books on music production, that you can explore and immerse yourself in.
[embed]https://youtube.com/watch?v=yHmWu9OVlEQ&si=dK3CNv4i9Kpvf6dB[/embed]Learn To DJ First If…
DJing definitely favors those who are more charismatic.
If you read the previous section and felt frustrated by the idea that producing is more about personal expression than DJing because of your work in the studio vs. on the stage, I completely understand your point. DJing is also a form of artistic expression in its own right but has an entirely different delivery medium. There is a unique art to curating music and delivering it in a way that connects with the room and crowd you are playing for.
While DJing allows for self-expression, it is also a more performative career.
You are on stage while you play, and that performance is part of the atmosphere you create. Networking with other music industry professionals, such as club owners, booking agents, and promoters, also requires you to be socially engaged and a bit performative when you are out on the town, especially if you want to secure initial gigs. Introverts can find their ways to succeed if they are truly dedicated, but DJing tends to be more performative than producing music alone in the studio.
[embed]https://youtube.com/watch?v=O-pdaMnOJBQ&si=HKzKBLEWa0l9jQD0[/embed]Another advantage of DJing is that it can lead to quicker income, albeit not much during the initial stages of your career. You can earn your first dollars—$50, $100, or a few hundred—by DJing at bars and smaller clubs, often in opening slots at local venues. This means you can start making a profit from your DJing efforts quite quickly and as you build your local network, your appeal to clubs will grow, allowing you to demand higher fees as your brand and reputation increase. Once you reach a certain level, you can start hosting your own parties, bringing in touring DJs, and promoting events, leading to even greater earnings.
Yes, booking fees starting out probably won’t be enough to cover rent, but I can guarantee that it’ll be more than you will bring in off your music for the first five to ten years of your production journey (at least in 99/100 cases).
However, there is a limit to this potential…
Is DJing TOO Easy These Days?
Due to the accessibility of DJing and the enjoyment of blending tracks in front of a live audience, there are more DJs than ever in every local city. This means gigs can be more competitive, and the market is quite saturated. Being a good DJ is often insufficient to stand out beyond your local area. There are many talented DJs, and even if you are the best in your city, you may struggle to gain recognition in nearby towns without brand awareness or a strong “resume” that is your catalog of original productions and label affiliations.
There are too many local DJs, and without a unique calling card—often original music—it can be challenging to break through the barriers of your local scene and expand your reach, especially if you aspire to go on tour. Therefore, if you are serious about becoming an electronic music artist/producer/DJ, spending two to three years honing your skills in the studio might be more beneficial so that you can at least get to a point where you have enough chops in the studio to feel confident in playing your music in the sets you’re booked for.
Wrapping It All Up
As I mentioned more than once throughout this piece, these two career paths and skill sets are closely connected but are as different as cooking is to farming. So I understand if you’re a little confused, or at least WERE CONFUSED until now, especially if you are new to the field and only have a basic understanding of the topics. If you are considering diving into one path, I encourage you to try both, especially in the early stages of your career. As, just like having a small garden in your backyard can make you a better chef, dabbling in either one of the two can make a ton of other elements about the other “click.”
Understanding how to create tracks in the studio can help you see how different vibes of a song can be played live. These correlations and cross-informatives are why the best producers tend to be the best DJs!
Ultimately, that’s the dream, right?
If you’re serious about making a name for yourself in the music industry and work your way through the earliest, and oftentimes most difficult portions of a career as an artist, check out the book that I recently wrote right here or by clicking the image to the right.
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