Disk Jockey Job Description

Disk Jockeys play and mix music at nightclubs and bars to add ambiance, atmosphere and mood to the room, and to entertain customers.

Typical Job Duties

• Get the audience actively involved

• May serve as a resident DJ at a bar or nightclub

• Respond to audience requests

• Create atmosphere as described and instructed by the bar owner or manager

• May have to provide own equipment

• Play mix of music that allows patrons to dance, while still allowing the bar to maintain alcohol and food sales

• May involve the use of turntable to manipulate the sounds of records, or “scratch”

• Create humorous banter in downtime

• May mix own music live (also known as “spinning”)

Scholarships for Becoming a DJ

The Applicable Majors section below shows fields of study relevant to a career as a DJ. You can search for scholarships matched to those fields of study on our Music Scholarships page.

Success Tip: Be sure to apply for any scholarships that you even barely qualify for, as there are millions of dollars of scholarships that go unused every year due to a lack of applicants!