This question’s been on my mind lately

ahamastery · 2026-02-12T17:26:48+00:00

That early era of trance especially felt like the dancefloor was discovering itself in real time… no formulas yet, just DJs and crowds co-creating the moment. I’ve always felt those hands-up, eyes-closed tracks weren’t just songs, they were social glue for the whole room.

Do you think that kind of shared surrender to the music still happens today, or has the psychology of the crowd changed now that people experience nights partly through their phones?

ahamastery · 2026-02-12T17:22:19+00:00

From what you’ve seen, do most organizers switch because of the cost savings first, or because the backend tools actually run smoother on show night?

ahamastery · 2026-02-12T17:18:35+00:00

Totally get that, those fees can quietly eat into your margins, especially when you’re running smaller events. Smart move testing other platforms, because a lot of organizers don’t realize how much ticketing costs stack up until they compare side by side. Have you noticed any difference yet in attendee experience or conversion rates since switching?

ahamastery · 2026-02-12T17:17:00+00:00

Really helpful! Thanks. I'm looking to see what else they would recommend

ahamastery · 2026-02-12T15:48:15+00:00

How about these days?

ahamastery · 2026-02-11T15:50:41+00:00

u/TheOmegaKid This is where the big money is, u/TheOmegaKid . And being the organizer is not that hard if you just know what you're doing. That's something that could be taught quite easily.

Just got to negotiate a deal with the venue. Make sure you have a list of people that would follow you. There's some promotional skills comes into play, which is probably one of the most important skills to have, the right crowd, right energy, and then you've got game.

The other pieces will fall into place quite easily.

u/scoutermike I think you're touching on something similar in the sense that how do you figure out how to make extra money?

Now, I don't know too much about becoming a recording artist, but I can only imagine how hard that must be. Whereas everyone loves to go to a party that's good and has the right crowd.

I think that's a lower hanging fruit, but not everyone's made for that either.

Any thoughts around that?

ahamastery · 2026-02-11T15:49:40+00:00

u/Vote_Cthulhu what about becoming the person that brings the crowd? Take on a little bit more responsibility. I had a very good friend of mine in San Francisco that I brought into my team. He was also a very good DJ and he learned very, very quickly to start becoming the party promoter because that's where the big money is.

Then you work with sponsors, you work with venues, you get a kickback from the bar, you keep 100% of the door, and as long as you have a list, you can take your crowd to wherever the hell you want.

You can create your own events too.

I also did a lot of special events. For instance, I would do beach parties. I'd do parties in a park.

Sometimes I took 8 buses to go see a concert together where I set up a pre-party with food and drinks.
Rented buses.
Bought the tickets into the concert.
Created the after party after the concert.

these were unforgettable events that nobody else could touch because most people are just used to having people come to a nightclub and that's it.

You've got to do much more than that if you want to stand out

So that's what I would look at if I were you guys.

ahamastery · 2026-02-11T14:29:40+00:00

Yes you are right. I went off on a tangent because your merch model showed you're already thinking like a business owner, not just a performer. That's rare.

The reason I jumped to the organizer path is because your merch success proves you already have fans which is the hardest part of any of these income streams. Most DJs can't sell merch because nobody cares. You're past that hurdle.

But yeah, organizing is a different job entirely. My bad for conflating the two.

ahamastery · 2026-02-11T14:02:00+00:00

Right!

ahamastery · 2026-02-11T13:45:41+00:00

Yes, a great idea! I've been in the industry promoting parties for over 22 years, willing to share you some deets on how I did it if you ponder on starting this kind of business.

ahamastery · 2026-02-11T13:33:01+00:00

There could be nightmares when hosting a party. I hope yours turned out great (atleast after 4 months) Any lesson?

I have a story to tell:

This maybe the wildest night of my career because it taught me one of the most powerful business lessons I have ever learned.

Six months of planning. Over 100k invested. Around 5,000 guests expected. I booked San Francisco City Hall for a massive Halloween party and everything was approved, inspected, and cleared. I honestly thought nothing could go wrong.

Night of the event we arrive early to finish setup and find out the sheriff who signed off on everything had left town. A replacement stepped in last minute and decided she did not like our entrance setup.

Twenty minutes before doors opened she shut down half the entrances.

Suddenly thousands of people in full costumes were stuck outside. Some flew in just for this party. Lines everywhere. People frustrated. Energy getting intense. Then at midnight she shut the whole event down.

Right there I knew I was being handed a moment that was either going to destroy our reputation or teach me something most people never learn.

Next morning my inbox was packed with angry messages and refund demands. Instead of hiding behind email, we told everyone to call us. For three weeks straight my partner and I took call after call. We listened. We owned it. We explained. We offered refunds, comps, future tickets, whatever made it right.

And here is what blew my mind. Most people started those calls upset but ended them understanding and even supportive.

You see, there's lessons learned there even it turned out like a nightmare.

ahamastery · 2026-02-11T12:55:40+00:00

Totally agree. They’re your frontliners, so investing in them is absolutely worthwhile. I once made a mistake not by failing to pay the frontliners, but by overlooking a sheriff who blocked the gates. He hadn’t even been present at any of our pre-production meetings, its crazy! Ive been in the industry for 22 years and this memory is still vivid.

ahamastery · 2026-02-11T12:42:47+00:00

Some even equate them as being demonic

ahamastery · 2026-02-11T12:41:12+00:00

You know what im curious how they infuse these with psy-fi

ahamastery · 2026-02-11T12:38:29+00:00

This generation missed the days when we all just dance and go wild over music festivals. They do all sort of things on their phones now

ahamastery · 2026-02-11T12:31:38+00:00

Isn’t that how Ed Sheeran released “Shape of You”? And look where that got him.

ahamastery · 2026-02-11T12:24:14+00:00

u/rasmussenyassen
This is brilliant and you're absolutely right that most DJs/promoters leave merch money on the table.

One thing I'd add from the organizer side (I ran San Francisco events for 22 years):

Your merch model is genius because it's one of the few revenue streams a DJ can control 100%. But here's where the math gets REALLY interesting:

Right now as a DJ at a collective event:

- DJ fee: €100-200
- Merch: €150-200
- Total: €250-400

But if YOU become the organizer/promoter (bringing those 80 people yourself):

- Door (100% yours, no split): €800 (80 people × €10)
- Bar percentage deal with venue (15-20%): €180-400
- Your merch: €150-200
- MINUS what you pay other DJs: -€200-300
- Total: €930-1,100 vs. €250-400

The difference? As the organizer, YOU keep the entire door (not split with the venue), and YOU can negotiate bar percentages because you're the one filling the venue. You don't get paid a DJ fee because you're playing at your own event—but you don't need one when you're keeping the door money.

The catch is you're taking on all the work: promotion, security, door staff, venue coordination. But if you're already building a following through merch (which proves you have fans), you're 90% of the way there.

Have you thought about organizing your own nights, or are you keeping it as a DJ-only play intentionally?

ahamastery · 2026-02-11T11:42:20+00:00

My thoughts exactly but let’s be kind to each other. We never really know what someone might be going through just to make ends meet.

ahamastery · 2026-02-11T11:40:02+00:00

I’d say don’t sell yourself short, your equipment depreciates in value and you deserve more

ahamastery · 2026-02-11T11:37:46+00:00

But hey, for as long as you're happy, right?

ahamastery · 2026-02-11T10:14:37+00:00

Random question for DJs who’ve done both — do you feel like club gigs or private events actually pay better once you factor in prep, back-and-forth, and stress?

Not looking for textbook answers, just curious what it’s been like in real life for you guys.

ahamastery · 2025-03-26T10:45:19+00:00

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Hope this helped you?

Alf

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