How to Get Booked as a DJ: The Press Kit Angle

Every DJ wants more bookings. The advice you'll find online is usually the same: network, promote yourself on social media, play free gigs to get noticed. That's all true. But there's one thing that almost nobody talks about — and it's the difference between DJs who get booked and DJs who get ignored.

Make it easy for promoters to say yes.

What Promoters Actually Want

Promoters aren't browsing Instagram looking for DJs to book. They're busy. They're putting together lineups under time pressure. When they evaluate a DJ, they need to answer a few questions fast:

• What genre does this DJ play? Will they fit the vibe?
• Are they any good? What do they sound like?
• Have they played anywhere credible?
• What equipment do they need?
• How do I contact them or their agent?

If a promoter can answer all five questions in under two minutes, you're in a strong position. If they have to dig through your Instagram, find your SoundCloud, guess your email from your bio, and ask you about your rider — they'll probably just book someone else.

Your EPK Is Your Sales Page

Think of your electronic press kit as a sales page for yourself. It's not a CV. It's not a portfolio. It's a tool designed to get one specific outcome: a booking enquiry.

That means every section needs to earn its place. Your bio should be concise and specific. Your mixes should be your best work — not everything you've ever recorded. Your events list should highlight the names that matter most. Your tech rider should save the promoter a conversation.

And all of it needs to be accessible in one link.

The Follow-Up Problem

Most DJs reach out to promoters via DM or email. That's fine — you have to put yourself out there. But what happens after the initial message? The promoter clicks your link, looks at your press kit, and makes a decision.

If your "press kit" is a PDF from six months ago with broken SoundCloud links and photos from 2022, you've wasted the opportunity. If it's a professional, up-to-date EPK with embedded mixes, a clear bio, and a tech rider ready to go — you've made their job easy.

Getting booked isn't just about being talented. Plenty of talented DJs never get booked because they make it too hard for promoters to evaluate them. The ones who succeed make the entire process frictionless.

Stand Out From the Stack

A promoter for a medium-sized club night might get 20–30 demo submissions a week. Most of them look the same: a SoundCloud link, a couple of sentences, and maybe an Instagram handle. No bio. No rider. No press photos.

Now imagine you send a single link to a polished EPK with your bio, best mixes, past events with logos, a tech rider, downloadable press photos, and a clear booking contact. You've just put yourself in the top 10% of submissions — not because you're necessarily a better DJ, but because you took it seriously.

Professionalism is a signal. It tells promoters that you'll show up on time, you'll be prepared, and you'll be easy to work with. Your press kit is the first evidence of that.

One Link. That's It.

The ultimate goal is to be able to put one link in your email, your Instagram bio, your DMs — and have it say everything a promoter needs to know. No attachments. No "check out my SoundCloud and also here's my rider and oh here are some photos." One link. Done.