5 Simple DJ-ing Tips to Add Some Interest to Your Live Streams

Guestblogger Rob Brummans (AKA Mindru) shares five simple tips to help live-streaming DJs to make things more interesting for themselves and their viewers and listeners. He also gives us a look inside the kitchen where he preps his live streams.

#1. Get Inspired

Do you want to do more with your stream but can’t find a way to make it really stand out? Trying too hard can work against you so, rather than doing everything you can to be ground-breaking or unique, have a look at what other streamers are doing and don’t copy them exactly but take inspiration from them. You might be a bit put off when you see streams that feature wild light shows or other expensive add-ons that you can’t afford right now, but remember: you can actually do a lot by keeping things simple and working with what you have.

#2. Create Atmosphere

Of course, you could splurge your savings on a cool moving head to boost the vibe, but it can actually be better to pick up a few smaller atmospheric lights. The very first thing I added was just an LED cube, which is still part of my current setup. The cube doesn’t even respond to music, but it did come with a little remote control so I can adjust the light speed and match it with the energy of my set, making it look like I do actually have sound-responsive lighting. By playing with the position of your lights, you can also create something pretty unique. For example, I replaced the lightbulb in a normal bedside lamp with a multicoloured bulb to throw some shadows across my setup while I stream. It can really be that simple.

#3. Get Your Audience Involved

After two years, my setup evolved to include a full-on LED rig, two webcams that I can switch between at the push of a button, and more keyboard shortcuts on my OBS that I can use to easily create a bit of hype in the Twitch chat. To get more people watching my stream rather than just listening to it, I also set up a sort of mini-quiz. By making the most of everything that you can do when online streaming you can really boost audience interaction and get people engaged. It only took a couple of minutes to make the quiz but the result is really long lasting. If you win the quiz, you get your requested track played, which very actively involves my audience in the set and gives me a nice little challenge.

#4. Make Smart Investments

A lot of DJs fall into the trap of spending a massive amount of money on decorations and maybe spending less on gear like their mixer or laptop. Of course, a great light show is going to boost impact, but it can actually be better to just start small and really display the fact that you love what you’re doing and share your love before even thinking about expanding your rig. Only investing in gear that actually enhances your live stream is wise, so spend more on the things that really matter and postpone any big spends on things that don’t immediately matter. Twitch is a pretty generous community. If you can show that, even though you don’t have all the latest gear, you really have the skills and the ear to pick out the right tracks and that you’re progressing and growing as a DJ, the community will reward your hard work. Sometimes even with donations to help you out.

#5. Plan Your Stream

Before I play a set, the first thing I decide is whether or not I’m going to improvise; which genre I’m going to focus on; the kind of energy level of the genre; and whether or not I want to leave some room for adding other records depending on my viewers and subscribers. From there, I look at how I can make my layout more slick. Maybe in a previous stream I noticed that a font or colour didn’t match nicely with the rest of the overlay. Maybe I remember that track that got a great response and that I haven’t played it in a while. I also know how to set up my lighting to boost my energy during the set, simply because I know the tracks so well. It’s all of these kinds of things that I think about and plan before I actually start.

Got any other life-hacks you can use to give your stream more atmosphere? Let us know in the comments!

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Guestblogger Rob Brummans (Mindru)

Rob Brummans (33) has been in love with music since he learned to walk. He’s never been bound to a specific genre but is drawn to anything that’s a bit darker and more mysterious. Rob has been on the party and festival scene since 2006 and, since 2008 has been producing with FL Studio, He also started his vinyl collection in 2016. At the beginning of 2020, he launched his Twitch channel under the name Mindru Music, where he performs live sets and techno-jams. To find all of Rob’s music and projects, see his Viberate page.