Guest Blogs

Covering a song that has moved or touched you in some way can be a challenging endeavor. For starters, recording a cover or remake entails much more than just copying or repeating what you’ve heard. As with any musical performance, a song cover should be uniquely yours. Whether you want to cover a popular Beatles song or something that’s more obscure, doing your own version entails creativity, originality, and a certain level of boldness.

Finding the right tracks is one of the most fun challenges that come with being a DJ. But where do you even begin your search? As you know, buying a lot of singles or multiple versions of the same song will start to add up sooner or later. Today, guest blogger Amar Amlani (DiceDJ) is here to tell you all the tricks of the trade, so you can continue, or start, to astound your audience with fresh beats.

Taking a little time out from working his show, The Polarizer, globetrotter and experienced podcaster, Dick Hoebee shares some tips and recommends some gear to help you make what’s fast becoming the new radio-show format and prove that anyone can start podcasting, no matter the budget.

Guest-blogger and songwriter Jemy wrote his first song back in 2011 and is itching to pass on some tips to help anyone who wants to start writing while keeping things fun and worthwhile. Besides sharing some personal experiences, Jemy offers some nuggets of wisdom from renowned songwriters. Since every man and his dog seems to be writing, it’s not really worth chasing your dream on a horse-drawn chariot while everyone else is racing in a Tesla. In short: good prep is everything.

Guest blogger Teo Lazarov from Chordify looked at the most-played songs on their music education platform since 2013. Let the cherry picking from the all-time play-along favorites begin!

Whether you’re doing gigs with your band or you’re a DJ doing drive-in shows, lighting is an essential component for the right atmosphere. But what kind of stage lighting creates that right kind of vibe for your event? Pars, blinders, strobes, moonflowers, derby effects, moving heads, scanners, lasers, halogen lights, LED lighting…it’s intimidating how many options there are to choose from. Guest blogger Bo Janssens helps you figure out your ideal on-stage lighting set-up.

For some time now, DJ-ing has long been as much about the show as it is about what you play or what kind of effects you throw in. You’re never going to blow minds by just hitting play and sipping a cocktail. As such and especially for mobile Djs, the standard setup has expanded to include some pretty progressive lighting gear. Guestblogger and DJ, Brian (BRIVE) shares some of his experiences and tips to help guide you through what’s out there and to elevate your show and make sure your name, as well your tunes, stick in the heads of your crowd.

Without a doubt, Twitch is one of the biggest and hottest social media platforms in the world right now. In case you missed it, Twitch is a live streaming video platform which is used by over 140 million people every month. In comparison to other platforms that provide a streaming function, like YouTube, Twitch is far more popular due to the great working member-system, the advanced options they provide for streaming and their payout system.

There’s a never-ending debate of mixing live vs pre-recorded sets. Some will claim that a DJ should be able to just “feel the vibe of the audience” and act upon it, while for others, a great mix comes from preparation and organization. Of course there is a difference when you play for a crowd or when you make a mix for a radio show, podcast, or demo. Guest Blogger Jeroen of Moon Jelly Agency asked DJs within the agency’s network how to prepare for making a DJ mix and created a list with 7 tips to help you prepare your DJ set.

One of the most influential streaming platforms in the music industry, SoundCloud, has helped to kick-start the careers of many previously unknown artists. The open audio platform once started as a website for upcoming artists to upload their tracks, but has evolved to a platform with advertisements for revenue and an option for paid subscriptions. However, the website now has 175 million registered users and continues to function as the main track sharing platform for new artists. Today, Guest blogger Melvin van der Waal from Moon Jelly Agency shines his light on the benefits of the SoundCloud Pro Unlimited subscription.

One of the major talking points in the EDM industry is the role of ghost producers. When it comes to producing your music, many of you spend days, weeks, or even months trying to perfect your musical vision. So, why not use a ghost producer to help you? Today, Guest Blogger Remko de Jong from Moon Jelly Agency will shine his light on the question whether you should or should not hire a ghost producer, and how the use of a ghost producer can influence your music career.

One of the first things you’ll do when starting your career as a music artist is finding yourself a unique, recognizable, and representative artist name. Especially when starting out in the industry, it is essential that your name scores high on findability, allowing people to easily find your music, videos, and website when typing your name in the search bar. In the coming months, the experts from Moon Jelly Agency will share essential tips and tricks for building your music career. Today, founder Remko will provide you with 10 essential steps that will help you choose a memorable artist name.