“Every post feels like a test. If it flops I feel like a failure”: 61% of DJs feel that their social media presence is more important than their skill

It’s ‘official’. We live in an age where a DJ’s social media rankings are more important than their skill. That’s the sad, sobering and standout statistic coming from a new survey by the Pete Tong DJ Academy which shared its findings at this year’s International Music Summit in Ibiza.

As revealed by CEO Alex Tripi yesterday, an impressive 15,000 DJs and producers took part in a survey of their members and the results show a rather sobering and not exactly enthusiastic response as to how the art of the DJ and clubbing in general is heading.

Top and centre of the numbers was the fact that 61% of working DJs now believe that a social media presence is more important than actual skill.

Yes, no matter how good you are, you’re not going to get the big bucks and the big gigs until you’ve got a social media following and online presence big enough to – potentially – draw in fans and justify your cost.

In a sense, that’s sound business sense in an age where everyone can DJ to some degree and technology makes entry ever cheaper and easier. But for those with genuine talent and something new to show, it’s rather disheartening to have another big hurdle placed in your progress.

In fact, it’s more than a little unfair. If, for example, you were a stunningly talented guitarist, mind-blowingly innovative new drummer, or the voice of a new generation you could comfortably expect to find a way to get noticed through amateur gigs and being part of a local music scene. But in the great level playing field of the DJ it looks like every DJ booth has an immediate barrier to entry.

In fact, the survey also reveals that 62% of up-and-coming DJs and producers believe “the electronic music industry is a closed club”. Looks like it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.

According to Mixmag, one 24-year-old DJ-producer from France whose response was shared directly at Tripi’s talk said: “Every [social media] post feels like a test. If it flops I feel like a failure.”

It’s not all bad news however.

In the survey 35% of respondents agreed with the statement that: “if you persist and have resilience, it will happen”, though it’s unclear if that means becoming a better DJ or simply working harder on your socials…

Elsewhere 52% of respondents said that they have experienced anxiety or burnout and a surprisingly high 31% have thought about quitting music altogether in the last year.

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