The Ultimate DJ Checklist: Everything You Need For Your DJ Gigs

Preparing for a DJing event requires careful planning to ensure that all the necessary equipment, accessories, and music are ready for the night.

Creating a DJ checklist is a great way to ensure that nothing is forgotten and backup gear is available in the event of an emergency.

We’ve created this ultimate DJ checklist, covering essential gear and accessories, to help you stay organized before your next gig.

The Ultimate DJ Checklist: Everything You Need For Your DJ Gigs

Whether you’re a gigging DJ working primarily in clubs or a weekend wedding DJ, a DJ checklist is a vital tool that can streamline your workflow and keep you prepared.

Let’s begin this ultimate DJ checklist, which covers all event types, from essential everyday carry items to dedicated DJing hardware and important spares.

1. General Items

Before we explore the essential DJing gear that needs to be on your checklist, it’s vital to cover the basic everyday carry items that DJs will need.

These items include:

• Wallet: Whether you’re expecting to be paid for the gig in cash or not, taking your wallet with some cash ready inside is essential for emergency taxis and other cash-only services.
• Keys: House and car keys are a must, but it also pays to be cautious and include them on your checklist just to be safe.
• Smartphone and charger: The smartphone is the first promotional tool DJs can use. They can share links for their social media pages with fans and information about DJ rates with promoters.
• Sunglasses: If you’re DJing outdoors in the summer or traveling to a gig, a pair of sunglasses is another crucial item to pack with your other belongings.
• Earplugs: Loud sound systems can damage a DJ’s hearing, so earplugs to reduce the risk of ear damage are another must-have accessory for gigs.
• Multitool: You can also bring a multitool that includes a screwdriver, plyers, tweezers, and other implements in case something needs fixing during the event.
• Business cards: While smartphones are excellent for DJ promotion, a traditional business card still has a firm place in raising awareness and getting people to remember you when considering DJ services.
• Torch: As some DJ booths can be poorly lit, a torch can be a great help when struggling to find a dropped USB stick or other pocket-sized accessory.

Other general items worth considering for particular scenarios include a change of clothes for lengthy journeys to the gig, food and drinks, and any medication you need to take.

You can rework this checklist according to each gig, adding and removing items depending on the distance you travel to the venue and its amenities.

Expand your playlists with ZIPDJ today.

2. Core DJ Equipment

The history of DJ equipment has seen the release of countless devices for DJing, from traditional turntable and mixer setups to all-in-one DJ controllers.

Each individual’s DJ equipment checklist will be unique depending on the style of DJing and the equipment installed at their chosen venues.

While DJs who enjoy scratching often use old-school turntables and mixers with responsive crossfaders, others prefer the simplicity of modern DJ controllers.

Some also use laptops to connect to other hardware, accessing their music library through direct connection rather than using cloud services.

Whatever your setup is, make sure everything you need is written down on the checklist so you don’t overlook something vital on the night.

You can also create separate core equipment lists for specific events requiring additional gear compared to regular gigs.

3. DJing Accessories

DJing accessories are another aspect of the profession that can be easily overlooked when you rush to get to the venue and start your gig.

If you’re performing a DJ residency, the venue will likely already have a full system in the DJ booth but will most likely require you to bring headphones along.

The standard accessories used by DJs begin with a pair of headphones, and if you’re a mobile or wedding DJ or have an MC involved, you’ll also need a microphone.

Make sure they’re all in complete working order ahead of the event. If you have the funds to invest in spares, you should include these in your gear lineup.

While most DJ controllers use standard inputs for microphones and headphones, taking along adapters can be helpful if the setup isn’t compatible.

4. Music Library Equipment

Different DJs adopt different approaches to storing and transporting their music libraries to gigs, but most use a combination of MP3s and cloud storage services.

This has the advantage of keeping gear weight and size to a minimum, but on the downside, it’s easy to misplace a USB stick and have difficulty tracking it down.

Alternatively, some DJs still prefer to use traditional vinyl records for their sets and CDs for playing with popular hardware such as Pioneer’s CDJs.

For CDs, you can invest in a wallet that removes the need to take all your music in its original case, saving space and weight on the way to the venue.

Records can be transported in dedicated record bags, which also have the advantage of additional pockets for headphones and other essential accessories.

While the best DJ software eliminates the need for transporting music libraries, organization is essential if you’re a DJ using multiple media sources.

You should also take the time to properly organize your music library before the gig, arrange your playlists, and line up key songs to drop through the set.

5. DJ Console & Facade

For mobile and wedding DJs who have to take a portable DJ booth to their gigs, a DJ console and facade are also essential for the checklist.

DJs performing at house parties are also likely to be expected to provide a table for setting up their equipment and preparing for the event.

Foldable tables can provide sturdy support for equipment and plenty of space to keep food and drinks away from the expensive gear.

The facade helps to keep the appearances tidy for the audience and offers a fantastic opportunity to promote DJ services and build up clients.

They can also be modified for particular events, whether you’re DJing at a fundraiser or your corporate event client wants to use the space to promote their brand.

Getting a high-quality banner professionally printed isn’t extortionate, and its potential to further develop your DJ career makes it a worthwhile investment.

If you don’t have graphic design skills to make your own, you can hire a freelancer or ask around friends and family to find someone who can help.

DJs who perform at a range of gigs can also create multiple facades for different occasions, tailoring the designs to the atmosphere of the venue and style of sets.

Learn more: Breaking down the difference between new vs old DJ equipment.

6. Speaker Systems

Portable speaker systems are also widely used by DJs for various gigs, whether it’s DJing at a house party or working as a professional corporate event DJ.

Modern technology has allowed speaker manufacturers to develop robust and compact speaker systems capable of putting out punchy basslines and crisp high frequencies.

That said, speaker systems are still cumbersome, so if you’re using one for your set, you should be prepared with transportation to and from the gig.

You don’t have to use the latest Funktion-One Soundsystem to need plenty of space in your vehicle and all the other gear you’re transporting.

It is also something that DJs won’t necessarily require for every gig they play at, so you can include it as an optional extra on your checklist for relevant occasions.

Ensure your sound system is properly maintained and tested before the event and that you have the cables to connect it to your DJ controller.

If possible, try to schedule a slot before the event begins so you can set up your speaker system and perform sound checks before the guests arrive.

7. Lighting Equipment

Lighting equipment is another essential gear for a checklist oriented toward wedding and mobile DJs and adds visual flourishes to a set.

While some venues for weddings, birthdays, and anniversaries will include this in their setup, others expect you to bring lights to the gig.

This can be basic traffic and disco lights, budget-friendly colored lights, or more complex and innovative AI lighting that responds to the music.

Strobe lighting is another popular choice for DJs, mainly if they provide lighting for dance music gigs in darker and more atmospheric venues.

As with sound systems, you should be prepared with transportation ahead of time and get to the venue early to set everything up ready for the party to start.

8. Portable Smoke Machine

While the portable smoke machine is a relatively niche piece of equipment for most DJs, it is nevertheless a versatile device that can complement a DJ set.

Smoke machines are a worthwhile investment that can increase how much a DJ makes by adding a visual element along with DJ lighting.

Portable models are affordable and deliver enough output to sustain the effect throughout a gig, enhancing the effect of lights and other visuals.

Wedding and mobile DJs often have a smoke machine in their arsenal of gear to bring dramatic visual interest to accompany their music.

It can also be an excellent tool for creating a sense of atmosphere for electronic music DJ sets, particularly when combined with subtle lighting and strobes.

If you’re a DJ who uses a portable smoke machine and space to transport it to gigs, it belongs on your DJ checklist when preparing for events.

9. Cables & Spares

Most professional DJs have experienced issues with their cables at one time or another, with cables susceptible to fraying and other damage through regular use.

Checking to make sure your cables are packed for the gig and checked for potential issues avoids problems, allowing you to focus on the art of DJing.

This should cover all the cables needed to set up and run your DJ equipment, USB leads, charger cables, and headphone connectors.

While club DJs will have all their gear provided, other types of DJs, particularly mobile and wedding DJs, should consider packing spares.

They’re small enough to fit in a car along with the rest of the DJ equipment and can be a lifesaver in the event of a failure during a DJ performance.

If you’re not driving to the venue, you can use cable tidies to keep them wrapped up and secure, adding them to a rucksack along with your other belongings.

10. Backup DJ System

In an emergency, it pays to have a reliable backup DJ system in place that can pick up the slack when your main equipment fails.

While taking along a fully equipped secondary system might not be feasible, some options that don’t require extensive space and setup time can be used.

Ideally, if you have any old gear, such as a cheap controller you first learned to play with, this can be useful in these situations.

Alternatively, many excellent free DJ software options can be used at a moment’s notice by simply connecting your smartphone to the audio output.

Another excellent way to keep the music flowing while you address technical issues is to prepare a playlist for a streaming platform.

SoundCloud and Spotify can be used to play your pre-recorded mixes or dedicated playlists, respectively, keeping the audience entertained in the interim.

There’s no limit on how many backup mixes you can have ready in the pipeline, with the option to create bespoke mixes for various gigging scenarios.

It will give you considerable peace of mind if something goes wrong, alleviating the potential for reputational damage.

ZIPDJ’s pricing covers everything DJs need.

Summary

Working as a DJ can often lead to a hectic schedule, including booking gigs, liaising with venue management, and building playlists for upcoming events.

By modifying this DJ checklist and tailoring it to your specific gigging requirements, you can save valuable time when heading out to perform your next set.

You can create unique DJ lists that match each client’s requirements if you perform at various functions, such as weddings and corporate events.