The Best DJ Competitions In The World

The best DJ competitions are a great way to demonstrate your DJing style while being in with a chance of taking home a coveted prize.

Whether you’re a seasoned electronic music DJ looking to break into clubs or a bedroom DJ who wants new experiences, there’s a competition for you.

In this article, we’ll explore some of the best contests for DJs, from long-standing and iconic scratching contests to competitions in Ibiza’s best clubs.

The 8 Best DJ Competitions In The World

There are hundreds of excellent DJ competitions each year ranging from small events on the local level to international contests catering to a global audience.

In this guide, we’ve highlighted the most notable DJ competitions there are, hosted by leading venues and offering attractive prizes to their winners.

So, without further ado, here’s our list of the best DJ competitions in the world:

8. ANTS: NEXT GEN DJ Competition

The music scene in Ibiza needs little introduction even to those with a slight interest in electronic music, with hundreds of venues located on the island.

It’s no surprise to hear that the location plays host to some notable DJ competitions, with the ANTS: NEXT GEN DJ contest one of the best you can enter.

This high-concept competition, which is held in partnership with Beatport, is set up to seek out the next generation of DJing talent from around the world.

In addition to Beatport, the ANTS: NEXT GEN DJ competition is held in collaboration with heavyweights such as Amnesia Ibiza, DJ Mag, and Klubcoin.

With an emphasis on the business side of the DJing experience, the contest appeals to DJs who combine great skills with a head for marketing their business.

As such, it’s ideal for those who are truly looking to make an impact on the music industry and have the personal brand to go with their DJing skillset.

Entrants are requested to send in a thirty-minute recording of their best set on SoundCloud and follow the other instructions on the entry form.

You can submit your best DJ set and showcase your mastery of advanced DJing techniques that mark you as a DJ to watch.

The ultimate winner will get their foot in the door of the industry, as well as the opportunity to perform a set on Ushuaïa Ibiza’s iconic poolside stage.

7. Mix Master DJ Competition

UK-based and looking for a regular annual DJ competition to showcase their skills, there’s the Mix Master DJ Competition, which you can enter from home.

Taking advantage of the latest technology, the Mix Master DJ Competition sets entrants before a panel of experts while performing from home.

This means that if you want to enter the contest, you’ll need to have the appropriate setup so you can livestream your sets and share them with the event runners.

There are no restrictions on what equipment you use to perform your sets, nor are there limitations on the types of music genres you’re planning on playing,

Once you’ve made it through the audition process, you’ll be given a ten-minute live time slot to show off your abilities to the judges.

Your set will be marked out of ten by each judge, and then compared to the performances of the other DJs who have entered the competition.

Some of the rules to be mindful of include a ban on pre-recorded sets, a clear view of your gear in the video, and only using single tracks.

Additionally, swearing is prohibited both in your DJ sets and the post-set interviews, and your audio quality should be clear and of the highest possible quality.

Whether you’ve mastered all the features of the best DJ controllers or want to showcase your music taste, the Mix Master DJ Competition is worth entering.

6. Your Shot

From the UK to Australia for the Your Shot DJ competition, a great contest that accepts applications from DJs with no previous experience.

The entry process is simple and begins with registering online before you’ll be asked to participate in their DJ training at local venues for The Academy.

The Academy courses are available in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States, so if you’re not in any of these countries the contest may be off-limits.

All the information you need to register is straightforward and includes your name, location, date of birth, and contact information.

With the registration process completed, the next stage in the Your Shot contest is to perform in front of a crowd where you’ll be assessed for your skills.

The winners of the first rounds will then be flown to perform at one of the biggest global dance music festivals, such as Imagine in the US and BPM Festival in Croatia.

The competition covers the best music genres for DJs, making it a versatile option for open-format DJs and those specializing in a niche.

Geared toward those with little experience, it’s a great way to combine actionable training with a chance to perform in front of a sell-out crowd.

5. Beatport & Pioneer DJ Competition

While some DJ contests are held annually, the Beatport and Pioneer DJ Competition is a monthly contest that offers huge sums of prize money to its winners.

Known as The Big Break, this monthly contest has been designed to discover the best DJing talent out there and reward their skills with prizes.

The competition shortlists finalists who will be tasked with performing a live set in front of thousands on the Beatport Twitch channel.

As such, if you’re thinking of entering, you’ll need to be using Beatport LINK to be eligible to participate and get your DJ set heard by the hosts.

If you make it through to the eight finalists, this round will then be used to select the best three DJs to take home prizes.

The prizes for third place include a year’s subscription to Beatport LINK PRO+, a selection of plugins, a Loopcloud subscription, and speakers.

Second place gets the same selection of prizes, while the prize for first place adds an XDJ-XZ Professional DJ system and Pioneer DJ Masterclass.

This makes it a highly sought-after contest for budding DJs who are looking to gain deeper insights through their participation.

It’s a great alternative to an annual DJ competition for those who can’t wait for another year before facing other DJs.

4. DJenerates Global DJ Search

Another exceptional contest associated with Ibiza is the DJenerates Global DJ Search competition, which is powered by DJ Mag, Amnesia Ibiza, Clubbing TV, and Klubcoin.

Like the ANTS: NEXT GEN competition, this is an easy-to-enter contest that uses a leaderboard system to select the best DJs from its many applicants.

This leaderboard system begins with each entrant submitting their DJ set on social media platforms where they can promote their set to the contest.

The first five points can be earned through a simple introduction to the contest’s Discord server, with an additional ten points per weekly set you submit.

Posting a complete tracklist of your set will earn you another ten points, as well as publishing an Insta Reel or TikTok video tagging the hosts.

Finally, twenty points can be picked up for live streaming a set each week on the contest’s partner organization Clubbing Live, and gaining further exposure.

The winner will have the chance to perform live at one of the most prestigious nightclubs in Ibiza, Amnesia, beginning a potentially illustrious career.

The venue has played host to some of the best techno DJs of all time, as well as more mainstream DJs such as Martin Garrix and Deadmau5 to huge audiences.

It’s a hugely popular DJ competition that many other DJs use to promote their services while going head-to-head for the biggest prizes.

3. Elrow Up & Coming DJ Competition

DJs with a passion for electronic music should consider entering the Elrow Up & Coming DJ Competition to improve their prospects.

As the name of this competition implies, it’s oriented toward helping identify beginner DJs who haven’t yet broken out into the mainstream.

This makes it perfect for those who have got their head around the common DJ pain points and are ready to take their career in new directions.

The contest is breaks down the entrants into the final 150 chosen artists, who then showcase their talent and vie for a spot with the ten finalists.

You can play your favorite tracks in your submission DJ mix, as well as demonstrate your grasp of the finer points of DJing.

This could include demonstrating advanced knowledge of using the EQ to integrating effects and showcasing your scratching techniques.

If you make it through to the final winning rounds, you’ll be invited to a club in Barcelona to perform in front of a crowd at the legendary Fabrik Madrid club.

You’ll also be given the opportunity to participate in DJ workshops and educational talks from some of the industry’s most experienced figures.

2. London Sound Academy: Future Talent

The London Sound Academy is renowned for delivering some of the best online DJ courses to help new and advanced DJs improve.

Their dedicated contest, the London Sound Academy Future Talent competition, reflects the high level of experience the company has in the dance music industry.

It’s an annual DJ competition that offers a long list of prizes for its winners, including a chance to DJ at London’s prestigious Ministry of Sound.

Additional prizes winners can expect to receive should they beat the competition include professional photoshoots to help them market their brand.

There are also opportunities to acquire expensive studio time for free, which is ideal for DJ producers looking to enhance their talent stack with production.

Winners can also access courses through London Sound Academy, further improving their skills and expanding their network of contacts.

With regular DJ competitions in the pipeline, you can keep in the loop by following the London Sound Academy Instagram account for the latest information.

1. DMC World Championships

DJs who have dedicated hours learning how to scratch DJ will have heard of the DMC World Championships, which has been running for decades.

It’s arguably the biggest DJ competition in the world for hip-hop DJs to showcase their turntablism skills and compete with other DJs

Some of the biggest names in the hip-hop scene have rose to fame through the DMC contest, with Q-Tip and DJ Skillz launching successful careers.

If you’re thinking of entering the DMC World Championships, you should be able to scratch with a high degree of proficiency to keep up with your rivals.

While DMC Battles are free to enter and open to anyone worldwide, the level of skill associated with entrants may be off-putting for beginners.

To enter, you’ll be expected to submit a video to the contest, either as a YouTube video or on various social media platforms, showing your best scratching skills.

This must show your set in its entirety as a non-stop performance, so if you edit the content in any way, it won’t be eligible as a viable submission.

Additional rules include a ban on nudity and other explicit content, and DMC reserves the right to remove videos if it is deemed inappropriate.

If you’re a DJ with impressive scratching techniques who can handle stiff competition, the DMC World Championships should be at the top of your list of contests.

Summary

We hope you’ve found this guide to the best DJ competitions a useful introduction to help you put together a stunning package to submit for your next contest.

These high-profile contests are a great opportunity to enhance your DJ artist profile worldwide, create new contacts, and pick up gigs at local events.

If you’re talented enough to take home the top spot, these competitions reward the winners with prizes to enhance their DJing career prospects.