Breaking Through As A DJ In 2024

One of the unique - one of the great - things about our industry is its constant search for new talent and new artists. But trying to crack the code and break through as a DJ can often be dispiriting, confusing, expensive and exhausting.

Do you need to be a producer? Have ‘influencer’ numbers on social media? How much is luck and how much is skill? Who can actually make it happen and how do you reach them? Do you need a manager first? Should you get an agent? Start your own promotion? What are the different rules of the game for different genres and different types of DJ? And does anyone really ever listen to the mixes you send them?

Want some answers? There are a few sessions in particular at IMS Ibiza, presented in partnership with AlphtaTheta, that might just help. You can join Pete Tong, TSHA and Adam Beyer for a Pete Tong DJ Academy masterclass, ‘From The Bedroom To The Stage… How To!’ exploring the process of getting your break, the tips of the trade and what the path to success looks like in 2024.

Beatport are hosting a sit-down with some of electronic music’s standout new stars to share the insights, triumphs and - of course the missteps - from their journeys so far.?‘Emerging Talent: Navigating the Next Generation of Music’ features breakthrough talents Alex Wann, Charisse C, Hilit Kolet, Honeyluv and KILIMANJARO.

Two ‘Ask-Me-Anything’ sessions should definitely be useful - the first with six of the biggest and most influential DJ agents in the game, including representatives from CAA, UTA, Wasserman and WME. Another AMA sees those mysterious gatekeepers, the bookers, step blinking shyly into the daylight to unveil the secrets of how they work, how to connect with them, and what they’re looking for right now in a breakthrough DJ. Featuring the ‘selectors behind the selectors’ from Elrow, Warehouse Project and AVA and Sziget Festivals, it’s a rare chance to cut out the guesswork behind getting booked.

You can also hear first-hand the story of how DJ legends like Smokin’ Jo and Paulette made their own way through the industry - and see the very best of the culture celebrated at the first Beatport Awards since 2011.

And beyond these talks, at IMS Ibiza you’ll be in exactly the right place to make those real-life face-to-face connections, grab those email addresses, start creating your own map of the industry and plotting your course through it, build support with others in the same situation - and of course, be inspired at the Ibiza opening parties, events and showcases that come included with your delegate badge.

We can’t promise fame, glory, riches, success, festival headline sets and your own monochrome fashion line. No one can. But at IMS Ibiza you can learn from those who’ve made the journey, be guided by legends in the game, and gain a rare insight into the gatekeepers of the culture.

Which can’t hurt, can it?

JOIN US AT IMS IBIZA 2024