Voice DJ?

[Doris Johnsky]

I know a lot of clubs require voice, but isn't that discounting some very good DJs who do not voice but play great music that fits the climate of a club, and at the same time being a very strong presence in Local Chat?

 

I've heard SO MANY voice DJs who either talk far too much (I'm there for music and/or companionship, not a vocal dissertation) or simply do not have good "DJ" voices.  

Frankly, voice DJs do very little to enhance the club atmosphere, and the best I've heard voice very little. I don't even like most DJs in RL clubs.  They're a distraction.

 

Just curious for your opinions.

 

 

[djsoa]

Lots of clubs don’t require you to voice as long as your active in local. I don’t voice and I never have a hard time getting work, If your good, your skills speaks volumes.

[Doris Johnsky]

Oh I understand that and I have 2 gigs I really like doing.  BUT there a lot of clubs with high traffic with openings for DJs that require voice. REQUIRE.  

 

And the music the voice DJs play is no better (and many times far less desirable)  that what I play.  

[Talon Brown]

I agree but there's really no use trying to argue with the owners that require voice.  They don't care about the music, they want "personality" DJs who are in love with the sound of their own voice.

[Eggy UwU]

At most clubs I attend, I will say I totally agree with this. I have found a good selection of a few clubs that I know focus on just the music and the atmosphere such as: Furzona. Furzona is basically a furry-based club, but everyone is welcome! It is under the destinations guide for clubs. Go check it out and I am sure you will love it.

[Bdobson]

Many club owners require voice so the DJ can advertise their Host, the club, upcoming events etc. VIPS are not always in chat range, even with an extender, but are always in range of the DJ Stream wherever they are on the club's land.

[Sid Nagy]

IMHO a DJ should have a few opening lines at the beginning of the show to Introduce him/herself and the hosts and a few thank you words at the end to close the show. That is also the moment to mention upcoming events.
For the rest maybe a  jingle here and there to mask all to hard pitch or key switches. And for the rest: let the music play and do it's job.
And whatever you do: No cheesy jokes or remarks.
At least that is what I did when I had an occasional gig somewhere in the good old days in RL.

Edited April 7, 2021 by Sid Nagy
I always edit.

[Jaylinbridges]

6 hours ago, Doris Johnsky said:

Frankly, voice DJs do very little to enhance the club atmosphere, and the best I've heard voice very little. I don't even like most DJs in RL clubs.  They're a distraction.

And you would never be hired by our club with that attitude.  

We expect our DJ's to voice - how frequently is up to them.  Some after every song,  Some every 3 songs.  Some every 6 songs. And most, when it is appropriate, by greeting in voice our VIPs and newcomers alike, by announcing requests and dedications, by helping celebrate someone's rez day or birthday, or engagement, and by announcing a newly released song or new band.  Of course if all you play is Top 40 from a 10 year old playlist, there is nothing new to announce.

Our most popular DJ's voice, make the crowd feel welcome and wanted, and some even tell bad jokes.  We are entertainers that use the music to set a mood.  We do what any good DJ should do.  And our DJ's work the crowd.  They do NOT just play some pre planned playlist while they have a beer.  They take requests,  and play them! Unlike many clubs where the DJ refuses a request because "I would have to review that song first, or some lame excuse".  Some think their pre-planned playlist, played in order, is so wonderful that a request would ruin it.  Arrogant and lazy DJ's don't get too far at our club.  If you want to only hear a continuous impersonal music stream, tune into an internet radio station.

Just typing in local chat is not personal, and in fact many never see it.  Our local chat can move so fast, because we talk to each other, that the DJ's pithy text comments are lost in the noise.  Some couples choose to remain in IM, and never see the local chat.  But they are listening to the DJ's stream.

I sometimes send an Alt to a popular music club, where 60 inside the club is the norm.  Many of their DJ's just play music, seldom voice or greet or interact with the club in any way.  Then I check the actual number of unique listeners to the DJ stream.  With 60 patrons, typically 30 are listening.  After all since the DJ is nearly invisible there, they just listen to their own music.  They also don't tip when they are not listening to the DJ.  

 

 

 

Edited April 7, 2021 by Jaylinbridges

[Rat Luv]

This really varies! I don't think there's a right or wrong answer, just personal preference.

It can be cheesy, like a wedding DJ, if they talk too much. Though if a DJ's funny or creative, and NOT just saying "Don't forget to show my host some Linden loving"  it can work. 

There used to be a soul place where the DJ would talk and tell us a bit about the history of the songs, which was great. And I used to work late night shifts with an American vampire DJ who was so grumpy it was hilarious...he would just say "Going out for a cigarette, so here's a long one"  or "Contest board's broken, you can all TP out now"  I loved it and so did our little audience 

But I think it's great when people spend time creating sets with a theme and not taking requests...I have heard some AMAZING dreampop, shoegaze and alternative sets and they would have been ruined if the DJ did shout outs every two or three songs...

[Doris Johnsky]

2 hours ago, Talon Brown said:

I agree but there's really no use trying to argue with the owners that require voice.  They don't care about the music, they want "personality" DJs who are in love with the sound of their own voice.

I agree. And I would agree with the second part of your reply except many times they aren't

[Doris Johnsky]

All good points and thank you for the clarification.

[Orwar]

   I don't see why they shouldn't require their DJs to do some voice overs. To many people, that's one of the reasons to listen to an SL club stream rather than just having Spotify or YouTube on in the background, or even Twitch - all those platforms has content both live and in the form of playlists, composed by DJs. To me it's one of the best things there is with being at a club in SL - request a song from the DJ and hear them butcher my name and the title and band of whichever NDH track I requested.

   And it's nice to actually hear them thanking people for tipping or donating, rather than having a generic gesture spammed with a name inserted into it.

   It's part of the SL clubbing experience for the patrons.

   Besides, some of the DJs I've followed over the years are actually interested in music (le gasp!) and have fun anecdotes or trivia about bands or songs they play - that's entertainment value in my opinion. 

   And of course, a lot of people don't pay attention to local, whether because they're tabbed out or because they're in IMs, so the DJ or host typing stuff there wouldn't necessarily reach people. That's why the DJ I work with will once or twice per set suggest that people donate to the club, or poke me if they want a tag, or that next set will be held by DJ X and host Y, or that this weekend there's this event or that contest. 

   Just a few reasons you'd want your DJs to voice.

[Alwin Alcott]

there are several types .. no right or wrong.

club DJ's like in rl are the ones for music only
radio DJ's like in rl are( mostly) the SL club dj's

i prefer something in between .. a little talk at start and stop.. and perhaps special requests for birth/rezzdays, but not a lot more, and for sure nó "linden love for your host and dj" ...

[Arduenn Schwartzman]

12 hours ago, Doris Johnsky said:

voice DJs do very little to enhance the club atmosphere, and the best I've heard voice very little. I don't even like most DJs in RL clubs.  They're a distraction. [...] Just curious for your opinions.

I have an opinion too, but that won't help you at all. In the end it does not matter what my opinion is, or even your own.

What matters is the opinion of the venue-owner or the people who hire you. And their opinion is partially and loosely based on the average opinion of their audience. And there are many club owner opinions out there, because there are many different clubs with many different themes and many different club atmospheres. Some are just very vocal. Some only care for the music.

What counts is whether you'll find a venue that will keep asking for you based on their specific taste in DJing. If that doesn't happen, you may have to wonder whether it's your opinion, or mine, or anyone else's from some unrelated internet forum that isn't helping you.

[Update] Oh well, here's my opinion anyway:

Let's just say I like a little bit of chatter, especially a DJ who is aware of his audience and show it, by interacting with them through the audio stream, acknowledging their behaviors and looks (and complimenting or joking about them), doing requests and telling the audience who requested what song and whom they dedicated it to. Or even some infotainment mixed in, like anecdotes about the artist currently playing. Yeah I know, very average. But hey, normie and proud.

Edited April 8, 2021 by Arduenn Schwartzman
In the far west of the DJ spectrum, in the infra-black, we find... Glenn Beck

[Lewis Luminos]

14 hours ago, Doris Johnsky said:

I know a lot of clubs require voice, but isn't that discounting some very good DJs who do not voice but play great music that fits the climate of a club, and at the same time being a very strong presence in Local Chat?

I've heard SO MANY voice DJs who either talk far too much (I'm there for music and/or companionship, not a vocal dissertation) or simply do not have good "DJ" voices.  

Frankly, voice DJs do very little to enhance the club atmosphere, and the best I've heard voice very little. I don't even like most DJs in RL clubs.  They're a distraction.

Just curious for your opinions.

 

As both a club owner and a club customer, in both cases I prefer DJs who are active in local chat but not using voice. Or at least if they do, to keep it sparing and NEVER talk over the songs they're playing. 

[Sid Nagy]

Talking over songs is an old radio gimmick to prevent teens from copying music directly from the radio on a tape deck.
There is no need for that anymore on the radio (Spotify, YouTube and others are the sources these days) and certainly not in a club, there was never the need to do so.
But many club DJ's listen a lot to their radio colleagues and many try to copy them.
If you have to say more than a line or two, I would trough in a filler as background.

Radio and club DJ-ing are two different branches on the DJ tree.
Worst thing you can do is talk the show into the ground.
Considering the payments, top notch dabblers don't do SL, but work at a RL local station or when really  good on national radio.
They make their extra dollars by appearing on road shows or with guest appearances at local venues in RL.

A good SL jock should know his/her limitations and play out their real trump cards: Share the love for and knowledge about music.

I would never ever start greeting VIPs. 
IMHO keeping a party going is flexible DJ'ng, searching the requests in your music dungeon, checking how they match with the next song you have in mind after the request etc. And keep an eye and ear on how the crowd reacts to what you play.
So a lot of work, editing, concentrating and thinking is going on behind the screens of the actual show you are putting up.
If you miss one VIP by doing so, there is more harm done than good, so I would stick by not mentioning them at all.

If a SL venue owner finds it important, hire a greeter.
The DJ only plays the "don't forget to pay the lady" jingle once or twice an evening.

I would never spin in SL considering what the financial returns are for the amount of work involved.
Or it would be purely for my own entertainment.
And the venue owners...... well.... I would not care if they invite me back or not.
It would be a take it or leave it job from my side.
No tip jar needed.
 

Edited April 8, 2021 by Sid Nagy
What else to do?

[Jaylinbridges]

43 minutes ago, Sid Nagy said:

I would never ever start greeting VIPs. ... 

If you miss one VIP by doing so, there is more harm done than good, so I would stick by not mentioning them at all.

If a SL venue owner finds it important, hire a greeter.

 

Well Sid I agree with most of your comments, except the above one.  If a DJ misses greeting a VIP,  many will feel snubbed or ignored, and leave.  And they sure won't tip you if they feel ignored.  Of course you can bunch your greetings to one slot in between songs.  I heard a DJ once fade out the song and say Hey, Hi Hello every time someone new arrived.  Talk about messing up the song.  But since it was EDM or trance music noise, nothing was really missed.  Still, how am I going to get a clean copy of that song on my reel to reel tape recorder with the DJ talking over the music?

The hostess is the greeter in our clubs.  I worked at a club where the owner installed a Bot at the door as the greeter.  Such a stupid impersonal idea, it was probably why his club failed.

Remember the sweetest sound most people hear is their own name.  I get newbies say "OMG he mentioned my name!" occasionally. For someone brand new to SL, being recognized in a crowd can make their day.  (Well, at least once.)

 

 

43 minutes ago, Sid Nagy said:

 

Edited April 8, 2021 by Jaylinbridges

[Amanda Crisp]

I don’t voice due to a stroke but I do multiple SL gigs a week, take tons of requests and do some creative stuff for ads and intros with LogicProX that I work I to my sets.

Voice is a delicate subject as it runs the gamut from radio-quality to that guy with a bad mic who says “uhhh” a lot and talks over the music.

I advocate for my style of DJing because I really have no choice, and because I am willing to spend the time to bridge whatever gaps that exist.

You would not believe the compliments I get for NOT talking over the music by people who came to dance 🙂

[Sid Nagy]

30 minutes ago, Jaylinbridges said:

 

Well Sid I agree with most of your comments, except the above one.  If a DJ misses greeting a VIP,  many will feel snubbed or ignored, and leave.  And they sure won't tip you if they feel ignored.  Of course you can bunch your greetings to one slot in between songs.  I heard a DJ once fade out the song and say Hey, Hi Hello every time someone new arrived.  Talk about messing up the song.  But since it was EDM or trance music noise, nothing was really missed.  Still, how am I going to get a clean copy of that song on my reel to reel tape recorder with the DJ talking over the music?

The hostess is the greeter in our clubs.  I worked at a club where the owner installed a Bot at the door as the greeter.  Such a stupid impersonal idea, it was probably why his club failed.

Remember the sweetest sound most people hear is their own name.  I get newbies say "OMG he mentioned my name!" occasionally. For someone brand new to SL, being recognized in a crowd can make their day.  (Well, at least once.)

 

 

 

I imagine if you make a playlist in advance and stick to that no matter what, then it is easy to great everyone who comes in. Playlist in Winamp or whatever you use and done for the night.
But then you are not reallyDJ-ing but greeter/host number 2.

DJ-ing to me is having great knowledge of the music you are playing and constantly testing the waters how your audience is receiving it.
So adjust on the spot if needed.

Putting up "We're good" from Dua Lipa is easy when it is requested, but to find within minutes a good next song is a lot more work, considering the rule that in a dance venue at least two songs in a row should have the same dance rhythm to ensure continuity.  These things absorb most of the time. Not being on the lookout if someone on the VIP list shows up.
But of course that is only my 2 cents.

[Jaylinbridges]

8 minutes ago, Sid Nagy said:

These things absorb most of the time. Not being on the lookout if someone on the VIP list shows up.

I do everything you suggest, and more. and I still find the time to greet everyone, VIP or first time visitor.  I always make a playlist, as a backup.  By the time I have played 3 or 4 songs, I have adapted to the crowd and requests, and throw the playlist out, more or less.  Not everyone can do that - they need pre arranged order.  If I have 100 songs on my QUE list, I probably play 30 of them - the rest are from reacting to the crowd and integrating their requests into my theme.  I also know enough about every song/artist I play to at least pronounce their names correctly and know what country/state they are from.  Yes, I am busy all the time working that way - and sometimes I am 5 mins late greeting someone, since I am not the hostess.   I don't work in the pop/electronic music clubs - we have older more "classic" patrons.  The hardest part is playing new songs and artists for them, since it activates new brain cells, but I still try.

 

[Kathlen Onyx]

Runaround Sue's has a DJ that doesn't voice. Might want to check there.

[Sid Nagy]

46 minutes ago, Jaylinbridges said:

I do everything you suggest, and more. and I still find the time to greet everyone, VIP or first time visitor.  I always make a playlist, as a backup.  By the time I have played 3 or 4 songs, I have adapted to the crowd and requests, and throw the playlist out, more or less.  Not everyone can do that - they need pre arranged order.  If I have 100 songs on my QUE list, I probably play 30 of them - the rest are from reacting to the crowd and integrating their requests into my theme.  I also know enough about every song/artist I play to at least pronounce their names correctly and know what country/state they are from.  Yes, I am busy all the time working that way - and sometimes I am 5 mins late greeting someone, since I am not the hostess.   I don't work in the pop/electronic music clubs - we have older more "classic" patrons.  The hardest part is playing new songs and artists for them, since it activates new brain cells, but I still try.

 

Play lists make great life lines.
In the period that I was active as a student with DJ jobs as a side order (in the time you had to go to a record shop every week to get the new printed issue of the Top 40  lists), I used high quality tape cassettes a lot. On each cassette all music would have the same style and comparable tempo. Pitch control had still to be invented then. That made work a lot easier. After a request, I just had to search the song on the right tape and then let it play for 2-3 numbers, because they all would match with each other. That gave time to consider what would come next.
I guess that is even a lot easier doable with the modern digital options.

[Lewis Luminos]

3 hours ago, Sid Nagy said:

I would never ever start greeting VIPs. 
 

 

2 hours ago, Jaylinbridges said:

Well Sid I agree with most of your comments, except the above one.  If a DJ misses greeting a VIP,  many will feel snubbed or ignored, and leave. 

You're both right - guests DO usually want to be greeted personally on arrival, but that's the role of the host, not the DJ. The only circumstance I would expect the DJ to be greeting guests is when the DJ is hosting their own event at their own place, not when hired by a club.

[Jaylinbridges]

32 minutes ago, Lewis Luminos said:

You're both right - guests DO usually want to be greeted personally on arrival, but that's the role of the host, not the DJ. The only circumstance I would expect the DJ to be greeting guests is when the DJ is hosting their own event at their own place, not when hired by a club.

Just a difference in club owners I guess.   Hostess or not, the DJ's are expected to greet and interact with the guests at our club.  I think the reason our club was started was because one of the owners, the manager, felt other clubs were not personal enough with the VIPs, and the DJ's were too aloof or distant.  So she quit as manager of those clubs and started her own with an owner who could afford the region.  We've been going for 14 years now, same owner and manager and location, so we must be doing something right.

 

Edited April 8, 2021 by Jaylinbridges

[Rowan Amore]

47 minutes ago, Lewis Luminos said:

 

You're both right - guests DO usually want to be greeted personally on arrival, but that's the role of the host, not the DJ. The only circumstance I would expect the DJ to be greeting guests is when the DJ is hosting their own event at their own place, not when hired by a club.

After being greeted with "Welcome Sir Rowan" more times than I can count, I'd prefer no greeting from anyone, anywhere.