We have to make a difference between club and festival programming. They are both essentially alike but with a different starting point and a slightly different goal. In this chapter, we are going to focus on clubs. To understand the programming of a club, you must first understand the way a club works.
How Clubs Work
The short-term objective for club owners is to sell tickets and drinks. The long-term aim is to maintain a clear musical identity to build a sustainable community of loyal and engaged visitors. But even the most loyal visitors are not going to visit every event. Generally speaking, the money of a club is made on Fridays and Saturdays. But since these are also the nights with the most substantial competition, they need to book ticket sellers. There is more room for local upcoming talent on other days like Wednesday, Thursdays, and Sundays.
To do: Check out some clubs programs in your hometown and see what kind of artists are booked on what days. Think about where you would fit in.
Finding Your Slot
Now that you are done, let's take a look together. If you are a beginner DJ Performer, your most important aim is to gain fans and experience. It would help if you learned how to read the crowd. Since ticket sellers and headliners take most prime time slots, your best chances for prime time slots are on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. You can also focus on the weekend slots, but you need to understand that opening slots are a whole different game since these slots are chosen mainly by the headliner or well in advance.
For DJ / Curators
If you are a DJ / Curator, your most important objective is to gain fans and extend your brand. Hosting your club nights on one of the weekdays is a great way to start. It is an excellent way to get to know people from the industry as you can book your friends and other talents. On top of that, you can build a community of your own.
For DJ / Producers
For DJ / Producers, your most important aim is to get your songs played by other artists or music platforms. You need to spend much time in the studio, networking with the headliners on the weekends if you want to share your music with other well-known, established artists. On the other hand, you might also have a better chance of connecting with the rising stars during the week. There is more room for experimenting with music during the week. Sometimes you might be able to hand over a USB to the DJ who might play it. So make sure from now on that you always have a USB with you with your music on it in .WAV or .AIFF format. Make sure your songs are finished and mastered. Otherwise, they will sound like rubbish. Make sure your music is also available online for fans and DJs to discover.
Working Your Way Up
If you can rock the shows during the weekdays, the chances are high. You will be getting a prime time slot during the weekend.