Crafting Perfect Wedding Playlists with Justin The DJ – E148

Guest Introduction

Matt Campbell: I am Matt Campbell, and today we’re going to be talking about creating the perfect wedding playlist. To help me with this topic is the awesome Justin, the DJ. He is from LaForce Entertainment in the DFW area and also DJs worldwide.

Matt Campbell: Welcome to the show, Justin.

Justin: Hey, what’s going on, man? How’s it going?

Matt Campbell: Oh, it’s going awesome. I’m stoked to have you on the show today to talk about music, my favorite topic. Before we get started, can you give details about one specific wedding that was unique and stood out in your head?

Unique Wedding Experience

Justin: Actually, I have a really recent wedding because I was just editing some footage for this. It was this past weekend. I had to go all the way to Midland, Texas. For those of you who don’t know where Midland, Texas is, they call it the dusty butthole because it’s in the middle of nowhere, west Texas, and a giant dust storm kicked in. It was insane.

Justin: Anyways, we went to Midland, and the wedding was great. It was outside, and during the party, the bride came up to the booth and started dancing next to me while I was DJing. While she was doing that, the rest of the guests followed her. So now I have like 15-20 people surrounding my DJ booth, and I’m over here sweating, thinking, “Oh no, I have to do something cool because they’re right here.” So, I did a couple of quick transitions, and it went really well. I got some really good reactions from them, and I got it all on my 360 camera. I literally just put it on my Instagram not too long ago. If you want to check that out, that was definitely the highlight of the year so far.

Matt Campbell: Cool. So, you mentioned Midland, and there’s a country band called Midland. Do you play Midland in Midland?

Justin: I don’t know, bro. I mean, do they play Florida Georgia Line in Florida? Not really. I’ve never been a big country guy, you know, it’s never been my thing. There are a couple of country songs here and there that I really like, like some of the new Morgan Wallen stuff, the new Post Malone stuff, and of course, some of the classics like George Strait and Tim McGraw. Of course, being in Texas, you’re going to get those clients who want a couple of country songs here and there.

Justin: But when clients book me, they know what they’re expecting. I’m not the country guy. When I get clients that reach out and say they love country, I just be straight up honest with them, like, “Hey, I love your vision. I think it’s going to go great for you, but I might not be the right DJ for you. But we have tons of guys on our team who would definitely be able to handle this wedding for you. I’d love to give you a recommendation.” I think that’s step one of making sure that you always have a great wedding is by vetting them just like they’re vetting you. That’s the first golden nugget here.

Importance of Matching with Clients

Matt Campbell: I love it. We were saying before we hit record how important it is to make sure that you mesh with the couple and the couple meshes with you. You’re interviewing each other before signing the contract, not finding that out afterwards.

Justin: Yeah, because there are plenty of times where DJs might complain, “Man, I have to play a bunch of 90s house music at this wedding, and I don’t know anything about 90s house.” Well, did you ask them what kind of music they like beforehand? If you would have asked that question or gotten some information, like sending one of your favorite Spotify playlists, you would know right away whether or not this is going to work out.

Introduction of Justin

Matt Campbell: Exactly. For those of you who don’t know who you are, can you please introduce yourself?

Justin: Sure. My name’s Justin. I DJ in Dallas, Texas, working at LaForce Entertainment for over 10 years now. It’s been a great time with that. If I were to describe myself to other DJs, I’d probably be the guy who keeps blasting his face all over your social media. I make lots of videos for all the platforms: Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, just trying to carve out a space for myself, not only for clients but also in the DJ space too. I think that’s important from a client’s perspective because even if I make a video and maybe it’s targeted towards DJs, like how to do this, here’s a tip for this, a client will still see that kind of content and be like, “That guy knows what he’s talking about. We should hire the professional, the expert.” That’s the lane I want to put myself in. So, I guess I’m the guy who’s always on your page when you go online.

Social Media Influence

Matt Campbell: Just as a side question to that, how much do you think social media creates leads for you from all the content? Is it like 40% of what you book or just trying to get an idea?

Justin: I would say it’s really close to 50-50. Last year, it was very close to 50-50. We get lots of leads through LaForce, our company, and I get a lot of leads straight through my website from social media. But a lot of times, it’s not just that aspect where the lead directly came from me because even if a client knows about LaForce first and then me, they still want to pre-vet you right before that initial meeting. They’re going to be like, “What’s this guy about?” So they’ll go on my page, take a look at all the stuff, and maybe they’re already in contact with LaForce. That extra effort on social media, the content they see, is the extra push they needed to say, “That’s the guy.” Or maybe sometimes it’s not the guy. Honestly, I’m cool with that.

Matt Campbell: Yeah, it’s funny you say that because I always say, everybody thinks you have a website and people go to it, and this is their first introduction to you. You have to have the things in place for the people that find you on social media that are ready to book you. They can’t book you from social media. They’re ready to buy. You have to have those calls to action and things in place on your website for those people that found you on social media. So, I have to say, congrats on growing your social media. Just to give somebody that’s listening perspective, you have about 150,000 followers on Instagram and TikTok. Do you think your social media has influenced your playlist?

Justin: I think it has a little bit. Man, that’s a tough question because I like to post stuff for things that I want to play at a wedding. Now, that’s not to say that when I do get that client that’s like, “We love your style, but we’re not really big on 2000s hip hop,” I can make that work. That’s no problem. But the things that I want to do as a DJ or the types of parties I want to do as a DJ are what I specifically post. I always make the analogy where it’s like, if you get a wedding, it’s a super cheap wedding, maybe you’re trying to fill your calendar, whatever the answer is. If you take a wedding and it’s in a trailer park or in a backyard, you shouldn’t post videos about that if you want to DJ in massive ballrooms or work with high-end planners. Because if they go online and see, “Wow, he’s a great DJ, but all he does is DJ at a playground,” they’re not going to take you seriously. So even if you’re a newer DJ and you haven’t really done a ton of weddings, I would skip the content for the events that you don’t want to do. Maybe you do one wedding at this super nice ballroom, it’s a one-off for you, but that’s what you want to keep doing. Get as much content as you can from that one wedding and then just post the heck out of it for two, three months, and hopefully, that’ll get you in the door for those events that you actually want to do.

Faking It Until You Make It

Matt Campbell: That is so important. I guess it goes along with faking it until you make it, but the faking it, you still have to do some of the events that you want to do, and it doesn’t happen. I think of artists and musicians that are doing fairground concerts, but they want to be doing arenas. You still have to build yourself up, but fully take advantage of those, even for yourself. If you want to be a speaker and you go and do an important show, then hire the videographer, hire the photographer, get that footage because that’s what you want.

Justin: Yeah, you nailed it right on the head. Everybody started somewhere, right? When you first practiced DJing, you probably sucked, just like the first time you ever posted something online, it probably looked terrible, and nobody watched it. But you practiced and practiced and practiced, and you got better. The same thing with your networking, like networking with other vendors in your area or even networking with a local DJ that you aspire to be. Just reach out to them, “Hey bro, I’d love to come out and be your roadie.” Get that foot in the door, and eventually, you’ll get there if you put in the work.

Music Inspiration

Matt Campbell: Awesome tips. So, where do you get your music inspiration?

Justin: Honestly, music in terms of mashups or in terms of songs?

Matt Campbell: I would say songs because the mashups, of course, we all know that you’re going to get those from your record pools, whatever you’re using. But where do you get your inspiration to say, “Oh, this song maybe meshes with this song,” or “This song’s trending now”?

Justin: I always take a look at the Spotify charts. They have a playlist on there that they update every week called Viral Hits. That’s a good one you can check out and see. Even if you’re not a person who looks at TikTok a lot, it’s still important to know what those TikTok songs are because they’re super easy songs that you can throw in for 10-15 seconds, and all the young people are going to go crazy for it for a hot second. That’s a good way to spice up your set. I also subscribe to New Music Friday too, to take a look at stuff that’s coming out now. If I see a bigger artist like Taylor Swift or whoever, and they have a new song coming out, I take a listen and see, “Is this a party vibe? Is this a cocktail vibe?” to kind of refresh the music that I’m playing at weddings.

Matt Campbell: I use New Music Friday too, and I love that one. Exactly what you said. What’s sad is that they’ve changed it up where there’s a lot of unknown artists on it now, like 50 to 100, and you’re like, “I don’t even know who these people are.”

Justin: Right, never heard of them. But that’s the point. It’s new music. Taylor Swift can’t make music forever. Well, I know the Swifties hope she can, but artists can’t make music forever. Rihanna hasn’t had a new song or at least a new album in like 10 years. So, new artists come in, and old artists go until they need money, and then they come back. You started somewhere, right? When it comes to Doechii, she won, I think she won, she didn’t win New Artist. I think she won New Hip Hop Album. I can’t remember what the category was, but a year ago, nobody knew who she was, and now she has a Grammy. Her new song, Anxiety, love it.

Matt Campbell: Yep. I was trying to think of a different song to mash up with because that one’s sampled with Somebody That I Used to Know.

Justin: Right. Is that the same song?

Matt Campbell: Yep.

Justin: Okay, cool. I was trying to think of what’s another 2010s weird song like that that I could mix with it. Not for an event unless it goes off, but to just post online for fun. There’s a lot of songs where it’s just like, man, it just doesn’t hit the same.

Matt Campbell: Yeah, it’s a little slower. But I don’t know. We’ll see. We have so many songs we think are going to take off that never do and vice versa. You’re known for quick mixing. Do you think this is a trend or it’s going to be expected from professional DJs?

Quick Mixing Trend

Justin: I think it’s definitely a trend for sure, even through clients too. Because the clients that are getting married now, 20 to 35, that’s the era of the 2000s, the 2010s. When they went out to the club or the bar, there usually isn’t a band, it’s usually a DJ or a jukebox or whatever. When they go out to a club like that and see a DJ trying to keep people dancing, keeping the groove going, they want the songs to keep going. On top of that, the TikTok factor. I keep mentioning TikTok. I don’t even watch TikTok, I just post on there. But the factor of when someone goes online and they’re watching videos, they’re swiping at a crazy rate, watching 10 videos in a minute. When a song like Doechii’s Anxiety comes in, they’re hearing that song every other time, but they only like that 10-second snippet. So when you’re playing music that the guests really only know 10 or 20 seconds or just the chorus, that’s what they’re going to expect when you play the song. They don’t want to hear the first, second, third verse or the intro part. They want to hear Anxiety, you know, they want to hear that part.

Crafting the Wedding Playlist

Matt Campbell: What are the key elements to consider when crafting that wedding playlist for a couple?

Justin: First off, it’s that initial meeting. You have to know what you’re getting into first off. Then, setting the tone for what they can expect. Not only understanding what they want to hear but also them understanding what you are going to play. Having a good balance of must-plays, play-possibles, and do-not-plays is key. Having the ability to read the crowd in the moment is crucial because I would much rather read the crowd than stare at a list all day and not pay attention to the people dancing. If I had to DJ off of a list and nobody’s dancing, that’s not a fun party. After that initial talk, understanding what those songs are going to look like for the client, I always ask them what kind of genres of music they like. Then I start listing them out: hip hop, pop, Latin, alt rock, etc. You’re probably going to have some older guests at the wedding, some family, grandma, and grandpa. Do you want some 70s and 80s? We can sprinkle some of those in here and there. You can get a feel of how they want that playlist to work out. Having that freedom is super important.

Balancing Different Music Tastes

Matt Campbell: I think so too. I think having those surprises. If you’re talking to the couple and you know dad’s really into hairbands, you can think, “Okay, what can I play from that?” Maybe you play Autograph’s Turn Up the Radio or whatever that looks like. Finding those moments where if you get those long lists, it makes it tough for you and the crowd because what if the couple put on a bunch of songs that you can’t dance to or nobody knows? Sometimes I get weddings where they love alt rock, and thankfully the couple’s friends are also into it. But imagine the groom loves metal, and you play metal, and it clears the dance floor. It’s just like, man, that song wasn’t the vibe. I’ve had that before, and I say I’m just going to save it to the end. But then the groom is like, “Oh, thanks for playing my song. You made my whole night.”

Justin: Yeah, somehow you have to incorporate that too. It’s a tough balance. When you do notice something like a metal song on the must-play list, having that conversation like, “Do you think your friends are going to like this?” If all the groomsmen are out there with the groom dancing to it, okay, you’re going to clear the dance floor, but you’re going to make that portion of the wedding party happy. It’s a tough give and take. It boils down to figuring out who your right client is and what kind of music is going to keep the party going. Having that conversation with the groom where it’s like, “Are people going to dance to this?” Yes or no? And he’s like, “Well, I will.” I’m just like, “Well, you’re not the only one at the wedding, bro. I get it, it’s your day. But if you want people to leave early, just say that.”

Handling Different Music Tastes

Matt Campbell: Now back to the show. What do you suggest for couples who have different music tastes? Maybe one suggestion is if they’re into alt rock, but the family’s heavy into country, you can incorporate that into the cocktail hour or dinner. Are there other suggestions that you have for that?

Justin: Just like you said with the country, that’s exactly what I say. If the family loves country, but the couple doesn’t, I suggest playing it during cocktail hour or dinner. The family can hear all the songs they love, have fun during dinner, and then when it comes to the party, we can focus on the couple’s preferences. Sometimes I’ll get couples where the bride loves pop, but the groom hates it. I ask them how they want me to deal with this because I can’t play something that’s on the must-play and the do-not-play list at the same time. I try to work it out with them, finding a balance to make them both happy. Of course, the bride always wins but when it comes to bouncing around those different genres during the party, quick mixing helps a ton. You could also use the cookie method or the Oreo method where you have a great song, then you play a song you’re not sure about, which is the cream in the middle. If it is working out, just let it ride, but if it’s not working out, then you have another great song ready to go in the next deck. If it’s a flop, just turn the song off and play the next song to get out of it before it kills the vibe.

Matt Campbell: It’s interesting. I have a philosophy where I have to be thinking at least three songs ahead because exactly for that scenario, maybe you have the cookie, but the middle is the one that really takes off. You’re like, “Oh, I better continue this instead of flipping back,” because you don’t know what the crowd’s gonna do.

Justin: Yeah, you can always be surprised, that’s for sure. Sometimes you’ll do a wedding on Friday and you play a song that usually works really well, and then it just flops, it just doesn’t work. You’re like, “Man, is this song dying?” And then Saturday you do a wedding, it’s the best song of the night. So it’s just like, “Okay, it’s just a weird crowd or a weird vibe, I guess.”

Mixing Classic and Modern Songs

Matt Campbell: That’s a great transition to my next question because I was thinking about this exactly what you’re saying. Maybe you have one of those common songs, you know, the line dance, you have the Cha-Cha Slide or the Wobble or whatever. But Flex is really trending right now by Cupid. And like you said, one group may take off, one group may not, you’re just not sure. So when it comes to those classic wedding songs, how do you mix between those classic versus the more unique or modern options?

Justin: I don’t really play a ton of line dances, to be honest with you. When it comes to line dances, for the most part, most of them end up on the do-not-play list from the client. Obviously, the Chicken Dance and that kind of stuff is usually a no-go. We’re in Texas, so YMCA is not as big as it is over in New York or something like that. A lot of the clients that I work with grew up in that timeframe where there were a ton of line dances like Cha-Cha Slide, Cupid Shuffle, Wobble, and every sporting event they went to, every prom or homecoming, or any street party or festival, they hear those songs and they’re sick of it. They’ve been hearing the songs forever. They’re sick of it. When they go to a club, no club DJ’s playing the Cha-Cha Slide, at least I’ve never heard of one. I’m sure somebody has, but that’s not something that you hear on a nightly basis at the club. A lot of my clients want their wedding to feel like that, they want their music taste to match what they really liked when they were in high school and college, and that was their club era days. For the most part, most of my clients don’t really want a lot of line dances. Most of them say, “No line dances at all.” I usually tell them, “Hey, I’m just being honest with you, I don’t really play line dances either. But if we really, really, really needed to, are you cool with it?” Like last case scenario, and they’re like, “Oh, whatever it takes to keep ’em dancing.” So I’ll play some from time to time if I feel like I need to reset the dance floor. That’s one of the ways that I’ll do it. Another one is a slow country song or a left turn, like an alt rock song or something like that, something that’s just completely different from what we’ve been playing all night. That’s what I usually do. I don’t really mix those in a ton. If I do play a line dance, I let it ride because that’s kind of the point is to let those kinds of songs ride.

Trending Music

Matt Campbell: I love it. When you’re saying their club days, are you seeing a two-part question. Are you seeing the dance music, the EDM music trending, and what music do you see trending right now?

Justin: It’s definitely late 2000s, 2010s pop and hip hop, like the 2016 trap rap, people really seem to be into that. The EDM wave has been big for sure. I think it’s kind of tapered off a little bit when it comes to weddings, and I think that just comes down to the age group of the couples. That naturally happens over the years, it kind of shifts. In 10 or 15 years, we’re gonna get a huge wave of Olivia Rodrigo and Sabrina Carpenter and all the girly pop music. So keep those songs, keep your loose crates ready in 10 years and you’ll be solid.

Matt Campbell: It’s so funny you say that because the most influential music is when you’re in high school and you’re thinking, “Okay, if they’re getting married in their late twenties, early thirties, 10 years from now, that’s when it’s gonna be coming back.” Exactly what you’re saying. The mumble rap, is a lot of it really danceable? It’s questionable.

Justin: Depends on the song. Not really. It’s really more of like twerking and grinding up on each other, or if it’s fast enough, like jumping in the air, getting crazy. But dancing, unless they’re like a break dancer or do the Crip walk or something, nah.

Creating Playlists for Different Parts of the Wedding

Matt Campbell: Let’s say you’re working with a couple, how do you create playlists for different parts? What’s your thinking for cocktail hour, dinner, and then the party time? How are you breaking that up?

Justin: A lot of times they’ll use the same music for cocktail and dinner. Not the same songs, obviously, but the same playlist, the same vibe. That’s something that I always ask my couples, “What are you picturing for cocktail music, for example?” And they’ll tell me, or sometimes they’re like, “I don’t even know what I would play for cocktail.” I like to keep mine a little more on the upbeat side, keeping it more fun, more engaging. People are bouncing around, grabbing drinks, chatting with people instead of it being like Olive Garden music in the background. Usually when a couple is cool with that kind of vibe for cocktail, they’re usually cool with it for dinner. So I’ll just keep that same playlist going. Sometimes I’ll get couples where they want instrumental-only string quartet music for cocktail and dinner. I’m just like, “Why?” The reason is, “Well, because the words will be distracting.” I’m like, “What? The words are not distracting. Do you think I’m gonna be blasting these songs during cocktail and dinner?” I actually have people ask me, “Just during dinner, keep the music down.” I’m like, “Yeah, duh. I’m not gonna be cranking it to 11 during dinner.” It just comes down to having the conversation with the client, “Hey, I’m not that DJ that your friend got 10 years ago that they’re still pissed off about. This is me, here’s the proof, here’s what I know.” Telling them that I got your back, we’re gonna make this happen how you want it.

Matt Campbell: I’ve told this story before where two years ago I went to a friend’s wedding and played all instrumental music, but then dinner ran long, so it was like two hours of this kind of music. Then what happens when the party started, everybody left ’cause they were bored out of their minds for two hours.

Justin: Yeah, that’s a pet peeve of mine too, especially when they might not have the best planner where their timeline just flows really badly. The cocktail hour is two hours long, the dinner’s super long, the couple leaves the room to take sunset photos, and then they come back and then they cut the cake, and then they do the toast. If that entire time they’re listening to Frank Sinatra the whole time, they’re going to be asleep at their table or they’re going to leave. If you keep it fun and upbeat, it definitely keeps the blood pumping and keeps them on their toes. “Okay, we’re having so much fun during dinner, imagine how much fun we’re gonna have during the party.”

Handling Special Requests

Matt Campbell: How do you handle special requests from couples such as a song with a personal meaning?

Justin: Sometimes I’ll get couples that’ll tell me, “Oh, this song just reminds me of my best friend.” I think I have a wedding this weekend where that’s the case. Depending on the circumstances, I think shouting them out is great. That’s a really cool way to shout someone else out other than the bride and groom, especially if the bride and groom are making that song on the must-play list a point and even telling me that this song means something. My wedding this past weekend, the groom came up and said, “Hey man, my best man loves ‘Teach Me How to Dougie.'” I was at a different BPM, so I just slammed it in real quick and shouted him out. I stopped the music and said, “Yo, make some noise for the best man. This is his song right here.” Hit the song, “Teach Me How to Dougie,” and everyone just goes crazy. That’s a great way to slam something in, especially if it’s a couple’s request. If a bride comes up to me and asks me for a song, it’s getting played as soon as possible. If it’s a super hard transition to make or basically impossible, I’ll just do something like that. “Yo, make some noise for Ashley, the bride.” You could also do that too. I’ve heard some DJs where if the groom comes up and says, “Play this song next,” and it’s a bad song, you could just say, “Yo, make some noise for the groom. This is his favorite song right here.” And then it’s the worst song ever. He’s already there because he’s requesting the song.

Matt Campbell: Yeah, that’s a little toxic, but it’s kind of funny. You’re working with a couple, you kind of know what kind of personality you can get away with that and the crowd. I like that idea too because, like you said, talking on the mic is definitely a great way to make that transition.

Advice for Couples Planning Their Wedding Music

Matt Campbell: What advice would you give to couples planning their wedding music?

Justin: First off, get a good DJ. You gotta do some research. Look up reviews, look on their website, look on social media. You can ask your planner if they’ve ever heard of a photographer. Have you ever heard of this guy? Just ask anybody who’s in that space too. Get as much insight as you need for any DJ that you’re looking into and understand that being a DJ isn’t just being a glorified Spotify playlist. There’s a craft to it too. Reading the crowd, the transitions, the song selection. It’s not something that I can preplan in its entirety the night before your wedding. Being able to let go and trust the person that you hired and just being like, “He’s gonna make it work. He’s gonna make it happen.” Especially if you did the right research and all you saw was green flags. If all you saw was green flags, tell your DJ, “Here’s 20 songs that we love. Here’s a couple songs we hate or a couple artists,” and then just let them do their thing. If you did all the research right, you’re gonna have a great wedding.

Time Spent Creating Playlists

Matt Campbell: How much time do you think you spend creating your couple’s playlist beforehand?

Justin: I definitely spend a couple hours for sure. You gotta download their must-play songs, especially if they’re out there, ones that have never played before. You gotta get their special songs, their first dance, parent dances, all those things too. Sometimes you get those couples that’ll give you a ton of songs and you gotta download a ton of stuff. A lot of my clients are super laid back and chill. I think it’s because I’ve helped build that trust in them and they have the ability to step back and say, “He’s gonna make it work.” A lot of the clients I have are just like, “Justin, do your thing. Here’s three songs we love. Here’s the style we want.” When it comes to prepping for the wedding, I would say it’s kind of minimal when it’s a wedding like that because I already have go-to playlists for songs where I have tons of free reign. When a client’s a little more picky, then I obviously need to spend more time on their playlist. What I usually do is ask them, “What kind of genres do you like? Do you like hip hop? Do you like pop? Do you like this? Do you like that?” I get those yes and nos. The ones that they say yes, I drag my 2000s pop playlist into their thing. If they’re like, “We hate Taylor Swift,” I take Taylor Swift out. “We hate Pitbull,” I take Pitbull out. For the most part, that’s how I work with it. Of course, you gotta sprinkle in their must-plays and stuff like that.

Importance of Planning the Playlist

Matt Campbell: Working with a couple, it’s a two-way street, like you said, and planning that playlist is vital because the DJ can really make or break the success of your wedding. I remember a study once that asked guests what they remember afterwards. They remember the food and they remember if they had a good time. DJs are vital for sure.

Justin: I’m not really a big foodie. I don’t eat a ton of sweets. I’m not the kind of person to glorify food like, “Oh my God, we’re going to this restaurant.” I’m just like, “Is it good?” That’s it. When I go to a wedding as a guest, I just care if I had a good time. Some people love food and that’s that. You’re totally right. They don’t remember what color the flowers were. They don’t remember what party favor they got at the end unless it’s super cool, but they do remember if they had a bad time or not. A lot of times I’ll ask clients during our initial meeting, “When was the last time you went to a wedding as a guest?” They’re like, “Oh, we went to a wedding a couple weeks ago, a couple months ago.” I’m like, “What was something that really stood out to you about that wedding in a good way?” Notice how I say “in a good way.” They always go negative every time, every single time. Even if I ask them, “What is the best part about that wedding?” They say, “Well, the wedding was good, but the DJ was…” It’s so funny how they always turn negative. It’s just so odd to me. It’s a great way to show your expertise too because they’re like, “Oh, the DJ did this or DJ did that.” I explain why that might have happened and how we would do it differently. It’s a good way for them to be like, “Oh, thank God.” It really gives yourself more credibility.

Matt Campbell: I love that tip. Nobody’s mentioned that before, just getting their opinions about weddings they’ve attended already. I think it’s important to say too that if they’re attending no weddings, then you kind of know, “Okay, I can go with kind of the standard stuff ’cause they’re not hearing it all the time.” Guests maybe attend one or two weddings a year, so they’re not hearing the Pitbulls or Taylor Swifts every weekend. Couples that are in their twenties and thirties, maybe this is their fifth wedding, so maybe I don’t wanna play the common stuff ’cause they’ve heard it the last four weddings before.

Justin: Exactly.

Final Thoughts on Creating Wedding Playlists

Matt Campbell: Is there something that we missed that you wanted to share about creating wedding playlists?

Justin: When it comes to wedding playlists, really just understand who you are as a DJ. The first step is always, “What do you want to play at a wedding?” Focus on that because nobody goes online and searches up “generic wedding DJ.” They want the guy that can master their style. You’re a good wedding DJ, but you’re an expert in 2000s hip hop, shine on that. Make that your highlight. “I can do 90s pop and I can do country and this and that, but if you want a 2000s hip hop party, I’m your guy.” Really figure out what that thing is that you really shine on and lean towards it. After that, your ideal client, it’s gonna be so easy for your ideal client to find you and want you and pay whatever it costs.

Matt Campbell: That’s such a great tip. If your forte is 90s R&B, that’s the vibe you need to put out on all of your social media, your website, everything ’cause that’s the kind of client you’re gonna attract. If you’re everything to everybody, then you’re just another DJ. At that point, it’s just based on price, like who can give me the best price and do the same thing. That’s such a great final golden nugget there. I know that I can search anywhere on social media, “Justin the DJ,” you’re gonna pop up, but can you just tell listeners where they can connect with you and find you?

Justin: Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. You can just look up “Justin the DJ.” There might be a period or underscore on one of them, but usually if you search up “Justin the DJ” on all those platforms, you’ll find me there.

Matt Campbell: Awesome. Well, thanks Justin for being on the show today. I really appreciate it. Thanks for everybody for listening. Stay tuned for the next two weeks for another episode of the Wedding Songs podcast. Have a great day.