There are many DJs out there who perform under a “stage name” or an alias. For some their stage name has been a key component to marketing themselves through the roof. For others, well it’s possibly been the main thing that has held them back. So is it worth the risk? It’s ultimately all about your identity and how you want to seen….or remembered.
DJs take on a stage name for many reasons. Entertainers of all kinds have been doing this forever. Some are derived from nick names or DJ style and some have more personal meaning. Many famous entertainers have taken stage names because they are easier to pronounce, are more memorable, or hide their ethnicity. The biggest issues I see with a stage names are relevancy, maturity and timing.
Relevancy
Choose a name that makes sense with what you’re doing. There are some names that just “sound” more like a Hip Hop name than a House name, but this is of course arguable. Find something that fits your genre of music or something that is descriptive of you and your musical style. Even though some names are selected based on nick names and may have nothing to with the music at all. And let’s face it; some names are just plain cool to say. As much as I am not a fan of Trance, “Tiesto” is a cool name to say. That combined with his logo (of his name) make for a great marketing piece.
Maturity
Many DJs start off in their teens and create names that may sound cool at that time. However, eventually we all start to get older and can easily outgrow a name with the word “kid” in it. Word’s like “young” and “boy” will also sound childish once the DJ hits their mid 20s. Although, the word “girl” does seem to continue to work for female DJs. My biggest pet peeve with female DJ names is the constant use of the word “DJ” followed by their first name. It is the lame formula of “DJ (insert first name here).” Don’t get me wrong. Some of the earlier female DJs who did this have been very successful and have solid marketing behind those names. It’s just getting so old to see new DJs popping up on the scene with the same formula over and over again. Can you imagine if guys did this? Lets’ try it out shall we? DJ David, DJ Ralph, DJ Mark, DJ Craig, DJ George….is this working for you? However, this does work for guys if you have a unique name like DJ Emmanuel.
Timing
This is probably this biggest issue I have with DJ names….when they are completely out-dated. Words like “jack,” “hype,” emcee,” and “jumpin” just to name a few, are completely out of date. Slang words come and go so try to use words that won’t go stale in a couple of years. However, some DJs have had these names for a long time. The issue here is not just having a dated name, but it is important to stick with the name you’ve built your DJ career on. Changing it after 10 plus years can be a marketing nightmare. Even wrestling’s “The Rock” is now marketing himself under his real name, Dwayne Johnson, for Hollywood movies.
Using your “real” name
Using your real name can be tricky too. While I’m a big fan of using actual names, not all DJs only DJ for a living. Some of us have regular jobs and careers and may not want our “secret DJ life” to be discovered so easily. Many employers now “Google” their job candidates. If you’re a well known night club DJ who is applying for a job in your other professional world, you’re secret lifestyle may be found out before you’ve even had an interview. This might not look favorable to your potential future employer. Some DJs use their real name and stick a descriptive word in the middle like Steve “Silk” Hurley. While the word “silk” still works for me, it might not for some. But if I mention “Steve Hurley” in a House Music reference, you still know who I’m talking about. So Steve could always drop the “silk” if he wanted to because it probably will not hurt his identity and marketing.
Like a lot of actors, some DJs change their name without using funky descriptive words. They simply use a different name that is easier to say, spell and remember. Personally, I would go this route before picking a snappy one-word name like “DJ McLovin.”
The most important aspect of a stage name is that it should sound natural. Your image, style, and overall vibe should flow with the name that you now have to live up to. Otherwise you’ll look like “B-Rad” from “Malibu’s Most Wanted.” But at the end of the day, it’s all about what works best for you and your abilities as a DJ.
DJs with stage names….I’d love to hear what you think.
David Sabat
DJ Marketing 101 
Dj Cratebug is the stage name for me in reference to my Old School dj stylings and most likely would have stayed as such had I not dove into the remix/production game this year (will be 1 yr on Jan 1, 2010 to be exact)…..but because my edit and remix work has been so well-received and liked beyond any initial expectations I had, I have attached my real name a bit earlier than I’d intended (Dj David Macias). Doing so has been something I’d been contemplating for roughly 2 yrs now but more serious thought has gone into it since the early part of 2009….and it’s strictly basond on the strength of the my recent work, the quick strides I’ve made in the learning process and mostly due to the public’s reception of it. It’s obvious that the next step in the progression is graduating to the creation of original material, thus, it would be smart and advantageous to want to tag my real name to all work going forward. I agree, your dj name should be a reflection of your musical stylings and should you be pushing 30 or beyond, a name that would best suit someone fresh out of high school should probably be retired. Names that were inserted between a jock’s real name have always been amusiing to me…and even more so if they don’t really fit the jock’s style and overall image…”jumpin” was always humorous especially if the individual’s approach and image don’t really exude the word.
Good words David. Big ups.
DjDavidMacias
I mean…DjCratebug
No wait, yeah I mean DjDavidMacias
No….wait…….damn!
😉
Great feedback David Macias. Thank you!
Nice post and this one really hits home for me! When I first started DJing I tried to think up a stage name but couldn’t find one that felt right, so I just said “fugghedaboudit” and used my first name. However, I actually hate the “DJ” being added in front of my name and never bill myself as such, but find that people often do call me “DJ Lola” even though I have NEVER billed myself as such. So this may be some facet of human nature as concerns female DJs because I don’t recall ever encountering this with male DJs.
On the subject of using your own name as your DJ name, I think it can work very well, especially in electronic music where many DJs are also producers. Think of names like David Morales, Louie Vega, Ricardo Villalobos, John Tejada, Rick Wade, Kenny Dixon, Jr., etc. I think the First Name Last Name method also gives some weight/seriousness to the person and what they do. The plus side to using your real name is also (hopefully) Google-friendliness. In my guise as simply “Lola” who also happens to be a DJ, I get no Google love unless you put in another search term that may be related to house music and DJing. I have not used my last name because, frankly, it’s a mouthful and not exactly pretty or sexy or even obvious how to pronouce it.
As I start moving into production, I have thought about what my production name will be, and eventually I’ll probably transition this over as my DJ name. Google-friendliness, a name that is easy (and obvious) how to pronounce, and something that has that certain j’ne sais qua to it are all important factors.
One thing I’d like to add is think carefully about your alias because once you build a reputation/following with this name, changing it will be difficult if not damaging especially as concerns links online!
Lola,
Thanks for joining in the discussion. I would definitely add “a” last name as you venture into production…but not necessarily “your” last name. If your’s is too difficult to spell and pronounce use a shorter version of it or a similar name that is short and snappy. But like you point out, once you take it you have to run with it.
I also notice a lot of female DJs use their middle name as a last name too. So it sounds like they have two first names lol. It still would keep it personal and it would also make sense. Try looking up “actors real names” in a web search and see how they have shortened them for ideas. Let us know what you decide.
All the best,
David
Great post. Ultimately, the person has to be comfortable with the name. The actual name is really not the challenge. The name vs where an artist is determined to reach is where it gets tricky. Why? As a working artist, you sell your talent abilities as well as your image. This is where your name comes in. Your name must match the image you are selling. Furthermost, the image you are selling must match your vision for where you would like to be. Otherwise, a person could run into a long road of changing names, difficulty landing gigs, and eventually feeling unfulfilled.
Now, changing your name in the middle of the game is a different set of issues. If you are committed to a side project in which you would not like the paths to cross, using an alias is great strategy. If you have grown out of your name, you must access the mental, physical, and financial challenges of building a new brand because that is exactly what you are doing.
My name is Julius the Mad Thinker – lol
P.S. I did get passed by for a few gigs earlier in my career because promoters thought I had a name more suitable for raves. I opted to let them go, and stayed committed to my name. In the beginning, even most of my friends wanted me to change my DJ name.
Good luck people!
This is a subject that has been on my mind for the past 6-8 years. Around the local scene I’ve always been known as “Panic”. I also have a last name similar to a well known DJ/Producer. (my last name is Muñoz) I like my name but I don’t really like the sound of my real name as an artist name and since it’s similar to some one else’s name I rarely use it. Whenever I’ve passed out CD’s, with print on it, I’ll mention my real name along with my “DJ” name. If I ever crossed over to producing my own music, though, I’d likely want to use my real name instead. Marketability comes in to play at that point and do I really want to have a similar name to someone who’s been producing before I put out my own music?… and how many monikers can one have while keeping people aware of who you are as a producer and a DJ?
This an interesting subject for me and sometimes the thought crosses my mind about some people’s names and how they came up with them. It’s not good to judge people based on their alias before listening to them. I wonder, though, if these thoughts are crossing my mind when seeing peoples names… then what are people, who never heard of me, thinking of me when seeing my name on a flyer? Now don’t get me started on duplicate nicknames either…
Yes, I have always hated the DJ at the beginning of a Dj name, no idea why. I just took my first name Marc, changed the c to a q and added the capital A from my last name. MarqA
Great articles on the site.
I got very lucky that my DJ name is one that no one else has. I spent a good month coming up with DJ names and researching them. Turns out the DJ name I choose was the answer to a questions of why people were asking me I wanted to learn how to DJ.
People: “Why do you want to DJ?”
Me: “ya know….I just want to “free the people” with music from their every day problems.”
Even more amazing, I found out a month AFTER I “.com’d” and signed up for all my social media that this phrase was used in a Bob Marley song “…we’ll free the people with music…” I had NO idea! and once I found this quote meme on the internet I got instant goosebumbs and realized I had truly found the right and most unique DJ name for myself. I’m a huge Fan of Bob Marley and reggae music. Been to Jamaica and for 3 days while cruising before arriving in Jamaica all I did was listen to Bob Marley on my ipod.
Check me out at http://www.DJFreeThePeople.com
~Alicia
aka DJ Free The People
A. K. Jat