One thing we often hear established DJs moan about here at Digital DJ Tips is how “everyone’s a DJ now.” That it’s too easy, too crowded, too competitive. That the rise of sync buttons, streaming integrations, and AI tools has made it all feel cheap and disposable.
And we get it. For DJs who learned the hard way (beatmatching by ear on vinyl, lugging crates to gigs, building reputations slowly, pre-internet) it can feel like the craft they worked so hard to master is being devalued. But after 15 years of running a DJ school – and 20 years as DJs before that – we see it differently. We don’t subscribe to the “scarcity mindset”. We believe that when more people DJ, the scene gets stronger, not weaker.
The scarcity trap
This is the belief that if there were fewer DJs, more gigs, attention, or income would come your way. That if beginner DJs gave up, or if the barrier to entry were higher, you’d have an easier time getting booked. That things would be better if fewer people shared mixes online, made edits, or experimented with AI tools.
This feeling is often strongest among those who learned the craft in harder times – before sync buttons, streaming libraries, and auto-mix tools – who now feel that the value of their hard-earned skills is being undercut by technology.
The abundance alternative
But there’s another way of framing this. If you adopt an abundance mindset, you see the value in more DJs entering the scene. More energy, more ideas, more inspiration, more innovation. A healthy, thriving community brings more listeners, more gigs, and more opportunities for everyone.
There is always room at the top for those who are truly excellent, and professionals who have invested in their craft don’t need to fear amateurs – especially if they continue to evolve and stay relevant.
Level up with Digital DJ Tips: The Complete DJ Course
If what you’re doing is so easily replaced by new tools or newcomers, it may be time to reassess whether you’re offering something distinctive or just repeating what worked five, ten, or more years ago. The best DJs stand out not because there are fewer of them, but because they bring something no one else does.
Just like records don’t sell well in shops that don’t stock other records, DJs thrive most where the scene is active and full of others doing the same thing.
“You would say that…”
Of course, we’re a DJ school – we want you to buy our courses. But there’s little point if you believe DJing is a zero-sum game. Not least because DJing is, at its heart, a creative activity. Nobody “wins” at playing guitar, or singing, or producing music – and the same should be true of DJing. If your aim is to grow, express yourself, and contribute something original to the culture, then there is always space for you.
Phil Morse
