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The 10 Best Udemy Courses for New DJs

Are you new to the game? Want to spin real fire? These courses for new DJs will make you a cut above the rest.

By Iggy PaulsenPublished 5 years ago 6 min read
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For many of us in love with the electronic music scene, nothing is quite as magical as being able to plug in some USB drives to a pair of CDJs and spin to our heart's content. It's a feeling of satisfaction, of control, and of being able to truly connect with your music.

Most DJs spend a veritable fortune on their equipment, and eventually want to see some of that money back. They want to be paid, but to be paid, you have to advertise yourself well. Moreover than that, you also have to be good at what you do.

In order to become a better DJ, you need to sharpen your skills. Learning these techniques isn't always easy, especially if you're a newbie. Udemy's courses for new DJs can help—and might even be worth it for more experienced disc jockeys to try as well.

Who could be a better authority on DJ techniques than a person who worked at Armada Music? This massive (and somehow affordable) online class is considered to be one of the best courses for new DJs on Udemy's site—and not just because DJ Ross Palmer is teaching it.

This has 11 straight hours of everything, from learning how to mix beats smoothly to learning how to pick your tracks. All the "episodes" in this class are filmed beautifully, giving you an amazing look into what it takes to be an Armada DJ.

If you want to be a DJ, you need to have a good handle on Ableton. Ableton is one of the biggest software kits DJs use to create mixes, and it's an industry standard. If you don't use it, chances are, you're missing out.

"Make a Mixtape" is a class that's solely focused on working in Ableton. This course is taught by a master DJ who knows how to seamlessly transition from song to song. Everything from the basics to special effects are also included here, making it a great choice for both beginner and intermediate players.

Serato is one of the most common mixing software kits for beginners, and it's the base tool of just about every "laptop DJ."

If you don't have the money for a pair of high end CDJs, you may need to rely on Serato. This isn't a bad thing, though. Everyone needs to start from somewhere, and who knows, maybe one day you'll ditch your laptop and be one of the best DJs who can scratch of all time.

You can still get gigs when you're only using Serato—as long as you have the right skills. This makes this class one of the top courses for new DJs with small equipment budgets.

Another popular online class that focuses on Serato is "Learn How to DJ." This class is taught by Colin Warn, a touring DJ who has spent the past seven years eating, sleeping, and breathing DJ mixology. He knows his stuff, and he will happily teach you how to rock as a DJ.

His series of classes will bring you from a total newbie's level all the way up to a professional stature. The more you practice, the better you'll get—and the more valuable his advice will become.

Teacher Max Porcelli has a lot of cool achievements he's unlocked. He's a trainer, a DJ, a music producer, and a remixer. He also happens to be a person who's been credited with many rising DJ's careers. The secrets he taught them helped them become great—and now, you can learn too!

Traktor is a really impressive equipment kit that you should learn as an up-and-coming DJ. His first set of classes will give you the basics on how to mix, as well as some advice on how you can boost your career in music. Overall, it's not a bad class for beginners to take.

Now that Udemy's classes are starting to become more mainstream, celebrity teachers are beginning to crop up on the site. This is especially true when it comes to courses for new DJs that aspire to be great like their electronic music heroes.

In the hip hop world, few names are as illustrious as the Wu-Tang Clan. Their resident DJ, DJ Symphony, now has a class on Udemy that will teach you how to drop killer hip hop beats that'll have dance floors pulsing.

The name says it all. Need I say any more?

Not all DJs hit the decks at the club. Some DJs make their living as radio producers—and honestly, that's not that bad a living! If you are lucky enough to make it to a major radio station like Hot 97, you can easily earn a six-figure salary.

Finding courses for new DJs who want to be in radio is not nearly as easy. Thankfully, Ashley Cowan managed to use her insider knowledge to become one of the better teachers for aspiring radio show hosts on Udemy.

You'll learn how to make your voice radio-ready, how to record good clips, and how you can get your foot in the door.

Cubase 9 is not necessarily an industry standard, but it is one of the most advanced music production software kits on the planet. It's meant to help your mixes sound seamless, your music recordings sound crisp, and help you create your own tunes and beats.

If you haven't heard of Cubase, you absolutely should look into it. Famous artists from the early history of raves such as Kraftwerk and New Order to modern-day superstars like Zedd all use it. Mastering Cubase 9 gives you the knowledge you need in order to get on their level—and also can help you determine whether Cubase 9 is right for your home studio.

The course is taught by a university sound technician who has years of experience, so trust me, this class really will become your bible.

Though a lot of DJs hope to spin their tracks at clubs, raves, or hip hop concerts, we need to be real. Those gigs are very few and far between. For every 12 aspiring DJs on the scene, there will be one, maybe two, who will actually get booked.

A better course of action for DJs who want to make a living spinning tracks is to become a wedding DJ. This is one of the few courses on Udemy to really help people who want to get steady work as a party DJ and separate themselves from the crowd.

Tommy and Dominick Pirrone will make you laugh, make you smile, and also teach you how to cultivate the stage persona you need to succeed as a DJ anywhere.

Even if you're not a DJ, chances are that you may have heard of people in the EDM scene talk about Logic. Logic isn't just the name of a rapper, but it's one of the most popular software kits to produce electronic music.

Some of the riddim artists you need to hear—like DJ Snake—use Logic, and if you want to follow in the footsteps of people like David Guetta, you will need to work with Logic. This is one of the best online courses for new DJs who want to release a track, and honestly, you need to get it if you want to be a producer alongside your typical "mix DJ."

Any person of any skill level can benefit from this course. It's just that good.

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About the Creator

Iggy Paulsen

Iggy Paulsen is a fan of anything and everything wholesome. He loves his two dogs, hiking in the woods, traveling to Aruba, building DIY projects that better humanity, and listening to motivational speakers. He hopes to eventually become a motivational speaker himself.

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