Auto DJ: Keep the party going in the band's breaks

Published: 07 May 2019   |   Written by: Mike Paul-Smith

When you book one our of great function bands - The Get Downs, Down for the Count Swing Orchestra, or Capital Sounds Showband - you also get our Auto DJ service. This is a great way to keep the party going between the band's sets, or after we have finished playing.

Photo credit: Marius Bukis. Guests dance to our Auto DJ whilst the band takes a break.

Auto DJ service: How does it work?

• We set up our PA and stage lighting system as usual, and perform our sets of fantastic live music
• You provide your choice of recorded music on any device with a headphone socket (any iPad, iPod or laptop; and most smartphones, apart from the latest iPhone models) or make Spotify playlists (see below) which you've shared with us in advance
• When the band is not playing, we plug your device in to our PA system and press play on your playlist
• You still have access to your device so can change the order of songs throughout the evening
• That way, you have complete control over the music that is played when we are not performing

You can plug any device with a standard 3.5mm headphone socket into our PA system.

What's included?

When you book the band, we agree the timings of your event. Generally our Auto DJ service is free-of-charge between 7.30pm and midnight (although it does depend on the nature of your event and the other timings). You can always pay more to have the Auto DJ for longer - just get in touch for a quote.

The Auto DJ option includes:

• a top quality PA system (usually a full range QSC K-Series system - one of the best portable PA systems available on the market today)
• all the necessary leads to connect your device to our PA system
• a simple lighting system which provides static colours on the dancefloor

You can also speak to us about the hire of additional disco lighting to give a bit more of a party feel.

What's better - Auto DJ or a real DJ?

The Auto DJ service is a great way of saving money and space at your venue, and gives you complete control - but it's not for everyone.

Here are the advantages of each:

Advantages of the Auto DJ

• Cheaper: Auto DJ is cheaper than hiring a separate DJ, particularly when you bear in mind the fact that a DJ working alongside a band will often spend most of their evening listening to us and not DJing!
• Saves space: the Auto DJ takes up no more space than the band would normally use. There are no extra speakers or equipment to clutter your venue, giving your guests more room to dance.
• Control: by providing the playlists, you are in complete control over what songs get played. Many brides and grooms find that compiling playlists is one of the most enjoyable parts of wedding planning!
• Great sound equipment: we have invested in top-of-the-range PA systems, which are sometimes (although, to be fair, not always) far superior to a DJ's system.

Advantages of a real DJ

• Requests: a real DJ can take requests from your guests, which we are not able to do. They can also read a dancefloor, reacting to the audience and performing the right songs at the different points of the evening.
• Mixing: a great DJ will mix between songs, which is not possible when using playlists (the best you can normally hope for is a cross-fade between tracks - however see the photo below for one option when using Auto DJ).
• Disco lighting: usually a DJ will have a good disco lighting package. We can provide disco effects, but there is an extra charge for this as we have to hire additional equipment.

An iPad running a great app called djay (which is also available on iPhone and Android). This software allows you to mix between songs - you can sit at home the week before your wedding, record your mix and then plug it into our system - one way of avoiding gaps between songs when using Auto DJ.

Auto DJ and Spotify

Some people like to make their playlists on Spotify and send them us in advance. It's really easy to do - just right click on the playlist name, and click 'Copy Playlist Link'. Paste it into an email and send it to us!

If you're running Spotify on your own device, make sure you download the playlist in case you haven't got a good internet connection at your venue (you'll need Spotify Premium to do this).

To send us a Spotify playlist: right click on the Playlist name, select 'Share', and copy the Playlist Link into an email.

Can the Band and DJ share a PA system?

Sometimes we are asked if a "real" DJ can bring along their decks and plug into our PA system (instead of bringing their own speakers). This is often fine but we need to check a few things in advance - so put us in touch with your DJ and we'll go from there.

Does the band have playlists I can use between sets?

Yes, we do have playlists we can put on between sets - however, please note that we can't take requests on the night and if you require us to build personalised playlists for you, there may be an additional charge.

You might like to check out our Spotify Client Playlist - which is a 24-hour compilation of ALL the Spotify playlists our previous clients have sent us for their events over the past 8 or so years!

Can you recommend a real DJ?

Yes! If you think a real DJ is the way to go, we'd be happy to recommend one to you so just get in touch.

Any questions?

If you have any questions about our Auto DJ service or wedding entertainment packages, please email us or call Mike on 07855 488 462.

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