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How do you start DJing?
How to start without buying gear, what to learn first, and how to get to your first gig.
Updated August 2026
You do not need to buy equipment to start. All you need at first is software, some tracks, and a controller to practise on. Renting a controller for a weekend costs far less than buying one before you know what you want.
What should you do first?
Download something like Rekordbox and get your tracks into a library. This part is free. Worry about hardware after that.
What gear comes first?
An entry-level controller — where most people start. It plugs into a laptop and that is enough.
Headphones — without them you cannot cue the next track.
A small speaker — for practising at home.
You do not need a club-sized setup from day one. That matters once you start playing out.
The order to learn things in
Loading a track and playing it
Finding the beat, and hearing where a phrase starts and ends
Beatmatching two tracks
Using the EQ and the fader for a clean transition
Building a set — how to carry the energy through it
The order matters. You cannot learn transitions before you can beatmatch.
Before your first gig
Find out what you will be playing on. A club usually has two separate players and a mixer. If you practised at home on a controller, spend an hour on that setup before the gig — rent it if you have to.
