The Set List is a handy tool used by DJs. It is a pre-made list of party or disco songs that can be adapted as the action progresses.
Setlist content
Depending on who the DJ will play in front of and at what time of day, he determines the content of the set list. Usually any DJ has a song base in stock, that is, a collection of songs, from which they select songs for the set list.
As a rule, not all songs on the originally planned list are played at the party. There are no hard and fast rules regarding the number of songs in a setlist. Some DJs are limited to a few songs that they plan to play at the beginning and end of the disco, improvising with the main part. Often songs are selected on a specific topic.
The set lists are adapted to the mood of the audience. If the DJ sees that the music has no effect on people, then he can change some of the compositions.
When it comes to speaking on the radio, this requires more careful preparation.
The set list can be selected for a specific style of music. For a holiday, DJs usually take several music CDs with them, each of which is a collection of music of a separate direction. This is done for the following reasons. Coming to a party, a DJ may not immediately recognize the tastes of the audience. If necessary, he can change the style or also play different styles of music to add variety.
A set of such discs may include, for example, 2 CDs with “warm-up” music, 2 discs with background music, 2 media with classics and 2 main collections.
Setlist rules
DJs can adhere to certain rules when putting together a thoughtful setlist, although not necessarily. It all starts with the selection of music. Usually about 30-40 compositions are viewed, from which those that the DJ plans to use are selected. The number of viewed songs can be even more: up to 300-400 melodies.
After the selection of music, they begin to listen. The disc jockey listens to every selected track, not necessarily the entire track.
An important component is determining the mood of the music, in particular, what emotions it evokes. Music can be relaxing or it can be exciting.
It is important for a DJ to feel what kind of reaction the melody evokes. This helps in arranging the order of the compositions.
Further, the compositions are divided into two groups. One group contains relaxing music, the other contains euphoric melodies. This is the basis of the set list.
Start playing the set list with calm, soft, relaxing music. Gradually, the emotional intensity in the compositions should be increased. At some point, the songs will be filled with euphoria and happiness. By this time, the audience should be in complete delight and “in isolation”. Towards the end of the set list, you can cool down the ardor and play more calm compositions again. Some DJs, however, do not do this, but leave the party on a loud note.
