The challenge this past year hasn't just been about staying busy; it’s been about staying ahead. For any mobile DJ truly passionate about their craft, there is always a balance.

The investment required to run a truly professional, high-impact show is significant. We face competition whose price model is based on a different set of rules, yet investment always pays off - sometimes it just doesn’t feel that way! For my business, we’ve seen some major new pieces of equipment that have required significant investment.
Some of that has been for permanent installation so that DJs can simply turn up and play - a strategy that is going to drive a fair amount of growth going forward. In October we successfully ran 13 gigs in one location with one install, and the DJs loved the format; it was really noticeable how we had no issue filling the dates.

One of the reasons we have looked a little wider is the subtle sign of a market slow-down. When I see social media posts about DJs finding things quieter, there are always those who insist they are busier than ever. But with venues showing lower numbers of events, the industry is definitely seeing something of a downturn. There is no doubt that in any market, there will be winners and losers, but overall, even our very loyal customers have experienced less business. Growth can only come from increasing your market reach or driving your average spend – there is no room for standing still!

That all said, I’m really looking forward to 2026 - business tends to come in waves after all. We have some pretty good events lined up for my own business, and the Pro Mobile Conference (PMC) is back for the first time in three years (can’t believe how that time has flown by). I’m also convinced we will see some pretty major new developments advancing our industry even faster!

The noise about AI is not going away. It’s been rumbling along for what seems like ages, but hasn’t really shown any sign of making changes for us as mobile DJs.
It will happen though, and when it does, it will be rapid. We have witnessed this sudden change in the photo booth market. Image manipulation is suddenly all the rage, and it recently delivered an incredibly successful event for us. Our business will never be the same.

So, what will it look like for DJs? Apart from the obvious of helping you to be more efficient, filter leads and answer basic questions for customers before they even bother you with a message or e-mail, how will it look? We’ve all read the predictions of a robot watching the party, looking for signs of response and adjusting the output in real-time. And we’ve asked ourselves, “Yes, but can AI carry a set of speakers out at 1am in the rain and down a flight of stairs?”

All very amusing, but the AI model that will change your music output is coming, and those who work with it best will be the winners. And there is absolutely no doubt that to stay ahead, we need to be better at lighting up a room, better at looking after customers, and better at being the best mobile DJ we can.

Happy Christmas to you and yours, have a great New Year’s Eve gig, and see you in March.