By Strydes · 15 October 2026
What every DJ website needs to get booked (2026 checklist)
Start with the booking decision
A DJ website does not need to contain everything you have ever made. It needs to help the right person understand your work and decide whether to enquire. Imagine a promoter opening your link after someone recommends you. They may have a date, a venue and a musical direction in mind. Your site should help them assess the fit without making them send several messages first.
This checklist is organised around that visit. Work through the essentials before adding elaborate effects or extra pages. The aim is a useful professional presence, not a guarantee of bookings. Your music, relationships, availability and the event itself still matter. A clear site gives those conversations better information to start from.
1. Make your name and sound clear
Put your artist name where it is immediately readable. Follow it with a short description that helps a visitor understand your sound or performance context. If you are based in Cape Town and travel for events, say so in plain language. Avoid broad claims such as being the best DJ in South Africa unless you have a specific, defensible reason to use them.
Your opening copy should be understandable to someone who has not followed your career. A promoter should not need to decode a slogan to learn what you do. Keep a longer biography available for people who want more context, but let the first few lines do the work of introducing you.
2. Choose a small, useful music selection
Give the visitor representative mixes or releases. Choose material that reflects the work you want to be booked for now, rather than simply listing everything chronologically. Label recordings clearly so someone can distinguish a live set, a studio mix and a release. If context changes how a recording should be understood, include a short explanation.
Embedded players can make listening convenient, but keep a direct link to the source too. Third-party players may load slowly or behave differently on some devices. Test the page on a phone and check that a visitor can still reach the music if the embed does not appear. Avoid autoplay that surprises people or competes with other audio.
3. Write a bio that can actually be used
A useful short bio gives promoters a concise introduction they can share internally. A longer version can cover your background and direction in more detail. Keep both current and consistent with the version in your press kit. If your artist name or booking contact changes, update every place where those details are published.
Be precise about achievements. Only include appearances, releases and collaborations that are real and appropriately described. There is no need to invent numbers to make the page feel credible. Clear information, considered photography and a coherent music selection can communicate professionalism without unsupported claims about reach or demand.
4. Prepare press images with permission
Use photographs you are entitled to publish and share. A promoter may need a landscape image for an event page and a portrait for a lineup announcement. Keep approved files in a clearly labelled place and explain any credit requirements. A small website preview is not necessarily suitable for a printed poster.
You do not need to make every original file public. If some material should only go to confirmed organisers, offer a clear way to request it. Remove outdated versions when you replace them, or label the current folder unmistakably. This reduces the chance that an old photograph or incorrect logo is reused.
5. Make the EPK easy to find
An electronic press kit can bring your bio, press photos, music links and contact details together. Your website should explain where to find the current version or how to request it. An EPK auto-send workflow can deliver an approved link after a suitable enquiry, saving a separate exchange just to share the same material.
Check access settings before sharing the kit. A promoter should not discover that the link requires a personal login or permission request you have not planned for. Also check it from a device that is not signed into your storage account. Keep private documents and sensitive rider details out of a public folder unless you intend them to be accessible.
6. Keep shows and ticket links current
An upcoming-shows section is useful only while it is maintained. Publish confirmed events with clear dates and locations, and send ticket clicks to the official destination. When an event passes, archive it or label it as a past appearance. A page full of expired “upcoming” events can leave visitors unsure whether the rest of the site is current.
If you do not have confirmed shows to publish, it is better to omit the section than fill it with placeholders. You can still introduce your work and provide a booking route. Your website should reflect the information you actually have, rather than create the appearance of a schedule that does not exist.
7. Ask for useful booking information
A booking form should collect the details you need to begin a response. Depending on your process, that could include organiser contact, date, venue, location and the type of event. Decide which details are essential and which can be discussed later. Every extra required field should have a clear purpose.
Explain what happens after submission. An acknowledgement means the request arrived; it should not imply that a date is secured. If terms need acknowledgement, show readable terms beside the control. Final fees, deposits, availability and rider requirements still need to follow your actual booking process. Do not let a generic form template define those decisions for you.
8. Test the mobile journey yourself
Open the site on a phone and try the journey a new promoter would take. Can you read the artist name, hear a mix, find the booking link and understand the form? Check text size, contrast and button spacing. Large images should not make the visitor wait before they can use the page.
Ask someone unfamiliar with the site to locate the booking contact without guidance. Their hesitation can reveal a navigation problem that is easy to miss when you already know where everything lives. Also check for broken external links and make sure the email address goes to a mailbox you monitor.
9. Budget for launch and ongoing care
At Strydes, Starter Presence begins at R2,500, a Professional Site at R7,000 and an Automation System at R12,000. These are starting prices, with the final scope confirmed in a quote. Growth & Protection starts at R1,500 per month, with a three-month minimum if selected. Include that ongoing cost in your planning from the beginning.
Choose the package around the job the site needs to do. A focused introduction may be enough to start. If the problem is managing detailed enquiries, a booking workflow may deserve more attention than extra visual effects. Bring your current links and a description of your process to the brief so the quote can prioritise useful work.
Put the checklist into action
Gather your approved bio, music links, photographs and booking contact in one place. Mark anything that still needs updating. Then choose the smallest set of pages and features that gives a promoter a complete, clear route from discovery to enquiry. You can expand the site when there is a practical reason.
For a real example, explore the DJ Phee case study and its structured booking journey. The DJ website service page explains the packages and build process. When you are ready, send us a short brief; you do not need a finished technical specification to start the conversation.