Want to DJ at Ibiza Rocks in 2024?
Tuesday, 14th November 2023 by Jay Roberts
Chmping at the bit to DJ on the whie island? Sell a kidney to do it? Is this your dream summer job?
You could get the chance!
Ibiza Rocks posted this video on TikTok today which inspired me to write this post, so I checked out the competition link to see what was what.
The following article is not intended in any way to be derrogatory towards the venue, it is a commentary on DJ competitions as i'm seeing this coming up with a bit more frequency.
I'm going to document all the competitions I can find and do a comparison and follow the leading entrants.
If anyone enters and would like me to feature their mix and progress and experience then get in touch.
Entry is easy, just jump through these hoops:
The main text is copied from the competition website.
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RECORD A 60 SECOND VIDEO OF YOU PERFORMING A ROCKS MINI-MIX
They want you to use as many Ibiza Rocks 2023 artists as you can.
Hold up - a 60 second video live performance video cramming in as many artists as you can?
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COMPLETE THE ENTRY FORM - ADDING A LINK TO YOUR MIX FILE
Uploads to wetransfer or similar file transfer site accepted.
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Social post it (yep, you knew it was coming)
- POST A CAROUSEL WITH 'I WANT TO BE THE NEXT ROCKS RESIDENT DJ' ARTWORK
- FOLLOWED BY YOUR 1 MINUTE MINI-MIX ON INSTAGRAM
- ADD THE FOLLOWING HASHTAGS #IBIZAROCKS #ROCKSRESIDENT
- ADD THE LOCATION 'IBIZA ROCKS' AND TAG @IBIZAROCKS
- SHARE THE MIX ON YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS TO YOUR STORIES TAGGING @IBIZAROCKS.
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Entries close at 00:00 on 28th November.
Sounds straightforward and how's this going to be judged?
Mixes will be evaluated based on 3 key factors: relevant music selection, technical ability and total number of likes. Competent Microphone ability is also preferred, but not necessary. The judging process will last one week, with the top 9 announced late November. Our overall winner will be announced before Christmas.
There it is, how many likes on social media you can attain for something. Do these competition people not realise that you can buy 25,000 likes of a post for less than a tenner?
What should you be aware of?
The bit they don't tell you - or can't for legal reasons - the hidden subtext is they'll also judge you on how you look. Its ok, we said it for them.
You can be the most technical DJ, great on a mic and get a post to 1000 likes but if you ain't more about your gym life and posting your avo on toast breakfast photos than your record labels and don't look like the rest of the ever increasingly generic looking DJ's out there you're probably going to get overlooked.
Winnings.....
If you win, you'll have your accommodation provided and paid part in those magic "exposure" tokens and "a reasonable fee" as well as all the stuff they should do for all artists like include you on posters and promotion.
These days, sorry to say but exposure counts for nothing - unless the venue is going to heavily feature you on their socials from announcement to after you play then other than some more followers it won't do anything but if followers is your goal you'll benefit. I can tell you, followers doesn't equal people turning up.
I follow a lot of DJ's - James Hype being one. Would I travel to one of his gigs outside the UK? No.
You'll also get to 'warm up' for some of the biggest artists in the world.
Now let me just think, you'll be accommodated at the venue which is good, expected to start work at some point relatively early in the day, play for 45 mins if you're lucky and then sit about until the next party or desperately try and get some sleep with the noise going on round you.
I don't want to drag people's dreams down - I just like to look at things from a realistic perspective.
There are some major red flags for me - are my drinks and food included in this prize?
Ibiza clubs are well known for charging locals one price and tourists about 3-4 times more.
What's the tech setup going to be for the competition winner? I guarantee most of the entrants will be on a controller of some sort because that's financially accessible to them - is the venue, like many others, going to give them proper gear in the booth or ask them to bring their controller with them?
I couldn't believe when I saw another well known competition drag out a battered RX1 a few years ago.
We all know the techs at events swap out equipment between performers - a 1 min mix is in the realms of performance DJ'ing not mixing and CDJ's don't really lend themselves to performance DJ'ing unless you have 4 of them plus a DJS1000 like Eats Everything does.
Is this 'reasonable fee' going to cover my bills for whichever month you're out there?
That should be a major concern to get to know before you get into this, can you support yourself in this financial climate for a month where your food/drink/taxis etc could cost way more than the unstated reasonable fee.
I can hear corporate math all over that statement.
Not forgetting you'll be on your own out there so if you're the slightly shyer type you'll become a bit isolated - and the island is not known for good internet so don't expect to stream Netflix 24/7 and video call home all the time. Its still practically yoghurt pots and string for a telephone network out there.
Take a starlink dish with you if you need good internet.
Is opportunity going to knock?
There's another one to consider - will you get unrestricted back-stage and artist area access?
Often the case, the top-tier gets a different wristband/lanyard to the lower ranks.
I work enough shows with AAA passes that even the artists can't go some places I can to know that the organisers seek to limit potential interaction between lower rank artists and potential agents.
Cheap labour is gatekept in this day and age - just remember that.
Should you enter?
On balance, if you're young, one of the instagram beautiful people, live off someone else's money, spend your life down the gym, can afford to give up a month and don't mind a corporate math style undisclosed rate and can pull off the entrant conditions then actually yes, I think you should.
If, however, you're a bit older, have responsibilities and some standards you hold yourself and others too and pool parties and blistering sun isn't really your thing then probably not.
About the venue.
Ibiza Rocks is primarily a hotel in the centre of San Antonio comprising a central courtyard with bar, stage and swimming pool. It regularly hosts live bands and DJ's on the poolside stage.
