How to Select Music for a Rave Party

Perhaps the single most important element of a rave is the music. The music you select for your rave will make or break the party.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Good sound system
• DJs

Select the Type of Music for Your Rave

1. Pick a style of music that is both popular and not over saturated in your community. While house music may draw a huge crowd, if you have too much competition, you party may be smaller than you expect.

2. Decide if you want to have bands as well as DJs. Trance and ambient bands are a great choice to keep in line with a mixed lineup of DJs and live performers.

3. Try to provide different areas of the rave to offer several types of music. You can select a few popular DJs and build lineups around them in their genres. You should attract a larger crowd if you offer more choices.

4. Select music that makes people want to dance. Even if you are spinning your own rave, you should be sure that people are dancing, which is the whole point of a rave.

5. Consider providing a chill-out area where people can relax off the dance floor. Pre-recorded music is fine for this area where people will not be dancing, but make sure that you have enough to last throughout the night.

Find a DJ for Your Party

6. Hire DJs that already have a following so you have a built-in promotional vehicle. The better known your DJ is, the more people you will bring in.

7. Make sure that your DJs fit together. If you hire a DJ that plays jungle, it is probably not a good idea to put a trance DJ right after him. People who like specific genres of music will more likely attend a party that caters more closely to their tastes.

8. Showcase your DJ friends as opening acts or in a side room. This will allow them to get exposure, while you get rave music on the cheap.

Tips & Warnings

• Choose at least one major DJ to work with before you start planning your rave. Until you become a huge promoter who can attract any DJ or musical act, you will need the performer to bring paid guest in to the party.
• Generally, a rave means techno or electronic music. Although, you can mix styles within that genre. For the most part, rock and rap do not mix well with raves, but large-scale parties might be able to make unusual choices work.