iPod vs. DJ by Matthew Shew
In the
search for an answer in the never-ending iPod vs. DJ debate, you must ask
yourself one question: What role will the music (and the person controlling it)
play in your wedding day?
The most
common arguments to be made for the iPod are monetary significance, control of
the playlist, and a terrible past experience with a live DJ. Let’s address each briefly. If you have decided to use an iPod to “save
money”, then you may not be considering all of your expenses. Do you have all of the necessary sound
equipment (speakers, speaker stands, amplifiers, microphones, wires, etc.) you
will need? In many cases, you will spend
a decent amount of money to rent these things.
After the rentals, buying music, and paying someone to operate the
equipment, you may be a few dollars shy of what a DJ would’ve cost. (When I address the advantages of hiring a
DJ, you may be asking if you can afford to NOT hire a DJ.) Wanting control of the playlist is another
reason you may consider the iPod. There
is no denying that once you hit play on an iPod, if functioning properly, it
will play the exact songs in the exact order in which they have been
preset. You can also collect guest
requests in advance, and incorporate them into the festivities. In my 17 years in the business, I’ve heard of
very few parties where a preselected list of music succeeded in making for
excellent entertainment throughout the course of the entire event. I’ve even had DJs make playlists based upon
music they had been given, and change midstream due to not being the “right
time” (by their estimation) to play something.
This is made an even more mute point, given the fact that most DJs are
willing to play the music you want to hear.
While I have heard of certain DJs not wanting to play from a playlist or
take requests because it hindered their ability to “do their thing”, I believe
these DJs to be the exception to the rule.
Leading into my final iPod strength of not having to deal with a
terrible, or just plain unqualified DJ, we must assume the operator of the iPod
will be doing little to nothing. They
are there to “babysit” the sound equipment, and that is all! If the fear of having a bad DJ experience is
your motivation, then read on and hopefully I can put your mind at ease on some
of those issues.
Unlike the
iPod, the benefit to having a live DJ at your event receives a single
argument. That argument is what I will
call the “human factor”. The “human
factor” entails many “pros”, but can also include some “cons”. Since the “cons” of the DJ serve as “pros” to
the iPod, I will address them now briefly.
All of them are relatively easy to avoid, but ultimately a percentage of
them turn into the aforementioned “terrible past experience with a live DJ” we
spoke of in the iPod section. Whether
your DJ is inexperienced, obnoxious, overbearing on the microphone, or maybe
drunk, these are all things which an iPod (by itself) cannot be. On the flipside, a coordinator, emcee, music
expert, and troubleshooter, are things an iPod can also not be. In these capacities, the “human factor” is
very powerful and invaluable to a wedding.
A good DJ will keep the flow of the party by communicating and
interacting with you and your guests, as well as any other vendors at your
event. Your photographer, banquet
coordinator, and any of the other significant players will be thankful to you
when they have someone else to assist on a professional level. Being able to accommodate this “flow” is
something which takes experience and knowledge.
This is arguably the most important “pro” of the “human factor”, and the
one which was repeated in almost every reference I could find. DJs will also be able to adjust the style and
volume of the music, as needed, based upon crowd reaction or as necessity
dictates. Even with impeccable timing,
this would be extremely hard with an iPod.
They will also provide their own personal sound equipment to ensure
quality and familiarity. These may seem
like small details, but they are details about which you will not need to fret. It is a very cliché statement (but very true)
that a wedding day goes by too quickly.
One less thing for you to worry about is a battle won, two or three less
is winning the war.
Some of the
other downfalls of iPods are reliability and capacity. We use iPods as backups, and have seen them
malfunction in the past. Regardless of
the size, an iPod can only hold a certain amount of music. These negatives just serve as more positives
for the DJ side.
There is no
right or wrong answer to this debate, and I am all for
personalization & living within one’s means. That being said, I think a professional DJ is the hands
down, stress-free favorite of couples in 98% or more of all wedding
situations. Enjoy your wedding and make
sure your guests enjoy it, too!
Matt Shew
Shew-sical Entertainment Services, LLC
"Make your event a Shew-sical Masterpiece!" Music. Party. Shew-sical.
