Things to do · Arts and crafts
Learn to DJ
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Beatmatching two tracks so the crowd never notices the join is a real musical skill, and it is learned on the same club decks the professionals use. Short courses supply the decks and mixer, so all you bring is your music on a USB stick and a pair of headphones.
Gentle£100 to £500 / $130 to $650A few weeksIndoorsAlone or with othersUK and US
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What a beginners' course covers
Beginners' courses start with the gear itself. Point Blank's weekend course covers setting up, using CDJs, beatmatching and EQing, with each student at their own workstation in a Pioneer DJ sponsored studio. ICMP teaches on Pioneer CDJ-3000s, vinyl turntables and digital vinyl systems, with Rekordbox software.
Some courses go further. Scratch DJ Academy's DJ 101 in Brooklyn covers basic music theory, song structure and fundamental scratching, and WM College in Camden includes reading the room and planning sets for different venues. Arts centres run shorter options too, such as mac Birmingham's two-day DJ School for Adults, which needs no previous experience.
Ways in and what they cost
| Where | Format | Cost (as last listed) |
|---|---|---|
| Point Blank Music School, London | DJ Weekend, Level 1: Saturday and Sunday, 11am to 6pm, for beginners | £345 (page showed 2024 start dates) |
| ICMP, London, Leeds and Liverpool | Introduction to DJing: in London, 12 weeks on Tuesday evenings or a Saturday course | £699 London; £399 Leeds and Liverpool |
| Scratch DJ Academy, Brooklyn | Intro to DJing (DJ 101): 12 two-hour sessions, ages 18 and over | $1,050 |
| Ohio State University Community Music School, Columbus | DJ 101: Wednesday evenings, January to May 2027 (registration listed as closed), for high-school students and adults | $320 plus a $30 administrative fee |
| UNLV Continuing Education, Las Vegas | DJ Like a Pro certificate: four weeks of weekend sessions, aimed at people pursuing a DJ career | $1,300 |
Point Blank and Scratch DJ Academy both provide the equipment in class; Scratch DJ Academy asks students to bring their own headphones.
How to start
- Pick a format: a weekend intensive, a weekly evening course at a music school or college, or a community music school class.
- Check what the course provides; most supply the decks, mixer and software, and ask you to bring headphones and your own music.
- Put a set of tracks you love on a USB stick before the first session.
Where to go
- ICMP: Introduction to DJing (London, Leeds, Liverpool) UK
- Point Blank Music School: DJ Weekend, Level 1 (London) UK
- Ohio State University Community Music School: DJ 101 (Columbus) US
We opened these links on 13 November 2026 and found them to be what we say. Dates, places and prices are on the official page, where they stay up to date.
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Plan it with dates
Pick a day, or a month, and we will set out how to get ready, step by step, with a date and a reason for each. Courses and classes have start dates and can fill up, so the plan begins with finding and booking one. Kit comes after the first session, once you know what you need.
Questions people ask
Do I need my own decks to learn to DJ?
Not for a course. Point Blank, Scratch DJ Academy and mac Birmingham all supply the decks and mixer in class.
What should I bring to a DJ course?
Usually your own music and headphones. mac Birmingham asks for a USB stick of dance music, and Point Blank lets you bring music on a hard drive, USB stick or vinyl.
How much does a DJ course cost?
As last listed, from £345 for Point Blank's beginners' weekend to £699 for ICMP's London course in the UK, and from $320 to $1,300 at US community and university programmes.
Do I need any experience to start a DJ course?
No. mac Birmingham says no previous experience is required, and ICMP says no prior skills are needed.
Where this comes from: Point Blank Music School, DJ Weekend - Level 1; ICMP Short Courses, Introduction to DJing; mac Birmingham, DJ School for Adults; WM College, DJ Skills for Beginners; CourseHorse, Scratch DJ Academy Intro to DJing (DJ 101); Ohio State University School of Music, CMS DJ 101 Class; UNLV Continuing Education, DJ Like a Pro Certificate Program. Opened 13 November 2026.
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