Paid in Exposure: The Rapid Rise of Visual DJ Sets
A viral video can accelerate a DJ’s career—but at what cost?
Boiler Room was only three years in when it released Kaytranada’s iconic Montréal set. The popular video platform prides itself on its humble beginnings—per the official website, “Boiler Room started with a webcam taped to a wall, opening a keyhole into London’s underground.” Now nearing 10,000 installments, the program has become a blueprint for burgeoning outlets eager to recreate the magic. Legacy electronic music publications followed its formula in the following years as well: Mixmag showcases artists across the world in The Lab, DJ Mag hosts weekly sets live from the DJ Mag HQ, and Resident Advisors accompanies artists across the festival circuit to record them for RA Live.
A placement on any one of these series is considered a benchmark of success for artists, industry executives, and the greater dance music community. Not only can it solidify a DJ as worthy of being recognized, but there’s also a chance that a viral video can still slingshot someone to superstardom. Arguably, Fred again.. wouldn’t have risen as quickly without his London Boiler Room, which at the time of writing, sits at 38 million views. Sammy Virji’s DJ Mag HQ recording is inching in on more modest 2 million views, but the widely acclaimed episode is probably one of the contributing factors to his crowd-packing popularity.
With the possibility of a career-changing outcome, it’s understandable that these opportunities are highly coveted. On the contrary, there are people like New York City-based DJ Nas Leber who don’t think anyone needs to be drooling over a slot. “Platforms like The Lot Radio and Boiler Room got DJs itching to DJ for free,” he tweeted. “If you have an iPhone, you have a camera. Make your own content.”
While some people sided with Nas Leber, others argued that there are benefits to being a guest on a channel rather than starting something from scratch. The value doesn’t only come from the exposure of an outlet’s built-in audience, but creating quality content isn’t cheap or easy either. Even if an artist decided to record on their iPhone, they’d still need access to decks, audio recording equipment, video editing software, new music, and a space that makes for an aesthetically-pleasing background setting. Paying for only one or two of these things can already add up to hundreds of dollars, and that’s not even accounting for optional assets like website hosting fees or all of the priceless time it would take to put everything together (“Time is money,” etc.).
There’s also a significant difference between his two examples. Boiler Room is a music broadcasting giant that sells out events across the world with its logo (which you can actually pay for now), whereas The Lot Radio is an independent and not-for-profit radio station that streams from a tiny, renovated shipping container in Brooklyn.
Since opening its cargo doors in 2016, The Lot Radio has grown to be one of the most respected electronic music outlets in the U.S. and has even secured regular partnerships with major festivals and institutions, like Making Time and MoMA. Even so, the New York City electronic music scene still considers it a fixture of the community. Although the station is a hotspot for some of the most sought-after international DJs, it continues to serve as a launching pad for emerging local talent who are confident and patient (waiting for an opening can take months) enough to show off their selections. The Lot has shown consistent loyalty to its home. The residents are exactly that: New York City artists, labels, and establishments that are doing something meaningful in the scene—and seemingly regardless of the follower count.
Compared to Boiler Room’s 4 million YouTube subscribers, The Lot Radio stands at a small but mighty crowd of 192,000. Its most popular videos can reach a couple million views—which is just another day for the London presenter—but getting a show on the station can be nearly as impactful in its own way. In November 2019, DJ SWISHA, Kush Jones,AceMo, and MoMA Ready made their Lot Radio debut and despite club music being uncommon on the site at the time, the views kept rising. The response to their episode was a sign that The Lot needed to open the doors a little wider, and that special four-way back-to-back effectively changed the way the New York network would program its schedule in the coming years. At the same time, each member of the crew would go on to embed their respective places as club music champions repping New York City (plus, they unsurprisingly got a joint residency). Since then, East Coast club music has been one of The Lot Radio’s main ingredients for success.
Around the world, there are plenty of other notable video producers known to give developing acts a kickstart: New York City is also the home of Book Club Radio, RAW CUTS, and On The Radar; Kiosk Radio is basically The Lot’s Brussels counterpart; Keep Hush and apartment life are holding it down in London; Los Angeles’ goyo club prioritizes local talent; and Chicago-based Elevator Music is taking over after only a year of releasing content. The downside is those who don’t live in a music hub have even less access to places that could get them in front of more eyes and ears. Some even feel the need to fly out when they have a chance to get behind the camera… and they do so (I know someone who traveled from Berlin for their The Lot Radio set last month). While I’m not certain that every one of these channels don’t compensate their guests, that could mean visiting performers are actually losing money to play, if not.
When it comes down to the industry side, the truth is a lot of promoters, venue owners, artist managers, and bookings agents look to prominent platforms for confirmation on whom to give an offer. Presenting your work on these channels can often be the easiest way to create an effective portfolio, so passing up on the gig might have the inverse effect—especially if you rely on bookings as a source of income. The problem is with the business as a whole; lazy decision makers are counting on numbers and recognizable names to sell a product (the event) when live music should really be up to real tastemakers who have the intention of curating a unique and thoughtful experience.
The platforms themselves might not always be inherently evil, but the power we give them needs to be reevaluated. As it goes with music media, everything can disappear in an instant anyway.
In November 2023, in-demand Berlin music broadcaster HÖR faced major backlash after employees in two different headquarters asked performers to remove their pro-Palestine apparel during their sets. The community criticized HÖR for its censorship and called for a boycott, resulting in artists asking the site to take down their sets. What was once a marker of éclat instead transformed into a scarlet letter.
For artists, getting recognition from an established outlet is usually an indicator you’re on the right track. Seeking validation is normal—after all, art is meant to be shared. But when your whole worth is dependent on where you’ve been rather than who you are, what’s the point? A platform should be just that: a stage that gives you the room to shine.
Second Opinion
Back in July, a few of my friends launched Store Run Radio, an audiovisual mix series that films straight out of a Brooklyn bodega. With its inception still fresh in their minds, I thought they were the perfect people to ask: What does it actually take to start your own video platform?
The Store Run Radio team is made up of three members—who are DJs themselves—NoahG, SUPR SPRT, and Grabba Ranks. NoahG, who actually works at the deli, quite literally has his hands in everything, but focuses mainly on outreach and programming. SUPR SPRT is in charge of all things gear and sometimes spearheads project management. Grabba Ranks helps film and project manage as well as edits social media clips.
Fortunately, starting Store Run Radio didn’t break the bank because the crew already had all of the equipment. SUPR SPRT owns the bulk of the gear—his XDJ-RX3 and road case cost him $2,400, his GoPro was $350, plus he brings about $100 worth of cables to make it all happen. Grabba Ranks’ additional camera, an Insta360, is worth $500. Because of Noah’s employment at the deli, they don’t need to cover any location costs. (Still, that would be over $3,000 for someone just starting out.)
The team disclosed that they don’t compensate artists, but they believe there’s still value for artists to come on Store Run Radio.
“DJing and content go hand in hand now,” NoahG tells me. “If you don’t have content for people to look at you will only go so far these days, so our platform gives people the opportunity to have this content and it’s extremely, extremely unique to anything else going on and I think that’s where our upper edge is.”
Grabba Ranks agrees. He adds: “Partnering with us gives you the chance to showcase your talents to our audience while offering your followers a fresh, unexpected setting—one you wouldn’t typically see a DJ in. Plus, for those outside of New York or New Yorkers who moved away, it offers a glimpse into a real-life deli on a genuine New York street corner.”
SUPR SPRT also offers the idea that being a guest on a platform exposes the artist to a different setting, capturing a range of audiences. “Other platforms all have their own flavor, allowing DJs to be seen in a variety of contexts and mediums,” he says. “It’s similar to an artist releasing music on a label rather than themselves.”
With that being said, it doesn’t mean the trio disagrees with Nas Leber’s initial tweet. “Ownership is so important,” NoahG says. “I’d rather create a platform than be a guest on one. There’s more longevity that way.”
Whether every DJ can or should launch their own platform isn’t so cut and dry, but it just made sense for the Store Run Radio team. “If you have a distinct vision, access to the hardware and software, and a solid team to execute, it creates an experience for people who can’t physically make it out or prefer to consume music/media in the comfort of their home,” SUPR SPRT acknowledges.
As for how an artist and platform should work together, Grabba Ranks says it best: “The relationship between an artist and a platform should be symbiotic. The platform should provide artists with the tools and opportunities to showcase their talent in new and creative ways, while the artist brings their unique voice and content that adds value to the platform. It’s all about collaboration—working together to push boundaries, create memorable experiences, and build a community.”
Arielle Lana LeJarde – Writer Bio
Arielle Lana LeJarde is a Brooklyn-based culture writer, DJ, and the founder of HEADS KNOW. Find her on Twitter or at her next party.