← ALL THOUGHTS
Oct 31, 2025 / 1 MIN READ

You're not a shit DJ just because you don't have a $20,000 setup

JAMES HYPE
James Hype — You're not a shit DJ just because you don't have a $20,000 setup
Don't let Instagram dampen your reality.

No one talks about this. You're not a shit DJ just because you don't have a $20,000 setup.

Instagram is full of bedroom DJs and they've got the most expensive gear. But honestly, I didn't even have my own decks for the first five years of my DJ career.

Before I got any gigs, I used to go to a rented studio that had CDJs in just so I could practise. When I did get a gig, I used to borrow the decks from the club after it closed. I only got my first CDJs in 2016, and even then that was on finance.

Don't let Instagram dampen your reality.

What this actually means

gear is theatre. the gap between you and the people you're watching isn't equipment, it's hours.

What to do today