DJs Beware: Why AI Is Now the Industry’s Biggest Red Flag
To advent of AI and it’s rapid growth has gifted us multiple ways of cutting corners and taking short cuts. The use cases for AI are numerous and being technically savvy people, DJs were some of the first people to embrace it.
However, as with all fads and trends, the quicker it blows up the faster it pops. Use of AI in the DJ scene, particularly with images and text, was at first a novel time and money saving strategy. Now that AI tools are widely used, the AI slop tsunami has truly deluged the music industry. The backlash is real and DJs should be aware that using obvious AI in promotional materials is seen as a key indicator of amateur-level industry awareness.
Serious DJ agencies, promoters and clubs will steer clear of artists that are using AI to cut corners and rush jobs such as flyers and promotional text. Established music industry natives know the value of the wider creative ecosystem and human ingenuity. Graphic design is a key component of branding, marketing and promotion but most importantly it contributes to the experience.
Event promoters are building live experiences and they need every tool to help immerse their audience. A flyer or poster is often the first contact with a ticket buyer.
When it comes to promoting yourself as a DJ, your graphic identify will reach people in advance of your music. It sets the first impression.
Do you really want that impression to be that you don’t respect the art of graphic design, human design and are your main goal is to save time and scrimp on design fees? It’s simply not the right message and shows a lack of awareness and courtesy to the other professions in the industry that support the DJ.
Frankly speaking, as a person who has been involved in events and the DJ scene for more than 25 years, I’d much prefer to see a hand written flyer on a napkin than another ugly AI regurgitation. AI flyers have become a menace and a plague, they are an affront to anyone with an eye for art and design.
Granted, some creatives are using AI as a tool to improve the delivery of their ideas but I am talking about people who simply enter a few prompts, download and move on with no creative input. Those are the flyers that have become one of the biggest red flags in the music industry.
Coupled with the AI slop image, you often see AI text from an LLM like ChatGPT. It’s quite clearly a copy and paste job, and while it may communicate the message, it shows a lack of nuance and human warmth. There is simply no personality.
Not to mention, the extraordinarily negative impact AI is having on the environment.
I understand, the need for aspiring DJs on budget to save money. Not everyone has the budget to pay a designer and few people feel confident in their writing. However, this was never a hurdle before the advent of AI, creatives have always found a way with the tools at their disposal. Some of the most iconic design movements, such as punk, were built on the simplest and cheapest design methods.
My best advice to aspiring DJs who don’t want to be tarnished with the AI brush is to steer clear of AI flyers and promo materials. Instead, embrace your human side, try and hand draw a flyer, create a collage or work with someone with a passion for visuals.
Similarly, embrace your quirky writing, spelling mistakes and all. Show your human imperfections because that is how your fans will truly connect with you. Furthermore, you learn by doing and those skills will have a positive impact on other areas of your life. Don’t deny yourself the opportunity to discover design and write for yourself, for they are some of the richest human experiences.
