The DJ Name Game

For many DJs, coming up with a good stage name can be as challenging as learning the craft itself. Some DJs make it easy by modifying their real name, you switch a vowel here, move a consonant there or you might be one of the lucky ones who were blessed with a cool DJ name at birth (highly unlikely.) In my case, I took my middle name Michael and used it as my last name then added an s (by the way Craig is not my real first name either but that’s a long story.) If you’re playing the name game but can’t seem to find one that screams at you, here are a few tips that might help you discover one that matches your persona.
Focus on creating a name that’s catchy and easy to remember. The syllables should complement each other and produce a certain effect or good feeling when you say them out loud. Your sex may have some influence on your choice (get your mind out of the gutter). Girls may want to choose something soft or phonetically beautiful, while guys may opt for a more masculine or gritty sounding name. If you want “DJ” to be part of your name, make sure it flows with the rest of the name.
Not sure where to start? You might want to play with letter magnets or cut individual letters out of a magazine and throw them into the air. If you’re lacking inspiration or creativity you can count on the internet for a few good ideas by using random word generators like, wordconstructor.com or fakenamegenerator.com. To make your name musically-inspired, write a few lyrics from your favorite song without spaces and see if it makes any interesting letter combinations or use Google translate to translate relevant words (ex. “music,” “song,” “noise”) into other languages and see if you get any interesting hits
If you were paying attention in school (and what DJ will admit to that) try remembering some of the names in history or look at mythology books for names with rich histories. Sometimes coming up with a good DJ name might be as easy as combining the names of your relatives and friends or start looking at street signs as you drive around (but remember to watch where you are going.)
Still stuck? Borrow the name of a foreign landmark or a distant planet. Watch the movie credits to the end to find interesting names. Start writing down a favorite superhero or icon you identify with. There are a lot of pet lovers in the Desert, sometimes dogs and cats can be a good source of inspiration. If you’re good at math, think of numbers that are meaningful to you and play with their inclusion in your DJ name.
Once you’ve come up with a few good choices ask your friends, family, neighbors, etc. to see which one they like. In fact, they might come up with a great variation or alternative that you hadn’t thought of – and what could be more appropriate than a DJ name that was chosen by your own crew? When you finally come up with one you like, make sure the name isn’t taken. Search for your name on Google and Look around major DJing communities to make sure it isn’t being used by someone else.
Written by: Craig Michaels
Musical Affair Entertainment (760) 880-3848