Hey Mr. DJ!
Playing good music during a house party is crucial to bring the party to the next level. Luckily, with limited means and a few smart tricks a lot is possible! Below some easy tips 'n tricks to get it on!

Dedication

A sad reality is that during many house gatherings, music is mistreated and sometimes even forgotten. Naturally, if you want to transform your concentration of people into an epic party, this is a mortal sin. Dedication to the music is the first step in the path towards stardom.

KPI: key performance indicator

Now that I got your attention, let's talk business: what is the Key Performance Indicator at a party? You guessed it, in the majority of parties you want the girls to dance! The guys will surely follow afterwards. Adjust your playlist accordingly. Mind that this KPI also requires other prime party ingredients mentioned elsewhere on this site:

Know your audience

It is a tremendous help if you know your audience. For example, if you have more of a certain type of people (geographically, culturally, or socially), it would be epic if you can find out what they like on beforehand. Don't be shy! Your efforts will surely raise your status to that of a DJ-legend!

Hardware: functional but expendable

Okay, let's be realistic, if your are going to play at an epic party, things may get out of hand. Therefore use equipment that does the job, but is not overly expensive. You never know....

Hardware: safety first

Sadly, even very old laptops are easily stolen. Think therefore on beforehand what you can do to protect your stuff, while you are away. Simple things like connecting your laptop lock may get you a long way. Another very useful trick is to enable the music to play while you close the screen. This enables you to hide the laptop easily when you go for a leak. This also prevents people from messing with your playlist!  

Software: crossfade

If there is one thing that exemplifies the strength of a DJ, it must be the ability to crossfade two songs seamlessly into another. However, this is something that takes a lot of practice, and likely your audience will not care too much for. Hence, focus on playing the right music and use a simple auto-crossfade in your software (a-3 second crossfade in Foobar2000 works very well for example).

Software: search option

During the party, you may remember a song from your database that would be perfect to play. However, due to circumstances (like a moderate state of inebriation) you forgot where you stored it. In this case, rely on the search option in your software. Make sure you know how it works: it will save your ass!

The pre-party!

If there is one thing more fun than a party, it is two parties! Explore therefore your preparations in a not-so-well planned pre-party. Just make sure this party does not hamper the allure and reputation of the mother party, and you're good to go. At this party you can experiment with different types of music.

Music: length times three

During the party, you will see that playing a full song of 4-5 min may be a bit too much. To keep the flow going often around 2 minutes will do the trick. Make sure therefore to have enough songs. Usually about 3 times the length of the party of solid must-play songs will do the trick. Below,  I have added a few hours of good material. Of course, access is limited to good friends of mine. 

Party phases

Alright, assuming you have prepared yourself, let's get the party started! During a party several phases exist, each requiring a different music style.

Phase 1: start of the party

The first phase of the party is when the majority of the people are coming in and the party has not really begun. Here you can play some easy popular songs at a not-so-loud volume, so that people can still talk. Importantly, as the music is more on the background, you can recycle the songs played easily for later!

Phase 2: party is getting started

The second phase is when the gathering of people starts to turn into an actual party. The larger number of people reduces visibility and the intake of some drinks looses them up. Some of them may even start dancing a bit already. Music volume can go up and you could play some contemporary dance hits mixed with some tasteful dance classics. Here you may begin with layering of the effects. The mirror ball and the black light will give the folks the impression that something is growing here...

Phase 3: that's what I'm talkin' about!

Alright, you made it to phase 3, excellent! This is the core of the party, and features the highest density of dancing. Here you unleash the mother of all dance music: latin music! It does not matter your race/colour/shape/form: everybody enjoys these tropical spirit enhancers (and are naturally included in the suggested music list above). Unleash the remaining effects with the smoke machine last, to come to an epic climax!

Phase 4: Mayhem

The final phase of the party is when the first of the people start leaving, and the remaining people may start to act potentially crazy. Here, the focus on KPI's can be reduced, and you could venture on some crazy songs (like 90s dance for example). Also, play something for yourself, at this stage you deserve it!

Phase 4: Honor & Pride

Eventually though in phase 4,  you will be playing songs for a thinning dance floor, while in the meantime more and more ridiculous requests start to pour in. At this stage you can keep the honor to yourself and call it a night. The sharp decline of the music quality after your unfortunate departure will surely be noticed, and contribute to your already legendary status! 

Throughout the party

During your epic DJ period, a number of tips and tricks may enhance your experience. Below a number of them are highlighted.

Drinks: Organized

As house DJ, you will not have the chance to go and start mixing your own drink. Therefore, organize with somebody to make you your drinks. In general, try to stay less inebriated than the average person on the dance floor...

Song requests

With so many people, so many music tastes. When inebriated, people often start to ask for their favourite song. However, they do not realize that that specific song can kill the party. Hence, stick to your KPI and only take (good) requests from girls. Should a guy come back repeatedly, play the song he wants but be ready to cut to a normal song within 20 s.

The cut: shameful but necessary

We have all been there: you play a song you like a lot and suddenly you are faced with 50 people looking at you strange or even booing you... In this case, simply cut the song and quickly move to the next like nothing ever happened. Importantly, make sure that the automated crossfade also works when you cut songs...

Youtube?

Often requests tackle songs that you do not have, but that (of course) can be found on Youtube. In this case, avoid at all cost to start 'Youtube-DJ-ing' as Youtube is not very suitable. It includes too many adds and does not enable to crossfade easily. A solution is to download the song from Youtube, and then add it to your list. The good thing of this protocol that after the party you will have pimped you music library! 

Partner?

A party with your partner is always nicer! However, not when you are a dedicated DJ. He/she is bound to get upset as they seek the attention they usually receive. So (try to) leave them at home. A good compromise can be to bring them to the pre-party...

Known is king

In order to avoid shameful events like 'the cut', a useful trick is to check whether your audience knows the song. In general, people like to hear songs they know already, and do not appreciate it to be 'educated' by a snobbish DJ. The latter only becomes more true when the general level of inebriation increases...

Song requests: Recognize!

At a party, you may notice that a certain person keeps requesting songs, and that these songs are -to your surprise- very good indeed! In this case, do not feel insulted, but simply acknowledge this partner in crime, and make sure you download all the suggestions for the next party!

Effects: Devices

During the party several effects can be introduced to gradually reduce visibility and thereby reach the legendary party status. Find below short descriptions of some key components. For each type of device an example available on Amazon or Conrad is provided.

Low lighting: smooth

A first core lighting value is to have a dim general lighting. This makes the effects stand out all the better. Simply switch off enough conventional lighting till you feel like its perfect to party!

Smoke machine: legendary

The mother of all effects: the smoke machine. These are a must when you take your party seriously. A proper one costs around 100 USD, and make sure to add some fragrance to the smoke to finish it all off! Mind that the smoke may set off smoke detectors...

Moving lights: dynamic

Especially in combination with the smoke machine, some moving lights add a dynamic aspect to your party. With the increasing abilities of LED lighting nowadays these are powerful, affordable, and safe! Make sure it is sound responsive though. These go for about 80 USD or so:

Black light: psychedelic

Black lights have been around for ages to give parties that spooky exotic look. Again, LED lights deliver a more potent and compact light, and are preferred over the old fashioned fluorescent blacklights. For as little as 40 USD you have a powerful set of LED blacklights. Add some blacklight paint to your order and your party will be epic... 

Mirror ball: grovey

A timeless visual effect is the mirror ball (and spot). This gives a warm, slow moving grovey atmosphere. An easy option is represented in the rotating LED  lights that can be mounted in existing light sockets. These are as cheap as 10 USD a pop!