New week, new me and, obviously, a new topic to talk about – Live vs. Pre-recorded music and what sets the strongest vibe. I hope you already understood one simple truth – music will make or break your event. It doesn’t matter how nice the lighting is or how good the cocktails taste—if the vibe’s off, people remember that. But despite that, there is still this one guy out there saying “We’ll just use my phone”… So, it is time for me to educate you on how to make your events memorable because of music and not of someone puking in a bush during a farewell speech.
There are 3 pills you can choose from: live bands, DJs, playlists. Since I have had all of the above, that would make sense to share my thoughts on every option presented and yapp a little bit.
So, Live Bands? Sounds amazing, until they are not…
Live bands can be incredible, truly. When they are good, the energy level is unreal – people are dancing, vibing, feeling something (probably alcohol but anyway). It is personal. Basically, it`s not just about hearing music, it`s the way of experiencing it. Personally, every time I hear live drums, I do not care about anything else, I just become part of the performance and feel like a main character. Especially, when musicians know how to vide with a crowd – if the energy`s high, they turn it up, and if it`s mellow, they ride the wave.
“Live music enhances the ambiance. From the moment guests arrive, the presence of live musicians can create a welcoming and vibrant atmosphere.” — Liv Entertainment Group
But here`s the thing that I have noticed and no one talks about: not every band fits every event. That 7-piece soul band might sound dope in a ballroom, but not so much at a rave or a chill rooftop mixer. Furthermore, live bands are demanding in terms of gear and staging because they need to do their thing, so an idea of inviting one to your apartment for a B-Day should be reconsidered. Out of experience, I would do it only outside or in an open-space kind of venue. But again, nothing is impossible here, sometimes even your craziest ideas can work and you get known for that, so be courageous.
The MVPs of crowd control – DJs
Here`s where things get interesting. If you think that simply playing songs in one genre with a good transition called DJing, think again. These people are not just playing songs – they are managing emotions, energy and attention in real time.
They see when the crowd`s losing steam and know exactly what track to drop next. And unlike bands, DJs don`t get stuck in one genre (usually not, but cases like Das Schwarze Schaf still exist). They are masters to go from 2000s bangers to tech house to reggaeton without blinking. And they take up way less space so it is great if you are working with a weird venue or a tight layout (allows you to have your own pocket DJ).
But yeah, there are of course exceptions and you need to be careful with who you pick even if we are still talking about music here :). And if you hire someone who can’t read the room, it’s gonna feel like Spotify Shuffle with stage lighting. Same for DJs by the way, they also need to know the audience they are asked to play for, whether it is a good match or no. Giving you an example of a situation that happened to me as to Event Manager. I had a DJ for an event for 100 people and he agreed to take a part in it because he was a friend of a friend. The audience of the event was people wanting to dance to 2000s hits or lovely called “white girl music” only, making a DJ playing unnatural genre for him, even though he specialized in techno and deep house. Both sides were unsatisfied with each other and I had to take action in order to find a compromise so we all enjoy the evening in the end. What do you think I did? Write in the comments.
Playlists – great in theory but dangerous in practice
Oh I can write a thesis on identifying people`s character based on playlists they have and play at an event. And, frankly saying, playlists get a lot of love in our context because they are simple. Cheap. Easy. You pick the songs, press play, and you are done with no contracts/egos or setup stress. For chill events, that might be all you actually need. Dinner party? Gallery opening? Networking thing where people are pretending to care about the keynote? Even here a playlist works.
But if the energy shifts (and it will), what will you do? It is not as flexible as a DJ or personal as a live band. The playlist doesn`t know that everyone`s dragging at 10:30 PM and need a serotonin boost now. You might say “oh but you can control the playlist, what`s the problem?”, but in fact, at events it is a remote autonomous thing that has been set up in the beginning and keeps going till the end. Also, tech fails that will be remembered because the music cuts mid-vibe. Keep that in mind and try to outplay potential risks and focus on audience`s journey.
“The purpose of walk-on songs is to capture the attention of attendees, engage their senses and raise the energy at your conference or event!” — Rachel Sheerin
Having read all the above, can you tell what actually sets the strongest vibe? Now, here`s the real answer: it depends (I know it`s annoying, but in the end it`s true).
- If you want goosebump moments and a crowd that feels like they’re at a concert: live band.
- If you want an adaptable, hype-savvy vibe that evolves with the night: DJ.
- If you just need music to exist in the background while people mingle: playlist.
But please, be honest about what your event actually needs. Just because a band looks cool on the invite doesn`t mean they`ll land with your crowd. And just because your friend has good taste in music doesn`t mean they should be running the aux.
Usually people do not remember what was said in a speech or what food was served. But they do remember how the evening felt – and that feeling is built on music. So think bigger than “what is cheapest” or “what is easy”. Ask yourself whether you want this event to have a heartbeat or people to stay awake, or connect and be present in this space? Get those answers right and you`re golden. Otherwise, hope you like awkward silence and unintentional comedy 🙂
If you have not read it already, here is my previous post. Enjoy and see you soon!
