The Rider · for DJs Free field guides The stuff nobody explains — money, contracts, your ears, your brain. Pick an edition, grab the PDF.
🎬 No.11 The Opening Manual The First Three Tracks 💪 No.10 The Working Manual DJing At 40 🧭 No.09 The 2030 Field Guide DJing In 2030 🤖 No.08 The AI-Proof Playbook The Machine Can Mix Now 💭 No.07 The Field Guide You Play Memories 🧠 No.06 The Field Guide Your Brain On DJing 🎧 No.05 Hearing Toolkit Protect Your Ears 📝 No.04 Booking Sheet The One-Page Contract 🧾 No.03 TDS Toolkit The Cut Nobody Explained 📊 No.02 Fee-Floor Worksheet Know Your Floor 🛡️ No.01 Insurance Starter The Cover Nobody Buys swipe →
🎬 No.11 The Opening Manual
The First Three Tracks The crowd remembers the start, not the peak. The cognitive science of why your opening is what sticks, what four touring DJs actually do to plan theirs, and the specific job of each of your first three tracks.
Inside
The science — why the primacy effect means your opening, not your peak, is what the room remembers What four internationally-touring DJs actually do to prep an opening — from Pioneer DJ’s 2026 interviews The three-track framework — the specific job of the Introduction, the Proposition and the Commitment The opening planning worksheet — decide the shape of your next opening before you’re in the booth The audit worksheet + openers by context — fix the opening you’ve been playing, by slot and room type Get the PDF → 💪 No.10 The Working Manual
DJing At 40 DJing at 40 is a choice you make at 25. The working manual for the DJ’s body — pre-gig, in the booth, post-set, and across the week.
Inside
The 48-hour pre-gig protocol — sleep, hydration, the alcohol cutoff, footwear The in-booth protocol, hour by hour — stay as sharp in hour six as hour one The 12-hour post-set protocol — the recovery window nobody teaches The 7-day gig-week structure — the whole week built around one Saturday set The micro-movement library — five moves you can do in the booth, plus the science Get the PDF → 🧭 No.09 The 2030 Field Guide
DJing In 2030 It’s not dying — it’s moving. Where dance music is actually heading in the next five years, and the moves to make now.
Inside
The seven trends already visible — from Western club contraction to India’s demographic wave Push / Pull / Cost — why the shift is structural, not cyclical The five moves to make in the next 12 months The local audit — ten questions to spot the shift in your own city Go deeper — the reports and journalists worth tracking as it unfolds Get the PDF → 🤖 No.08 The AI-Proof Playbook
The Machine Can Mix Now The AI tools reshaping DJing — and the four moves that keep you irreplaceable.
Inside
The tool stack — what’s actually shipped, from Serato Stems to Tunee AI and Suno The four moves that keep you irreplaceable when the machine can mix Why technical skill is now the floor, not the ceiling — and where to move your hours The weekly / monthly / quarterly rhythm to build it into your practice Go deeper — Carl Cox, Peggy Gou and Fred Again on surviving the AI shift Get the PDF → 💭 No.07 The Field Guide
You Play Memories The science of music and memory — and how the best DJs build a set around it.
Inside
The prediction problem — why the room’s reaction has little to do with your mix The reminiscence bump — the ages that shape a crowd’s deepest musical memories Case study: how Peggy Gou engineered a 300M-stream hit off a ’98 anthem The pre-set worksheet — ten questions that make the set write itself Further reading — the papers and books behind the science Get the PDF → 🧠 No.06 The Field Guide
Your Brain On DJing What’s actually happening behind the decks — and the neuroscience behind it.
Inside
The Prediction Problem — how you beatmatch before you consciously notice Your four memory systems, running in parallel every set The room-reading loop: why a good set is literally a conversation Why DJing sharpens skills that carry beyond the booth Further reading — papers, books and lectures Get the PDF → 🎧 No.05 Hearing Toolkit
Protect Your Ears The habits, the earplug brands, and the audiologist checklist.
Inside
The five habits that protect your hearing behind the booth Custom musician’s earplug brands — India + international The audiologist appointment checklist — what to ask, what to test The warning signs — when to skip the wait and see someone Get the PDF → 📝 No.04 Booking Sheet
The One-Page Contract The single sheet that turns a WhatsApp gig into a professional booking. India & beyond.
Inside
A fill-in DJ contract — parties, fee, cancellation tiers, force majeure The soft-launch script for sending it without friction Handling pushback — what to say when they resist How to adapt it for your region (US / UK / EU) Get the PDF → 🧾 No.03 TDS Toolkit
The Cut Nobody Explained Invoice template + checklist, so you never lose a rupee to bad paperwork.
Inside
The one-page TDS cheat sheet — rates, thresholds, when it kicks in The DJ invoice template — fill it in, send it, get paid right The five-move checklist that actually protects you Form 16A + Form 26AS — what they are and how to get them Get the PDF → 📊 No.02 Fee-Floor Worksheet
Know Your Floor The worksheet that tells you the number below which every gig is losing you money.
Inside
The three questions your fee floor answers The worksheet — real hours + real costs = your minimum viable fee Two worked examples — a club DJ and a wedding DJ How to actually quote higher — anchor high, cut scope not price Get the PDF → 🛡️ No.01 Insurance Starter
The Cover Nobody Buys The DJ’s starter guide to insurance — what to buy, what to skip, how not to overpay.
Inside
The three covers every DJ needs — health, accident, term life The five questions to ask before you buy The comparison-shopping playbook — India + global The red flags in the fine print that void your claim Get the PDF → Awareness resources and templates — not legal, tax, financial or medical advice. Every situation is different; confirm your specifics with the right professional before acting.