The #1 Question a Bride Should Ask a DJ, But Doesn't Know to Ask

Wedding couples sometimes aren't sure what questions to ask a DJ they're considering hiring

Some of them rely on lists of "what to ask" found in bridal magazine or wedding websites.

In either case, they almost never ask the following crucial question:

"WHICH MUSIC SERVICE DO YOU SUBSCRIBE TO"?

If your prospective DJ can't answer that question or doesn't know what you're talking about, don't hire him.

You see, the way all professional DJs (and I do mean professional, as opposed to hobbyist DJs) keep up with all the latest music is by subscribing to one of the three professional music services that supply DJs -- and radio stations, I might add -- with weekly or monthly copies of all the hot hits (be they pop, rock, R&B, hiphop, country, or other genre).

The three are TM Studios (producers of the Prime Cuts and HitDisc series), Promo Only, and ERG Music.

These companies, which are unknown to the general public, provide their weekly or monthly updates on CD or via mp3 download. They offer various packages covering specific genres or the best of all genres. Exactly which one one your DJ gets isn't so important, as long as he subscribes to one of them.

Without a subscription to one of these professional music services, it is virtually impossible for a DJ to keep up with ALL the latest hits on an ongoing, consistent basis.

Furthermore, these services provide the CLEAN, radio-edit versions of these songs.

I don't have to tell you how important that is for a DJ playing any sort of hiphop at a wedding reception. What you might not realize is how important it is no matter what genre he's playing. (For example, did you know that James Blunt drops the "F-bomb" in his pop-rock ballad "You're Beautiful"? Probably not, because it's deleted from the version you hear on the radio. But if your DJ is using the retail CD version, you're in for a surprise!).

If you're a bride or groom or wedding planner, you've probably never heard of TM Studio's Prime Cuts or HitDiscs, or Promo Only, or ERG Music. And that's my point, exactly. These are tools known only to, and used only by, professionals. (In fact, I had to sign an affidavit stating that I am a professional DJ in order to subscribe subscription, because these services are NOT licensed for the general public).