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How people request songs from a DJ
There are several ways and each has its place. This table compares what each one allows.
Updated
What are the ways to request a song from a DJ?
You can ask in person at the booth, pass a paper note, send a social media message, tip by mobile payment or cash, or use an app built for it like WeSound. What changes is whether you interrupt the DJ, whether the song reaches them in writing and whether the tip is taken before or after the DJ decides.
What does each way of requesting allow?
We compare by type of method, not by brand. “Depends” means it works in some cases and not in others.
| Criterion | Going to the booth | Paper note | Social media message | Mobile payment or cash | WeSound |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Without interrupting the DJ | No | Depends | Yes | Depends | Yes |
| The DJ sees the song in writing | No | Yes | Yes | Depends | Yes |
| Dedication | Spoken | Yes | Yes | No | Yes, checked |
| Tip | In cash | Depends | No | Yes | Yes |
| Only charged if the DJ accepts | No | No | Not applicable | No | Yes |
| No account to create | Yes | Yes | No | Depends | Yes |
| The DJ decides what plays | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Mobile payment needs the payer's banking or payment app. With WeSound, no account is needed to request; the app is optional.
When each way still makes sense
Going to the booth works when the mood is relaxed and the DJ has a moment between songs: in a bar early in the evening or at a small wedding. It's direct and costs nothing. The trouble starts with loud music, a big crowd or a DJ in the middle of a mix.
A paper note is still handy where the DJ is close and someone can leave it in the booth. The DJ sees the song in writing, but paper gets lost, doesn't say who's asking and there's no way to know whether they've seen it.
A social media message works if you know the DJ and know they check their phone during the set. You need an account on that network and the DJ has to read messages in time, which doesn't always happen live.
Mobile payment or cash are a direct way to tip, especially if you already know the DJ. What they don't do is tie the tip to the request: you pay before knowing whether the song fits, and you have to tell them the song separately.
What WeSound does differently
WeSound is an app and website to request songs from a live DJ and support them with a tip. Scan the DJ's QR code, search for the song, add a dedication if you like and pick a tip. Pay with Apple Pay, Google Pay or card, with no account to create.
The main difference is when you're charged: the tip is held and only charged if the DJ accepts the request. If they decline or time runs out, it's released. If they accept and it doesn't play, tell us in the app; we'll look into it and, if you're right, refund you.
What WeSound doesn't do: it doesn't force the DJ to play anything, and it doesn't help if the DJ doesn't use WeSound. For DJs, signing up is free and WeSound keeps 15% of each accepted tip.
Questions about the alternatives
Is it rude to go up to the booth to request a song?
Not if you pick your moment: between songs, with a clear request and without hanging around. What bothers DJs is being interrupted mid-mix or pestered.
Why isn't a cash tip enough?
It's enough if the DJ is happy with it. The difference is that with cash you pay before knowing whether they'll accept, and you have to tell them the song in person.
What if the DJ doesn't use WeSound?
Then you can't request through WeSound. The other ways are still there, and you can always tell the DJ it exists.
See how it works
From QR code to DJ booth in seconds, with no account and nothing to install.
How it works