Comparison
Five ways to take song requests
What works at which party, and where does each method break down?
Almost every DJ gets requests. The question is not whether, but how they reach you — and that varies enormously. One method costs you attention all night; another leaves you a list that is only useful afterwards. Below are the five methods that actually occur in practice, with what they really cost.
We build one of these apps ourselves, so read this with that in mind. That is exactly why each method also says where it is genuinely better: for a small house party a group chat is simply the sensible choice, and we say so.
The five side by side
| Method | Effort for the guest | Effort for you | Filter up front | Insight afterwards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notes and beer mats | Find a pen | High — you read and keep them | No | None |
| Coming up to the booth | Wait and shout | Very high — interrupts your set | No | None |
| WhatsApp or Instagram | Easy, if they know you | Medium — mixed with everything | No | Limited |
| Shared playlist | Account required | Low, but you lose control | Barely | Limited |
| Request app with QR | Scan, no account | Low — one overview | Yes, in advance | Complete |
Notes and beer mats
The classic: someone writes a title on a beer mat and puts it on your table. It works, because everyone understands it, but it costs attention at exactly the wrong moments. You have to read it while mixing, the handwriting is often illegible, and afterwards you have a pile of paper nobody does anything with. You also never see that five people asked for the same thing.
Best for: Small parties where you are standing still anyway and the requests can be counted on one hand.
Coming up to the booth
Someone walks over and shouts a title over the music. This is the most expensive variant: every request interrupts what you are doing, and on busy nights a queue forms that blocks the walkway. On top of that it is not the best request that wins but the most persistent guest, and the dancefloor notices.
Best for: Nothing, honestly — but it happens regardless, so it helps to have an alternative alongside it.
WhatsApp or Instagram
Requests through the party group chat or your DMs. Easy for the guest, and it works at a distance. The problem is that requests get mixed in with every other message, that your phone has to be in your hand, and that guests need your personal number or account. Past a few dozen messages you lose the overview.
Best for: Private parties with an existing group chat, where you know the people and the numbers stay manageable.
Shared playlist
A collaborative playlist guests add tracks to. It sounds elegant, but you hand over the running order and anyone can add and remove anything. Guests also need an account with that service, which at a wedding excludes half the room. And as a DJ you rarely play straight out of such a playlist.
Best for: Parties without a DJ, where the music can run on autopilot all evening.
Request app with QR
Guests scan a QR code and send their request into one list that you control. Nothing to install and no account: it is an ordinary web page. You approve or reject, identical tracks are grouped together, and you can rule out genres or artists in advance. The downsides are that guests need internet and that you have to set it up beforehand.
Best for: Weddings, clubs, bars and events where more than a handful of requests come in.
What does that mean in practice?
Below about ten requests a night it hardly matters. A group chat or a few beer mats are fine, and there is nothing to set up. Above that line it tips: it stops being about receiving requests and starts being about filtering them — which is exactly what paper and chat cannot do.
The second difference is insight. Only a system that groups requests shows you that fifteen people asked for the same genre. That information is usually worth more than any single request, and it is the only thing you carry into your next booking.
Frequently asked questions
Should I be taking requests at all?
That is up to you and the booking. At a wedding or company party it is often exactly what you were hired for; on a club night with a distinct programme it can get in the way. A system where you filter everything up front makes the call easier: you receive them, but only play what fits.
Can I combine a shared playlist with a request app?
Yes, and people do. The playlist covers the background music beforehand, the app covers the part of the night you are playing. That way you keep control when it actually matters.
What if my guests have poor mobile reception?
Then every digital method works worse, including a group chat. In basements and on packed sites it pays to share the link in advance, so people already have the page open before they walk in.