Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Trending
    • Denon DJ SC LIVE DJ Controller Series
    • For DJs & More: Pioneer DJ Releases New Active Speakers
    • Mirage Q6 Pak Black Up-Lighting System
    • M*Caster Studio, Mackie’s New Flagship Live Streaming Mixers
    • Decksaver Releases 15 New Covers
    • Focusrite Vocaster, a New Range of Audio Tools
    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    DJ Life Magazine DJ Life Magazine
    • Magazine
      1. Issues
      2. Interviews
      3. Subscribe
      4. Buy Print Issue
      Featured

      DJ Life Magazine Issue Vol.2 No.6

      By DJ LifeDecember 28, 2022
      Recent

      DJ Life Magazine Issue Vol.2 No.6

      December 28, 2022

      DJ Life Magazine Issue Vol.2 No.5

      October 19, 2022

      DJ Life Magazine Issue Vol.2 No.4

      August 15, 2022
    • Tech
      1. Reviews
      2. Tech News
      3. MainStage
      Featured

      Denon DJ SC LIVE DJ Controller Series

      By DJ LifeJanuary 27, 2023
      Recent

      Denon DJ SC LIVE DJ Controller Series

      January 27, 2023

      For DJs & More: Pioneer DJ Releases New Active Speakers

      January 26, 2023

      Mirage Q6 Pak Black Up-Lighting System

      January 26, 2023
    • Music
      1. Mixes
      2. DJ Playlists
      3. dme Free Music
      4. National Club Charts
      Featured

      The Chainsmokers Join Forces With Cheyenne Giles For “Make Me Feel”

      By Brian BonavogliaJanuary 13, 2023
      Recent

      The Chainsmokers Join Forces With Cheyenne Giles For “Make Me Feel”

      January 13, 2023

      Tiësto Opens The New Year With “Lay Low”

      January 6, 2023

      100 DJs of All Stripes Offer Up 2022’s Top Tracks & Best Musical Moments

      December 30, 2022
    • Events
      1. Contests & Giveaways
      Featured

      Lightning in a Bottle Shares Colossal 2023 Lineup

      By Brian BonavogliaJanuary 19, 2023
      Recent

      Lightning in a Bottle Shares Colossal 2023 Lineup

      January 19, 2023

      North Coast Music Festival Reveals Initial 2023 Artist Lineup

      January 18, 2023

      Coachella Unveils Artist Lineup For 2023

      January 10, 2023
    • Tips
      1. DJ Tips
      2. Studio Tips
      3. Business Tips
      4. DJ Life Lessons
      Featured

      Shape Up Your Site: Tips on Using Google Search Console

      By Jordan St. JacquesNovember 2, 2022
      Recent

      Shape Up Your Site: Tips on Using Google Search Console

      November 2, 2022

      Time to Revisit Your Marketing

      August 1, 2022

      Presto: Quick Video Creation Using A.I. Tools

      July 28, 2022
    • Mobile DJ
      1. Business Tips
      2. Mobile DJ Profiles
      3. Wedding DJ
      Featured

      Bridal-Show Tips: How DJs Can Maximize Their Opportunities

      By Brian BonavogliaJanuary 11, 2023
      Recent

      Bridal-Show Tips: How DJs Can Maximize Their Opportunities

      January 11, 2023

      Buffalo DJ Succeeds By Diversifying

      January 4, 2023

      Geofencing: How Mobiles Amp Up Their Digital Ads

      January 2, 2023
    • DJX Show
    DJ Life Magazine DJ Life Magazine
    Home»Mobile DJ»Buffalo DJ Succeeds By Diversifying
    Mobile DJ

    Buffalo DJ Succeeds By Diversifying

    By Brian BonavogliaJanuary 4, 2023
    brian botens
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn

    Buffalo, N.Y. — Brian Botens has branded his DJ business Beloved Entertainment, at once acknowledging the role that music can play on the most important days of our lives, while also differentiating himself in a crowded Buffalo market.  

    We asked Botens to explain how he went from solo op to multi-op and how he succeeds by diversifying his services.  

    DJ LIFE MAG: Beloved Entertainment…when did you start the company, and how do you differentiate it from your competition in Buffalo?  

    Brian Botens: I started as a DBA in 2006, but changed over to a corporation in 2012. There are many DJ companies in the Buffalo/Western New York area, so what we do differently than most is full-on event production. So, we’re not just DJ service, photo booth, and a little bit of lighting. We offer that, plus programmed light shows, LED video walls, digital projections, special effects, such as CO2 jets, haze, dry ice, cold sparks and much more. 

    DJ LIFE MAG: I see you do a lot of rentals – what went into that business decision? Are rentals a big part of your revenue?  

    Brian Botens: I have always been one to buy top-of-the-line first, so I don’t have to upgrade later. With that being said, over time, I became the one local promoter who you’d come to for DJ equipment for their DJs coming in from out of town. Whether it was a club gig, rave party, or tour date, many travelling DJs have requirements to perform, and I became someone that always had what they needed. In the last five to 10 years, this has become a big part of my business – especially the LED-wall rentals.  

    DJ LIFE MAG: You specialize in VJing – is that an upsell? How do you sell that?  

    Brian Botens: Actually, it depends. If you are referring to DJing with music videos, I don’t really use that as an upsell for the service. But I do charge additionally for the video screens, when needed. If the venue I am playing at already has screens and I just have to plug in, then there is no additional charge for it. The fact that I even have the ability to provide that makes me more of a commodity than most of the competition. But it also allows me to show my more creative side in my performances since I do my own custom video edits. It helps me stand out, which in turn helps book more gigs. Plus, I love doing it. So, I don’t feel the need to charge extra for that part. 

    Now if you are referring to VJing with just visuals for other peoples’ performances, yes, that is an upsell. When I rent out my video displays, most of the time the clients will need a video tech to play specific content. Most of the time, for our business anyways, this tends to be big DJs on tour that want their own visual content played on stage. I actually have built a team of video guys that can even handle doing this for me at the gigs where I cannot be there, as we are now doing multiple events in a day on most weekends.  

    DJ LIFE MAG: Playing nightclubs and bars – for you, how different is music programming compared to weddings?  

    Brian Botens: Much different. Weddings have a much more diverse crowd. For the most part, you are required to play a list sent from the bride and groom mixed with all the hits from the last three to five decades. Bars, I find myself playing a lot more hip hop, some old-school, but mostly newer-trending music for college crowds. Nightclubs, for the most part, are a lot of EDM/dance music. When people come to that type of environment in a nightclub, you are expecting they are there to rage. 

    DJ LIFE MAG: What’s in your gear set-up? 

    Brian Botens: For software, I use Serato DJ Pro. I use MixEmergency, the Mac app for VJs. I use Resolume Arena VJ software and media server. And I use SoundSwitch lighting-control software. I have a Macbook Pro from 2019. For my PA, I have Pioneer XPRS12 12-inch speakers and QSC KS118 18-inch subwoofers. My lighting lineup includes products from ADJ like the Inno Pocket Wash and the Pocket Pro – both are mini-moving-head fixtures. 

    DJ LIFE MAG: What’s your No. 1 revenue stream?  

    Brian Botens: Weddings, by far. They are usually a higher price tag than other events, but also we book a lot more of them. I would say concert production would be next in line, though. Not as many, but they are usually pulling in as much revenue as the higher-end weddings. 

    DJ LIFE MAG: Are you an entertainer or business owner first?  

    Brian Botens: That is a really good question, and something I never really asked myself. I have always been the entrepreneur type. I did start DJing as a hobby, just because I love to make people dance, and I love bringing people together through music. It just kind of developed into a business that I did not expect. I would say a couple years ago, I was an entertainer first because I mostly did everything myself, and stayed focused on the art. Now I am juggling a lot more with multiple employees, so I have had to take on more of a role as a business owner. Not sure if that answers the question, though, because I guess I am a lot of both.  

    DJ LIFE MAG: Where do you see your business in five years? 

    Brian Botens: I am still growing, and I would love to get a couple more solid wedding DJs on my team. I would like to cap off at five events per date. Any more than that, I feel like you are starting to sacrifice quality for quantity. We have clients raving about how well we operate, and how we are very organized and on-point. I know that the more you take on and the bigger you get, the more mistakes happen, and the more fires you will have to put out. I don’t want that stress for my clients or myself. I never got into this to get rich, so there is no need to get greedy.  

    DJ LIFE MAG: Any other goals?  

    Brian Botens: I am also looking to build a sound system that can handle much larger events. We are basically handling video and lighting production for some of the biggest events in town, but we are only equipped for doing sound for smaller events, such as weddings. I think in 2023, we will be looking for a building for office space. 

    Beloved Entertainment Brian Botens

    Related Posts

    Bridal-Show Tips: How DJs Can Maximize Their Opportunities

    Geofencing: How Mobiles Amp Up Their Digital Ads

    DJ Idea Sharing: I Lost My Office…Oh, Well

    DJX 2023 Registration is Open

    Chatbots: ChatAI/ChatGPT & The Future of Search

    10 Brand-New Songs for Your December Wedding Playlist

    Comments are closed.

    Latest Posts

    Denon DJ SC LIVE DJ Controller Series

    January 27, 2023

    For DJs & More: Pioneer DJ Releases New Active Speakers

    January 26, 2023

    Mirage Q6 Pak Black Up-Lighting System

    January 26, 2023

    M*Caster Studio, Mackie’s New Flagship Live Streaming Mixers

    January 25, 2023
    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    • About
    • Digital Editions
    • Subscribe
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    © 2023 DJ Life Magazine

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.