Remember that the absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence. While seeing another DJ pop up in the search results can be a strong hint that the name you’ve chosen is already taken, not seeing another DJ isn’t necessarily proof that the name isn’t taken. For definitive proof, it’s best to couple your initial search with one of the other methods below.

Note again, however, that just because someone hasn’t already purchased a website that uses your stage name in its address doesn’t mean that no DJ has already taken your name — someone using your name may just not have a strong online presence.

While Facebook is the most popular social network site on the planet, it’s far from the only one. [2] X Research source Thus, you’ll save lots of time by using one of several online utilities that instantly search multiple social network sites (like namechk. com) rather than searching each individually. [3] X Research source

Some trademark databases are free to search, while others may cost a small fee. For a fairly definitive list of trademark databases, consult uspto. gov, the official site of the US Patent and Trademark Office. [6] X Trustworthy Source United States Patent and Trademark Office U. S. government agency responsible for registering and protecting patents and trademarks Go to source

Luckily, there are ways around this sort of trademark infringement. The most direct is simply to change your DJ name. You may also be “off the hook” if you can prove that you don’t directly compete with the trademark holder — for instance, if you’re only well-known in New York State and the copyright holder is only well-known in Florida, you may not need to change your name until one of you begins touring and promoting your act on the other’s home turf.

For example, imagine that a new DJ who specializes in spinning diss tracks wants to call himself “Diss-establishmentarianism”. While the “diss” pun is amusing, this name will have a hard time catching on — if the DJ’s fans have a hard time remembering his name (let alone pronouncing it), his word-of-mouth potential is seriously limited.

For example, imagine that an up-and-coming DJ named himself “DJ Harlem Shaker” during the height of the meme’s popularity in February 2013. This a bad move — within just a few months, the meme’s popularity had faded dramatically, so this DJ’s name would probably sound hackneyed.

For example, words with g’s, k’s, z’s, t’s and hard c’s tend to be hard and edgy and are considered cacophonous, or phonetically unpleasant. In contrast, words with many l’s, w’s, long o’s, y’s, s’s, and soft c’s tend to sound soft and fluid and are considered euphonious, or phonetically beautiful. A DJ might want to go with either of these styles, so choose your own sounds accordingly to make the name appropriately gritty for your persona.

A name that passes the radio test should be easy to understand just from the way it sounds while spoken. It shouldn’t be hard for the announcer or the listener to pronounce or spell — remember, people who will be hearing your DJ name on air may not have ever heard of you before. For instance, imagine that there’s a DJ named “DotComrad3. " This name would have a hard time passing the radio test. Someone reading it on-air might have to say something like, “If you liked the song you just heard, check out the artist’s website — www. Dotc0mrad3. com. That’s w, w, w, dot (as in a period), “Dot” (as in the word “dot”), c, zero (not o), m, r, a, d, 3 (not e). " This is a serious mouthful for the radio announcer to get through — if he doesn’t make a mistake, there’s a good chance many of the listeners will.

For example, a DJ who calls herself “White Tiger” might naturally want to use lots of tiger imagery in her on-stage show. She might, for instance, wear a tiger mask on stage while she spins her music. If she has access to a projector, she might even project psychedelic tiger designs onto herself during her show. On the other hand, a DJ with a name like “DJ Palindrome” has a logo that practically designs itself. Since palindromes are words that are spelled the same way forwards and backwards, DJ Palindrome’s logo might look like this: PalindromemordnilaP — basically, as if it’s reflected in a mirror.

In general, including the “DJ” may give a slightly more “old-fashioned” or “classic” flavor to your image because of the tendency of old-school hip-hop DJs to include “DJ” in their stage names (see: DJ ). This is by no means universal, however, so try to consider each name on a case-by-case basis.

Musical terminology (beat, note, tempo, chord, song, symphony, etc. ) Music genres (rock, disco, techno, etc. ) Specific songs or bands (for example, Radiohead, Phoenix, and The Rolling Stones are all named after other bands’ songs). [9] X Research source

Musical terminology (beat, note, tempo, chord, song, symphony, etc. ) Music genres (rock, disco, techno, etc. ) Specific songs or bands (for example, Radiohead, Phoenix, and The Rolling Stones are all named after other bands’ songs). [9] X Research source

Musical terminology (beat, note, tempo, chord, song, symphony, etc. ) Music genres (rock, disco, techno, etc. ) Specific songs or bands (for example, Radiohead, Phoenix, and The Rolling Stones are all named after other bands’ songs). [9] X Research source

For example, M. I. A, the Sri Lankan rapper with international hits like “Paper Planes”, uses a name that is a play on her own (Maya), as well as a reference to the abbreviation for the term “Missing in Action”. Another well known example is Eminem — this name is a reference to the artist’s initials (MM, for Marshall Mathers) as well as the phonetic pronunciation of his old stage name (M&M). [10] X Research source

Religious references (see: Matisyahu) Political references (see: Rage Against the Machine) Literary references (see: Modest Mouse, As I Lay Dying) References to specific people or places (see: Lynyrd Skynyrd)

DJ Shadow Tiesto Belleville 3 A-Trak Grandmaster Flash Diplo Jam Master Jay Deadmau5