Individuals have been DJing for decades, from rooftop parties to weddings, but why haven’t they been turning large profits until just recently?
The concept of the open format DJ, which is simply an artist who mixes all genres and styles of music, is not a new concept. Yet in the last few years, correlating closely with the beginning of the EDM movement in the United States, the rise of these open format performers saw a dramatic increase in booking fees and a higher demand for larger performance rooms. 
In fact, this year alone could see close to a 30% rise in booking fees for open format DJ’s. (Forbes)
As little as 8 years ago, hearing EDM in your local nightclub wasn’t the social norm. Hip-hop and other pop culture fads dominated the scene, but now, EDM has invaded almost every dance club in the United States. Although the takeover is not complete, open-format DJ’s are beginning to feel the effects of EDM leaking into mainstream culture.
DJ Ruckus, a prominent open format DJ who recently spun the Forbes New York party, weighed in on how EDM has helped his own career:
The EDM boom has really, really helped the glorification of the DJ altogether, I was lucky to be in a great position when it happened.”
There was a little less space in some of the main rooms,” Ruckus continued. “Open format had control over all of the hot nightclubs across the board, both coasts, all the way from New York to Las Vegas. … But the rise of the DJ happened because of the EDM boom.”
Even though EDM is largely responsible for the boom, it is not the definitive cause. Another factor behind the rise of open format DJs is their versatility when it comes to music. EDM is simply a new and powerful tool in their arsenal that increases their demand and chances of getting noticed. Statistics show that many club goers still enjoy hearing hip hop and other genres, but incorporating EDM into different musical styles is a way for people to warm up to the new type of music.
Open-format DJ’s are playing an important role in bringing EDM to markets that have not been so interested in the past, and as EDM continues to boom, the symbiotic relationship will only grow stronger.
Source: Forbes
