Regardless of which app you choose, here are some guidelines on how to throw a killer stay-at-home music party. Set a Date and Make an Invite Though you can go online and listen to or share music all day and all night, if you want to get your friends involved, it’s important to set a time and date. If your friends are on Facebook, create a Facebook invite. Your friend will be more likely to take the time to sign up if they see it as an organized event. Having an established timeframe will ensure your friends will be there at the same time. Many people like to mentally prepare if they are going to do something social, even if it is only online. Give people at least a week’s notice. They may want to check out the app in advance as well. Follow up with your besties to make sure they will be in attendance. A great way to do this is to talk about the music you want to share for their particular tastes. Plan for Technical Glitches Let people know you’re going to make yourself available to help people figure out the app. If someone has difficulty, share the fix with everyone, without naming the person who had trouble. All of the apps I tested ran into some technical failures at some point. Even if the app functions perfectly, you may have issues with your wifi or your sound that are unrelated to the app. Be patient. The more time people put into figuring out the site, the more likely they are to come to your next music party. Use the Chat Comment on people’s songs. Ask questions. Introduce people who may not know each other IRL and share what they have in common. When someone first joins the room, say hello and ask them how their day is going. Ask people what music they’re in the mood for, or what they’ve been listening to. Music is a great
conversation starter. Choose a Theme
It may be tempting to think that “anything goes” gives people more freedom. But it can be jarring to jump from thumping dubstep to sixties folk to metal. Even if you don’t want to restrict by genre, if you have a theme, DJs can be answering a more specific question than “what should I play next?” For example, a theme like Your 2020 Favorite Songs or Forgotten Gems will produce better and more interesting playlists than no theme. The theme gives people clear expectations of what they might hear at the party. It makes planning for the party more fun, as you can share song ideas and images to set the mood. Share a surfer gif to remind friends about your 60s garage rock party or images from retro sitcoms for your 80s party. Finally, having a theme can give the audience a sense of context. Do you want people dancing? Throw a bangers party. Do you want your friends to have a chilled out session with music and conversation? Choose a theme like Chillwave Beach Jam or Cocktails and Chill. Set the scene. Try Out the App First Spend a few days getting to know the website you’ll be using for your music party. You want to know what the process is going to be like for your friends getting on board. If they need to install an app, you want that clear from the get-go so they don’t get annoyed and frustrated. Create and customize your profile and your room. Before you even set up your room, go into some of the public rooms: listen to some tunes, try out the chat, and—if you’re feeling bold—jump into the DJ queue. Add music to your queue. You don’t want to be figuring out how it works while also trying to host your party. And once you start sharing music, you just might get hooked!
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