My DJ Livestreaming Journey: Part Two

Michael Gray – House/Disco

LFG.TV, the world’s first DJ-only livestreaming platform, chatted with an international DJ regarding their focused musical genre and asked about their livestreaming journey – representing the House and Disco arena, DJ/Producer and top-selling Artist, Michael Gray (UK).

When, and why, did your DJ Livestreaming sessions start?

During the 2020 Covid lockdown, it was a Saturday night and I was itching to play some records to people who might want to hear them. Prior to this actually, I did a livestream for Glitterbox and later saw a few of my peers streaming. Getting some help and advice from them, few months later, I was streaming regularly myself.

What were the tech, broadcast, software and platform challenges you faced in your early streams?

The main one hit me first – the camera! I started off using my iPhone’s camera as I wasn’t sure I wanted to invest in a full set up at that stage. The funny thing was with the iPhone, while I was streaming first, I forgot to turn off notifications on the phone, so all my messages etc were coming up ‘live’ on my stream!

It did have a humorous side to it though as it generated some fun chat with my viewers. Eventually though, as I streamed more often and regularly, I did make that ‘proper’ camera/lens investment.

How important do you feel it is, to maintain a regular schedule of consistent livestreams?

I feel it’s VERY important – though with that said, in the past year or so, due to studio and live gig commitments, I’m managing once a month. Prior to this, I was streaming every other week, before that once a week and of course through the Covid period, twice a week. I’d always encourage consistency and a regular schedule wherever the DJ can manage it.

What are the major factors that encourage you to stream DJ sets, and continue to?

It’s a fantastic way for me to try out my new remixes and productions and gauge an audience response, live there in that moment. Frankly, there’s no other medium that could deliver that so quickly.

The most important factor though for me is that streaming has enabled me to build up an additional following and fan base I perhaps didn’t have before. It has brought me a new ‘community’ that is not only very loyal when watching my streams, but also, it’s incredible that some people even travel significantly, internationally in some cases, to come to my live gigs.

It’s also very heart-warming that this community have made friends with each other and often chat and travel together. It’s quite lovely.

Do you feel that the younger generation of DJs entering the arena should livestream as part of their creative and promotional activities?

Yes, definitely! Livestreaming is a brilliant way to add additional promotion to a DJ's other social media and online activities, then to further raise their profile.

Actually, my son is looking to livestream soon – he’s 22 and sees it as a great way to build up a following. Now of course, I can give him the benefit of my experience with the tech, getting a comfortable/efficient set-up, raising production values and getting into the groove of a regular schedule.

I think the buzz of it actually being ‘live’, not pre-recorded, is a big thing for me – I think I’m ‘better’ when I’m live and I’d hope that will be the same for a new generation of DJs getting into the space.

What is the musical theme for your DJ livestreams – is it a rigid format or do you ever do different musical genres or focus sessions?

I used to do focus sessions, for example a Full Intention set or a House classics one perhaps, but at the moment my ‘Thankful Thursday’s’ sessions see me playing purely on vinyl for the first hour (with Soul, Funk and Boogie) which I love doing, then for the second hour I go ‘upfront’ with new remixes and productions from myself and other artists.

Interestingly, I was considering at one point to give up the vinyl set in my stream thinking to just keep two hours of ‘new stuff’, but I put a poll up on my Instagram stories and the response was almost 60% in favour of the vinyl classics – So, I thought to myself, “right, I won’t be ditching that then”!

How do you feel LFG.TV will be beneficial and fulfilling livestream experience, for both DJs and their viewing audience?

Aside from the fact that LFG is solely a DJ streaming platform, no gamers etc, there’s one particular feature I feel will be of huge benefit – not only for the streaming DJ but for the viewing community.

Each DJ can have a ‘genre-based’ main and secondary category they’d like to be found in. When visiting the platform, a viewer can target a specific music genre, click-through and land on a page of recommended DJs streaming in that category. This is fantastic!

LFG.TV launches Sept. 1st 2025
Michael Gray Instagram: @djmichaelgrayofficial