She Can DJ Competition Heads To The States But Is It Good For Women Who DJ?

She Can DJ is a women's EDM dj dance contest that can lead to a major label deal. A handful have been held outside the States and, beginning in July, the U.S. will see its first She Can DJ competition. But are women-only competitions the best way to promote women djs?

She Can DJ has been in operation for at least a couple of years. According to their media partner inthemix:

"After two hugely successful years in Australia and one big year in countries throughout Europe, the initiative is going Stateside."

The competition for female EDM dj's heads to the States courtesy of a partnership between CBS Radio and Astralwerks:

"Following local competitions run by CBS RADIO stations in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Houston, Boston, Detroit, Phoenix, San Diego, Charlotte and Las Vegas, 12 semi-finalists will be chosen, including one wild-card competitor to vie for a grand prize that includes a recording contract with Astralwerks, and headline a tour through the CBS RADIO markets that took part in the competition."

So She Can DJ will certainly be a good look for semi-finalists as well as the winner in terms of marketing and personal career-building.

But DJ Tina T asks the question, "Should Female DJ’s Be Separated In Competitions?"

"I’ve always had split opinions on female DJ competitions. Part of me wants to support them and the women competing, but at the same time, I think the majority of the female DJ competitions are just another cheesy marketing promotion that exploit the novelty of female DJs."

"Do they really care about showcasing women’s skills and empowering them or are they looking for a way to make money and get people through the door? It comes down to what the true intentions are behind it."

DJ Tina T raises a number of other interesting questions and makes a number of insightful observations.

All things considered, she seems to feel that such competitions can be good but it would be even better if women worked together. And maybe including some women judges would be a good idea.

Regarding specific competitions, how women are presented remains key.

You'll have to decide for yourself but, judging from the main site, She Can DJ looks like a great opportunity especially for DJs interested in high profile careers.

Interested in the U.S. competition? Online entries begin in July. Go here to subscribe to updates.

Hypebot Senior Contributor Clyde Smith (@fluxresearch/@crowdfundingm) also blogs at Flux Research and Crowdfunding For Musicians. To suggest topics for Hypebot, contact: clyde(at)fluxresearch(dot)com.