Your laptop can hold millions of songs.
A modern DJ rarely has a collection of CDs or records for partygoers to thumb through. Digital music has revolutionized the way DJs control, transport and play their music. What used to be thousands of CDs carried around in large cases has been reduced to thousands of intangible digital files carried on a laptop. As long as your laptop has the capacity, proper outputs and music software, you can DJ all of your own parties without ever touching a CD.
Instructions
1. Power on your laptop and check the battery level. Plug in your laptop's power adapter if the battery level is low. Have your power adapter handy to keep your laptop plugged in and fully charged.
2. Download and install a free piece of music software (check the Resources section for some good freeware options). Save the program file to your desktop and double-click it to begin the installation process once the download completes.
3. Launch the music software and follow the setup wizard. Point the software at the folder that contains your music and click "OK." Continue the setup process and reboot your laptop if prompted.
4. Connect the appropriate cabling to the laptop's audio out port. This is usually a 3.5mm "miniplug" or TRS connector. Plug one end of the cable into the audio out port on your laptop and the other end into your receiver or speakers. You may need an adapter to connect the miniplug to your speaker setup. If you're unsure, consult your user's guide for specifics.
5. Power on your speaker/receiver configuration and click "Play" in your music software. Many pieces of music software have "DJing" features like EQ and cross fading prominently displayed in the main control panel, but consult the user's guide for specifics. You'll have to decide where you're going to control the volume of the music. As a general rule of thumb, it's more convenient to control the volume through the software on your laptop than it is physically on your speakers.
