Aussie DJ competition Your Shot is making its way across the globe to Los Angeles. The upcoming 10-part web series (available through Vevo), sponsored by 7 Up and backed by EDM superstar Tiësto, promises to take you from making playlists on your iPod to performing as a full-blown DJ in L.A., Las Vegas, and Miami in just four weeks.

The Your Shot DJ competition was born in Sydney, Australia, in 2010. Since then, it has expanded to Brisbane and Melbourne, as well as gained a modest online following (their Facebook page boasts around 26,000 fans). In these past five years, roughly 2,000 aspiring Australian DJ's have vied for the grand prizes down under, which include a slot at Australia’s major dance music fest, Stereosonic.
With dance music only continuing to grow, the stage is now set for a reality TV-style DJ competition such as this to gain some traction — especially when the U.S. grand prize winner will be opening for Tiësto in Vegas and playing a set at Ultra Music Festival 2016.

It works like this: Anyone over 18 can register at YourShotUSA.com. You can even sign up with a friend (or two) if you want to compete as a DJ group instead of a solo act. Once you’ve registered, show up at the registration day, May 16, in Los Angeles for a five-minute interview. Thirty contestants will be chosen to move onto the four weeks of training with Your Shot’s professional DJ’s, where they will learn the ropes on CDJs and mixers — no laptops or DJ software allowed. Each week, competitors will get two three-hour sessions with the trainers, while anyone at home can watch the contestants' journeys online. 

Training month ends in a showcase event in L.A., where competitors will perform a 30-minute set in front of a crowd of fans and a panel of judges, including Tiësto. The judges will pick six finalists to travel to Las Vegas, where a final week of intensive training and competition will culminate in one winner.

Competitors should be prepared to commit from May through September, but Your Shot promises that even those with full-time jobs can find a way to be a part of the ride — your only constraints are the biweekly training sessions in L.A. and the performance events themselves.

For anyone who’s been wanting to give DJing a try, this could be a solid (albeit gimmicky) bet. Whether or not winning means making it big, free training on real equipment, and the possibility of being discovered by Tiësto, make this one reality competition that might actually be worth it.

Credit: Courtesy of Rephlektor Inkorporated

Credit: Courtesy of Rephlektor Inkorporated

Like us on Facebook at LAWeeklyMusic

Lady Casa: Queen of the Ravers
EDC Vegas 2014: The Best and Worst
World's Douchiest DJs: The Top Five

Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.