RequestNow User Guide 🎵🎶🎤

In high school, Matt and Guy started DJing on the side -- school dances, birthdays and summer celebrations. At these events, we would always put a clipboard out for song requests. Between difficulty hearing and timid guests, the communication wasn’t very good. We knew there had to be a better way to interact with guests. After noticing most guests had their phones handy, we realized it would be great if anyone could simply text the DJ: RequestNow was born. 7 years later, we relaunched and became the world’s most interactive SMS-based system for engaging with party guests and branding.

Getting Help

We are a small team, but always ready to help. We love talking to our DJs and most features are influenced by customer feedback. You can join our community in our Facebook Group.

You can get in touch via contact@requestnow.io or our LiveChat (on the bottom right of each webpage).

We respond as quickly as we can – officially support is 10am-5pm ET, M-F.

Referral Codes

Enjoy using RequestNow? We’d love for you to spread the word! We will give you and your friend two free events. Please contact us for your custom referral code!

Follow us on Social Media

We love seeing RequestNow usage at events on Instagram. Tag us using #requestnowapp or @requestnowapp.

Product Tutorials

We are working on creating product tutorials on YouTube. We love to share best practices and tips from DJs who use RequestNow (let us know if you’ve created a RequestNow tips/tutorial video)

Product Walkthrough - DJ Rick Web
Overview and Product Review - DJ TwinSpin
Product and Photo Memories Overview

Full Webinar with Wedding Business Growth

Using the Contact Card - RequestNow Team

Using the System

We have a short onboarding tutorial that is available here.

The RequestNow Number

Each DJ will receive a new phone number in their preferred area code (no need to use your personal number). During onboarding, we ask for this preferred area code. If we are unable to find a number for your preferred area code, we will reach out to find a number in an alternate area code.

Area code is a feature of the North American Numbering Plan, so only DJs in the U.S. and Canada will be able to select an area code. DJs in the U.K. will always get an 07xxx mobile number.

In the Numbers tab, you can view your assigned RequestNow number. You can also view a QR code generated for that number. You can give each number a custom description (which is helpful for organization if you have multiple numbers). You can also give each number a custom away message, which is the response anyone who texts the number will receive if you don’t currently have an ongoing event.

We recommend choosing a plan that dedicates the number to your account. This way, you can create flyers, cards, etc. and don’t have to worry about the number changing. The custom away message is only available for dedicated numbers.

If you are a multi-op (multi-operator, aka multiple DJs managed under one DJ company), you will need as many numbers as you have simultaneous events. Each number can only be tied to one event at once. Reach out and we can add multiple numbers to your account. Multi-operators may find the custom description tag helpful for organizing multiple numbers.

Need suggestions for getting the number out? Read our section below.

Creating Your Event

After creating your first event, you will be assigned a RequestNow number. You can create an event by clicking on the Create Event button on the upper left in the sidebar on the dashboard.

You will need to create an event in our system for each event you’d like to use RequestNow. This allows you to personalize each event.

You will need to provide an event name and date. Each event will go live at 10am (your local time) and will be active (able to receive and reply to text messages) for up to 24hrs. If you need the event to start earlier, please reach out.

Branding

Auto-Reply Signature

Every incoming guest text receives an automatic reply from the system. If the guest text was a song request, the reply will include the title and artist of the song requested. Otherwise, the reply will be a simple confirmation that their message has been sent to you, the DJ.

The auto-reply signature is attached to every automatic reply from the system, similar to how an email signature works. This is a great opportunity to wish guests well and reinforce your DJ company name.

For example, given this auto-reply signature,

Hope you are enjoying celebrating Dustin’s 35th! You’re in the mix with DJBronf

A guest that texted in a request for Cha Cha Slide would receive this response:

Cha Cha Slide by DJ Casper sent to the DJ!

Hope you are enjoying celebrating Dustin’s 35th! You’re in the mix with DJBronf

The auto-reply signature is not attached to custom replies you send back to the guest.

Thank-You Message

The thank-you message is an opportunity to send out an SMS blast to thank guests one last time when the event ends. (You can also leave them with your contact information: see the Contact Card section below.) The thank-you message is only sent when you click End Event on the Live View (in the Settings, upper right). Some gigs end earlier than planned while others go later, so we leave it up to you to end the event, sending the thank-you message, at the appropriate time. Once you click End Event, the system will no longer take song requests and the exact thank-you message will be sent out to each guest that texted in.

A thank-you message might look like this:

Thanks for coming out for Dustin’s special day. Hope everyone gets home safely. See you next time! I’m DJ Bronf

Contact Card

Aka the digital business card. This is a unique RequestNow branding feature that allows you to share your digital contact card with guests. Also known as a vCard: these are the things that fill up your Contacts in your mobile phone. You can neatly share your name, DJ company, phone number, website and email. Contact cards are sent just like when you want to share a contact in your phone with someone else by texting it to them. Guests can easily save your Contact Card to their phone with a couple taps, making it easier for them to reach out to book you for a future event! Much better than handing out business cards that most throw away!

To send out your contact card with the thank-you message, you must first create your contact card on your Profile page (accessible from the upper right in the dashboard). Then you can enable the contact card feature when creating an event.

This tutorial shows the process in a video.

Automatic Song Detection

Automatic song detection is an optional feature you can enable for your event.

Automatic Song Detection Enabled

If automatic song detection is turned on, the system will try to identify a song request from any guest text message

For example, the text message

play cha cha slide

would trigger automatic song detection, placing the song Cha Cha Slide by DJ Casper in the Requests section in the Live View. This can be a fun feature for guests (because the auto-response tells them the identified song), but the system can occasionally misidentify the request.

You can always view the original request on the Conversations section of the Live View, and by clicking on the request in the Requests section. Without "play", every text will initially be treated as just a message, and only show up in the Conversations section.

Automatic Song Detection Disabled

The system will not try to automatically identify any song requests from text messages. All guest text messages will show up in the Conversations section of the Live View. No requests will be automatically added to the Requests section of the Live View.

Whether or not automatic song detection is enabled, each message will receive an auto reply with your custom auto-reply signature.

Guest Name Personalization

Guest names is another optional feature for an event. If enabled, the first reply to a new guest’s text message will ask the guest to provide a first name or nickname with a link to input their name. This name will then be visible on the Live View for all texts they send. This allows DJs who like to get on the mic to shout out names which can be fun for guests.

Virtual DJ Integration

Using VDJ’s Ask the DJ feature you can forward all song requests to Virtual DJ.

VDJ Video Tutorial- Watch Here

You’ll need your Ask the DJ link for this integration.

Get the AVDJ link here
Log into your Virtual DJ account
Fill out the form (no need to set geolocation, tips , etc..). For venue name, you can put your DJ company or DJ name (make it unique so no one else uses your URL!)
The link will generate towards the top. It looks like https://virtualdj.com/ask/blah
Copy this link
Now, in the RequestNow app, go to your Profile and under VirtualDJ Integration enable it with a checkmark and paste your link into the bar

Now when you create an event you should see this enabled in the form. It will forward their song or message and name into VDJ. You will see this under the Ask the DJ section. You must be logged into your Virtual DJ account.

You can also apply skins in VDJ that allow you to customize buttons for when new songs come in.

Tips

YouTube Tutorial

Under the Branding section, we have a Collect Tips feature. This lets guests easily send tips and 100% of the tip goes directly to you. We support 3 payment services: Venmo, Cash App and PayPal.

You will enter your username for these services and our system will create a short link, making it easy for guests to use. It will use - songtip.me/example

Note, when using PayPal make sure you create a PayPal.me account first here.

After testing the shortlink, you should then decide in which response you want to put it. You can put it in the auto-reply and/or thank you message.

Examples:

Auto-reply

DJ Tips are appreciated! Venmo: LINK
Let’s keep this party going. Tip the DJ: LINK

Thank you message

Thanks for coming out and hope you enjoyed the party. Appreciate any tips! LINK

Live View

The Live View is your control panel for the night. This is where you will view all the requests, interact with guests and most importantly end the event. View a demo Live View.

This is a web URL that can be viewed on laptops, tablets and mobile devices. We recommend Chrome or Firefox for the best experience. If you don’t have WIFI available, we recommend either tethering or viewing from your mobile device. This URL is always available in the Events section of the dashboard (click on the mail icon in the Event to manually view the URL and send it out) and will also be automatically emailed to you when you create the event.

Viewing the Live View doesn’t require being logged in. The unique URL is only viewable to those that have it (like Google Docs). This makes it easy to email or text to yourself and other DJs or assistants. Just remember to not share it publicly or display it.

The Live View is easy to use! Song requests appear under the Requests section, and text conversations with guests appear under the Conversations section.

Every message appears under the Conversation section: consider it the base view. To additionally make it to the Requests section, a text can either be automatically identified as a song request by the system, or you can manually mark a message as a request (more on that in a bit).

For items in the Requests section, you can click the megaphone icon to inform a guest that their song is coming up next! The star allows you to favorite requests, bringing them to the top of the list. Starring a request does not send anything to the guest. You can also delete requests here.

On the Conversations section, each conversation with a guest will be contained in a single thread, just like on your mobile phone. Again, just like on your phone, only the most recent message for a guest is shown in the main view. You can see the entire conversation by clicking the chat bubbles icon for the conversation row, which will bring up a popup window. Here you can also reply to the guest like a normal text message. You also have the option to block a guest’s number. Guests will not be explicitly informed that they have been blocked, but will not receive any further communication from the system.

You can manually move a message to the Requests section from this popup as well. When guests send many messages, it’s easy for important requests to get missed. You can tap the plus button to move it to the Requests view.

So how does it work?

RequestNow is a full SMS based engagement system and marketing tool. It requires cell service as the venue -- no wifi required.

You will receive a new phone number in your local area code. This number will allow guests to send you requests and messages.
A RequestNow number will be tied to an event that you create.
Once the party starts, you will view requests on the Live View.
A guest sends a text, which will show up under the “Conversations.” If the text is a song request (i.e. it starts with the keyword “play” and you enabled auto-song-detection for your event), our system automatically tries to identify the song and adds it under “Requests.” You can also manually copy a message in “Conversations” over to “Requests.”
The guest that sent the text receives an automatic reply with your custom signature.
You can also directly respond back to guests and inform them their song is up next.
Lastly, you can end the event and blast out the thank-you message along with your contact card to all guests that texted in.

Photo Wall

For help with Photo Wall, we have a dedicated guide here.

Getting Started

3 Easy Steps to Get Started

Create your first event
Create a poster with a QR code that scans to your RequestNow number (see examples below)
Load the Live View on a device (email it or text to yourself from the dashboard)

Getting the number out

Make it easy for guests – put a few posters around your setup or venue that allow guests to scan your QR code. This QR code is in your Number tab and was emailed to you.

Use our Canva Template ->

https://www.canva.com/design/DAFQdO0b4eQ/vPPwhsK3hspp7nUXNYnVTQ/view

Or need us to make you one? --> request in this form

Photoshop Templates

Amazon plastic poster holder -> holder on Amazon
Tabletop sign on Vistaprint
Purchase a picture frame from Target

Customer Example: https://www.canva.com/design/DAFCk9pER-k/P3mEAL9vzio0G_msaNZ7dg/view

Customer Example: https://www.canva.com/design/DAFCl8JFKOo/Sro970Bc6jSCta_8hQEBMQ/edit

Tabletop sign on Vistaprint

Picture Frame

Standing Poster Sign from Amazon

Tips and Tricks

We highly recommend watching DJ TwinSpin’s walkthrough as he shares many best practices from using RequestNow at over 30+ events.

Tips for current customers - from a Facebook Post

Tyler W

Set the event up early. Make an impactfull thank you message, and send it immediately after the event ends. Make sure to include your contact info. Keep an iPad, or your phone up with the event page and make sure to check it often.

Daren B

Send the details to the booking contact to share with their guests in advance.

Keith R

Make sure you have your canned responses setup and ready to go. They save you a ton of time if you are inundated with requests.

Mark H

We do not charge for RequestNow song requests. We do charge for PhotoWall as an alternative and budget friendly option to the conventional “Photo Booth”. Give it away for free a few times to get used to how it works moving from live view to PhotoWall. Preset the canned responses based on what you know about the couple. For example, “I love your request, but I know Jane and John really like 80s and 90s. Pls request something from this era” Shoutouts are good if you can do them. Sometimes kinda tough depending on how busy you are.

Using RequestNow with multi-ops

If you’re a multi-op, we recommend having a number per DJ. You can easily purchase additional numbers. In the numbers tab, you can assign a “friendly name” to each number so you can easily identify who it belongs to. We recommend using the DJ’s name.

Then, you can provide each number’s perma link to the DJ. The DJ should bookmark this. Whenever they have an event they can simply load the link and view their event. There is no need to send links to each DJ weekly.

Reach out to support, for bulk number pricing!

Getting more involvement

It can take a few events to get comfortable with RequestNow. We share videos of DJs using the system on our Instagram. Some DJs get really into it and hop on the mic and announce the number and explain the system while showing the flyer or ipad with the QR code and number.

Get creative with it! Saying things like “I want everyone to text me your favorite song” or “I want everyone to text me what you want to hear tonight” is a great way to get everyone involved. Depending on the event, you could using our Raffle system and say “I want everyone to text me their favorite song and I’ll randomly pick a winner for a $25 gift card”

As you use RequestNow, you will figure out what works and what doesn’t.

Run Raffles

Need to randomly pick a guest? In the Live View settings page, click the Raffle button. This will randomly pick a guest and display the last 4 digits (and name, if Guest Names is enabled for your event and the guest has entered their name). You can announce this on the mic. You can run this as many times as you’d like. The guest who has won the raffle is not automatically informed.

Why Use RequestNow

RequestNow is the most advanced and feature rich DJ engagement and marketing tool. It amplifies word of mouth and ideally pays for itself with increased leads and bookings.

Don’t leave money on the table! Using Ask the DJ can be easy as it’s built in, but it doesn’t allow you to engage or market yourself to guests. You are unable to respond or send contact info.

Wondering about using Google Voice or your own number? To start, it doesn’t look professional messaging guests on your cell phone. It’s also distracting and will fill your phone messages. Instead, our system will auto respond and try to identify song requests. It also sends a thank you message with a contact card at the end of the night. Especially, at school events, sweet 16s and bar mitzvahs - you don’t want folks spamming your phone. Plus, schools aren’t comfortable with vendors interacting with student numbers. Our system does not provide party guest phone numbers to the DJs.

FAQs

Where’s my QR code? Can you help make a QR code?

A number’s QR code is found in the numbers tab
You can also put your number into any free QR code generator online. Some allow you to put your logo, etc – just google “qr code generator”
Read more about getting the number out

I can’t login to my account

Confirm you are using the correct email address. You might have signed up with “Signon with Google” , if so you must click that button and sign in with your Google Account
If you used an email address and created a password, you must sign in with that combination

I can’t create an event

Please confirm you’ve verified your account. Check your spam folder

Can you start my event early? I want to take requests early

Please reach out to support to ask to start the event early