Band or DJ? That question is officially outdated.

In this episode of The Wedding Songs Podcast, host Matthew Campbell sits down with Daniel Linares of DLE Event Group in New York City (a company that declined to choose). They don't book DJ-only events. They don't book band-only events. They've built their entire business on the hybrid model: a DJ-led mix with live musicians wrapped around it. Whitney sings Whitney with live horns on top.

Daniel breaks down the operating question behind his approach: "What would Quincy do?" mapping three-song mixes with written musical parts so live players hit home runs on every transition, while still leaving room to read the room.

Inside this episode:

• Why couples who don't want a singer still want a band (and what to sell them instead)
• The three-song mapped mix: structured transitions + open-format freedom
• The "care factor": why 8–10 planning calls are DLE's biggest differentiator
• Room acoustics. The venue setups that fight you, and how to tune around them
• Scaling an artist-based brand into a company-based brand
• Daniel's one song guaranteed to fill a dance floor for every generation

Connect with Daniel: Instagram @danieltlinares | daniellinares.com

The Wedding Songs Podcast is part of Wedding Hit Record - The Wedding Music Label. More at weddinghitrecords.com.

Subscribe to the Wedding MusicLetter at https://weddingmusicletter.com.

In this episode, Matthew Campbell takes you behind the scenes of The Wedding Musicletter. After years of running My Wedding Songs, Matthew explains why he shifted his focus to a curated newsletter and how it’s designed to help wedding pros and couples find those "goosebump" songs.

What’s inside this walkthrough:

• The "Why": The transition from a high-traffic ad site to a community-focused newsletter.
• Free vs. Paid: Exactly what you get as a subscriber, from the 180+ informational articles to the deep-dive trending reports.
• The Toolkit: A look at the Wedding DJ Songs Planner, the "Play This, Not That" series, and the 1960s–2010s song books.
• Curated Playlists: How to access the Spotify and Tidal playlist directories.
• The Referral Program: How you can get the PDF planners and a full year of the newsletter for free.

New Episodes: Every Thursday at 5:00 AM PST.

Podcast Episodes: https://www.myweddingsongs.com/wedding-songs-podcast/

Amani Roberts (DJ Amani), Las Vegas-based DJ, fractional artist manager, and bestselling author of The Quiet Storm, joins the Wedding Songs Podcast to talk R&B music strategy, DJ business growth, and building a community of 23,000+ industry professionals.

In this episode, we cover:

• R&B "secret weapon" songs that still move wedding dance floors (Gap Band, SWV, Earth Wind & Fire)
• How to navigate massive do-not-play lists without killing the energy
• Why BPM journeys matter more than song selection alone
• What fractional artist management means and how DJs can use it
• How writing a book changed Amani's positioning and fees
• The one human skill DJs must protect as AI advances
• YouTube and LinkedIn are the two platforms worth focusing on in 2026

Find Amani at https://www.amaniexperience.com and grab The Quiet Storm on Amazon and Audible.

New Episodes: Every Thursday at 5:00 AM PST.

Podcast Episodes: https://www.myweddingsongs.com/wedding-songs-podcast/

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Subscribe for weekly episodes featuring DJ interviews, song recommendations, industry tips, and wedding entertainment strategies.
https://www.myweddingsongs.com/newsletter/