Jon,
If you are going to do this as anything more than a hobby, ie for money, please do consider looking into a legally purchased music collection. This will benefit you, your guests (the files you are playing no doubt sound like crud/mud), and will see you avoid some serious possible legal ramifications.
The "I have a laptop and Limewire - Look ma... I'm a dj!" mentality isn't anything to build a business on.
Acquiring legal music will show that you are willing to invest in what it is you are doing, and that you take it more seriously.
Don't forsake ethics and integrity for convenience... and if it is hard for you to see up front how those two qualities might translate into or apply to dj'ing, lay low for awhile and hang out here - you'll see those qualities and others exhibited by dj's here in spades, and will learn a lot in the process.
Best of luck to you!
If you are going to do this as anything more than a hobby, ie for money, please do consider looking into a legally purchased music collection. This will benefit you, your guests (the files you are playing no doubt sound like crud/mud), and will see you avoid some serious possible legal ramifications.
The "I have a laptop and Limewire - Look ma... I'm a dj!" mentality isn't anything to build a business on.
Acquiring legal music will show that you are willing to invest in what it is you are doing, and that you take it more seriously.
Don't forsake ethics and integrity for convenience... and if it is hard for you to see up front how those two qualities might translate into or apply to dj'ing, lay low for awhile and hang out here - you'll see those qualities and others exhibited by dj's here in spades, and will learn a lot in the process.
Best of luck to you!