Hey! I’m Mike, I go by DJ AXCESS, and I’m a DJ, MC, public speaker, and business coach based in Columbus, Ohio.
Preparing music for a pro sports event is not the same as preparing for a wedding, nightclub, corporate event, or festival set. The energy changes in sections, the timeline is tighter, the environment is more unpredictable, and the music has to support the event instead of becoming the entire event.
For this Columbus Crew match, I wanted to break down how I prep music for a stadium environment and why my organization system matters so much.
This was my second match of the 2026 season, and of course, it was the second match in a row with rain in the forecast. On top of that, there were a few classic game day curveballs. My credential was not ready when I arrived, which only set me back about 10 minutes. Then, during setup, the booth was missing an IEC cable. Audio had to grab one, it took a few minutes, and everything worked out.
That is the reality of live events. Something almost always happens. The goal is not to expect a perfect day. The goal is to build enough margin and have enough systems in place that the unexpected does not ruin the job.
For this match, my music preparation broke down into three main sections: doors open, player warm-ups, and halftime.
Doors Open
Doors open is the section where fans are entering the stadium, finding their seats, grabbing food, and getting settled. This is not usually the time for the highest energy music of the day.
The goal is medium energy. I want the music to feel good, but I do not need hands in the air records yet. I might play pop, world music, older familiar songs, newer music, or anything that fits the mood of the stadium as people arrive.
This part of the event is mostly about reading the room. If fans are coming in slowly because of weather, that changes the feel. If the stadium fills quickly, that changes the feel too. I do not need to overprepare this section because my library is already organized well enough to let me move quickly.
Player Warm-Ups
Player warm-ups are usually the highest energy section of a typical match. This is where the music is not just for fans. It also needs to help create the right environment for the players.
With the Crew, this section has evolved over time. The team is international, with players from different countries and musical cultures. Because of that, I lean heavily into world-influenced music, Latin house, Afro house, and high-energy EDM that feels connected to global club culture.
There are also a few songs that come directly from the players or the organization. My job is to build around those records in a way that keeps the energy moving and makes the full section feel intentional.
At the last match, I played more Afro house. For this one, I wanted to build more of a Latin house foundation so the set did not feel like a repeat. That is one of the keys when you are working in a recurring sports environment. You need consistency, but you do not want to become predictable.
Halftime
Halftime is different because it often depends on what is happening inside the match day presentation.
For this event, Breakaway Music Festival was happening the following week, so there were artists and promoters connected to the festival involved in halftime. That meant my halftime prep needed to focus on artists from the Breakaway lineup.
My process was simple. I took a photo of the lineup that had been shown around the stadium, went through the artists, and looked for songs that made the most sense for a 15-minute halftime window. The challenge is not just picking the biggest songs. It is picking the right songs for the moment.
That is an important distinction. A song can be popular and still be wrong for a specific event section.
Why I Can Prep Quickly
One thing I wanted to make clear in the video is that fast prep does not mean no prep. It means the prep has already been happening for years.
My crates are organized in a way that lets me move quickly because I have already done the heavy lifting. Every track is labeled and sorted so I can find what I need under pressure.
I organize my music into a few major categories.
Hits are songs that were hits at some point. They may not all be peak energy, but they are recognizable and useful.
Must plays are songs that, at some point in time, felt essential for a specific type of set, genre, or moment.
Bangers are high-energy must plays. These are the songs that work when I need the room to move, when the energy needs to lift, or when I need records that feel big.
Personal favorites are songs that I personally love and want to play when the situation allows for more of my own taste and style.
On top of that, I use years, energy levels, clean and dirty labels, and pre-built sets. Years help me quickly find songs from a specific era. Energy levels help me move from slower songs to vibier songs to danceable songs to full hands-in-the-air records. Clean and dirty labels are especially important in a stadium setting where there is no room for guessing.
The goal is simple. When I sit down to prep, I do not want to start from zero. I want to start from a system that already points me in the right direction.
The Real Lesson
The biggest takeaway is that preparation is not just what happens before the event. Preparation is how you build your library, how you label your music, how you create systems, and how you give yourself room to handle real-world problems.
For this match, even with the credential issue, the missing cable, production meetings, soundcheck, and filming content, I still had about an hour to prepare. That is only possible because I arrived early and because my music system lets me work fast.
That is the difference between being rushed and being ready.
If you are a DJ trying to work bigger events, sports environments, corporate productions, or any event where the timeline is tight, your organization matters. Your crates matter. Your labels matter. Your prep system matters.
You do not need to overcomplicate everything, but you do need a system you can trust when the pressure is real.
If you are planning an event and want a DJ who understands music, energy, timing, and preparation, visit my contact page and let’s talk about your event.