How much should you charge for your DJ gigs?
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- čas přidán 4. 01. 2015
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Just started watching your videos. Very informative and helpful. Been DJing for a few years now but have only done a few paid gigs. Even when I don't make any money from a gig I still have fun and don't let the fact that I'm not making anything affect my set. I love what I do and really enjoy making people happy with the music I play. Thank you once again. Looking forward to more videos.
DJ TLM, YOU ARE THE BEST!!!!
I LEARNED FROM YOU AND GET MOTIVATED AS WELL!!!
THANK YOU, SIR!
Your advice is so on point! Please keep sharing the knowledge (as your tee shirt said in another video)! Thank YOu
Another great video with valuable information. The value of experience when starting out is a great lesson and great point. Love your videos. Well done. The intro clip with collage is cool. Keep that.
Hey Dj TLM!!!!! Im a big fan and I have to say you are definitely on point!!!! The information you bless us Djs with is PRICELESS and Accurate as well. I live and die by your videos, and I like to see you live broadcast your radio shows keep up the Great Work!!!!! Salute the Dj!!!!!!!
Bro, this was the best advice I've heard about my current situation. Thanks for sharing your experience with us B! Thanks!!
EVERYONE WHO WANTS TO BE A DJ LEARNING 90'S AND EARLY 2000'S HIP HOP/R&B IS CRUCIAL!!! THOSE SONGS WILL GET THE HYPE GOING!!!
cristian hubbard
That's true
1 month ago, ppl were super hyped, played moombahton remixes of 2000s Hip Hop songs, then short pause and drop 'Still in Love - Sean Paul' beginning at the vocals.. was awesome 😭
I would like to add, that learning as much music as possible (regardless of genre) is key. Music history is extremely important and will make you a better selector. It will help you appreciate a variety of sounds and their origins which will help you grow as a capable, eclectic, diverse entertainer. A lot of music today and over the past 30 years has been produced from other sounds, some of which didn't even relate to the genre they are now a part of. Real DJing is a long journey, have fun and enjoy all that history brings to it. 😉💯
cristian hubbard thanks just made crates with BPM SUPREME 90’s and 00’s hip hop hits. It gets me hype to I grew up in the late 90’s early 00’s
Joy Hoffmann what’s a short pause ?
Definitely I agree 100 percent
This video really helped me get an idea of how to go about pricing gigs and different events and whatnot. Thanks man! Love your videos!!
What a great video man! Love your professional approach to teaching what you know. Keep it up man.
I used to DJ in the 90's and I am looking to get back into it... yer a superchill dude and I like listening to yer wisdom. I'm going to check out more of yer videos. Thanks for what you are doing. It appears there are others that also appreciate you as well!
I'd like to thank you very much for all your videos. You're a master teacher of the highest quality. I will pass on the knowledge fam.
I started at a local bar which paid $50 for a 2 hour set. It didn't seem like much, but from people coming into the bar and seeing me/hearing my sets has expanded to a second weekly gig for me as well as people approaching me to play parties and other small gigs like that. I can't complain considering I've been djing for 6 months and its starting pretty well. I love the part where djTLM talked about doing the free gig for a year. I can't agree with that more. Experience in front of a crowd is KEY to being a beginning dj. I did the same thing when I was in a band for a few years and it helped out so much. Fantastic video. You never disappoint with your videos man!
Great video man! Don't worry about long videos. I can listen to you all day! I'm a DJ also . Not a beginner I would say but I can tell you have crazy experience. Some of what you say I been in through. The other stuff I will hopefully soon encounter. Thanks again. I'm subscribed.
Thanks Man! This Helped me out alot , i had no idea what to about this Situation ! I am a Latin DJ , i play alot of Spanish Music & EDM
But Thanks DJTLM for the hard work you put in these vids that help out alot of the Beginner Djs like my self. ONCE AGAIN THANKS MAN
thank you so much for the knowledge, learned a lot , much respect!
I had to learn this on my own... wish I would of seen this video before I messed up so many prices (I bartend with DJ lights/music/fog) love this video thanks man
It was nostalgic when you mentioned Gilders. I recalled my childhood in Holland when I was buying candies and popsicles. Going back to the discussion, I learned a lot from this vlog. Bedankt DJ TLM. 😊
Nice video! I'm just getting into scratching and your videos have been a great help. Thanks for sharing :)
No problem
Hey DJ TLM, I've learned tons from all of your DJ info videos! I started DJing about a year ago, and slowly started playing gigs. I agree, with playing gigs for free at the start. I did it at the nightclub in my hometown and it gave me the confidence to play even smaller venues. I now charge everytime I play, either weddings, private events, or at a club or bar. It all depended on how much equipment and time the customer needs from me and that is how I charge the customer!
Kyle Martin Great to hear!
Thanks TLM! With your advices i became a better dj and next week i will have my first gig in Milan (Italy).
I hope to meet you one day! Thanks again!
Hey! I just subscribed to you! I'm a musician who's transitioned into DJing a few months ago. I got a "good" DJ-ing gig on the weekends and I'm finding your tutorials golden!
I'm from California but I've been living in Europe for 10 years now.
Just want to say , Thank you!
Glad you like it! Thanks for watching
There are a lot of great dj channels on youtube, but you are quickly rising to the top of the mountain. keep up the good work. ps. beard looks good.
After watching this and learning professional dj's like TLM first started doing free gigs/shows, I am gathering courage to go and offer free reggea shows at some local 'English club' in France, thanks again for your videos man.
Another great video of useful info. Keep it up!
Brilliant. Very informative and down to earth. Big fan.
love the videos man , keep them coming
reaallyy thanxxx very much!!!
Today i got a answer of my every question related to dj.
Awesome video man! :)
thank you very much for sharing your knowledge and experience
Have been practicing at home for about 6-7 months, then had my very first gig towards the end of last year, friend of a friends 18th Birthday party. Small venue, around 50 people. Played the whole night (around 4 hours) £120 (about $180), had my friends with me and time flew.
Hear alot about charging p/h which makes absolute sense with experience, but as this was my first time, I really wanted to play. I didn't feel like I undervalued myself, I knew I could of charged more and still of justified the price. But I almost felt rude trying to go any higher knowing I didn't have that level of experience.
Initially I was worried, my crates consist of House/Hip Hop and RnB! and I was getting request like My Chemical Romance. Wifi was a blessing.
Overall! the night was a success - chart/house/hiphop/rnb.
Great advice for in the future though TLM! plan on playing in nightclub venues around my Universities city (Nottingham, UK) so definitely helps.
I have a soundcloud if you're interested - soundcloud.com/mysterydre
Thanks.
Cool!
I'm on the same boat, right now!
Thanks for sharing!
DjTLM.......great videos, very specific and educational, I started this as a hobby then friends ask me to play at different house parties and Bar-B-Que........just upgraded from a Traktor S2 to a DDJ-SR and since then i'm doing nothing but looking at your instructional videos....I have no intentions of doing this professionally but i do want to master the craft....thanks for sharing your wisdom and experiences stay blessed.........DjO
Thanks for the info. You always a big help
Great advice all around, Im in the US Navy, and play at the base clubs. DJing in front of different crowds from different places teaches you a lot (especially about requests). Usually i get about $20-25 an hour and average about 5 to 6 hours per set. i use an NS7ii.
really good advice for someone like me who's just starting out in doing
Great video and a good subject, personally I charge based on type of event and day of week. Which has worked for me, I see a few people have commented that they charge by the hour - interesting 😎🎧👍🏻
DJ Bob cola d thanks DJ TLM you helped very much with your video on pricing you've given me a better perspective on how to bid on my jobs and offers I always went by how much I figured the client was making on the event or their take in on their ownership if it was a club or bar / but now that I've been DJ so long and have been bidding for a few years i'll reevaluate my thinking god be with you and good fortunes from DJ Bob cola d -Baltimore MD
djTLMtv......Muuch love bro, Been rocking with you for quite some time now and you always deliver the answers I need!!!! Thank You
DSMTurbo4g63 Thanks for the support!
Always brother!
TLM, at first I saw the total time of this video and said to myself, "Man this guy is going to talk about extra stuff that I do not need to hear". Well when it came to the 10 min mark, I was hoping this video would last for "hours" as you put it. Thanks for the info, it really helped me out on how to go about pricing.
Honestly with u and ur tutorials, i have regained a very big confident that i can make it as a DJ. I'm about going into being a career dj and i see alot on youtube but just today i came across u and i have hope. Keep it up bro and soon i will make u proud
That's great!
yea thanks, i will send u the types of Dj controllers and u will advice me on which to use
.Thanks
Thumbs up very informative really appreciate your videos
Yes, experience is more important. I gotta keep that in mind.
Great tips! For us newbie DJs this is very helpful! I've been working on mixing and producing as new DJ and look forward to cutting my teeth. Agree all fields have pay dues and the 10,000 hour rule applies.
your so helpfull! love your video's! Thanks man
I usually charge $125 an hour when doing something mobile for a basic set up meaning, a controller set of powered speakers and a small light show and the price gets adjusted from there as I find out more info on the gig such as size of the venue and amount of people expected. After that info is when I determine now if I have to bring subs which is gonna jack the price up even more. And if they start asking for video mixing which means bringing flat screens that jacks up prices further. When it comes to lounges and clubs(club scene isn't as big as it once was here in NYC. The lounge scene is more where it's at these days)there are other factors. It's $150 to bring my laptop and my controller and $250 if I have to bring my powered speakers. I charge a little less at the lounges because that's where you really create your following of which I have a small one but it's growing fast. Just a little history, I've been spinning on and off since 1987 and I pretty much have knowledge of and can play almost every genre of music so I can pretty much take any gig that comes my way. Anything from latin music,hip hop and r&b,house and edm,funk soul,freestyle,classics and even rock. Hope this point of reference can help anybody out. Let's not mention the technic 1200's. Those bad boys don't leave the house for no less than 1g!!!!
Will Garcia Great info and you made a good point about your choice to do the lounge gigs for a lower fee because you saw that this was a potential hotspot for creating a following. This is something that can also be more important in the long run, in stead of earning a little bit more during that gig now. Building a following is always a good thing.
Best answer on this page bro! I am right were you are.
whats your most common setup bro?
***** To gigs and lounges that don't have set ups it's usually a controller(I use a Reloop terminal mix 2 but I'm upgrading to the Numark NS7 2 this year)a set of 12 inch crest audio powered speakers, an rcf 15"powered sub and a small light show(Chauvet 4 play and Chauvet rbx laser). That's the base set up. I also use a small Behringer mixing board that I run the controller through first and then out to the speakers. That's my most commonly used set up and it's actually good for a room that holds about 175 people and the set can fit right in the back of my Pathfinder so no paying a roadie. For special events and higher paying gigs the 1200's come out to put on a better show. Hope this helps fam.
Will Garcia it does. Good lookin out bro
Great video bro! Thanks 👍🏾
Really enjoyed this video! Really got into the story time :D
To add as well: I would always request more informaiton and to meet with the client before giving a price. Giving a price over email allows them to shop around and not really see the value in your services (unless your Dj TLM or a big name!:)
It has a better close rate with clients and it's really personable. It also prevents other Djs doing reserach and emailing you as a customer where they're really finding out other Djs prices.
Love your videos, Thanks!
I like your videos a lot. You've helped me to understand how to scratch and a lot more. I'm just thinking to moving out of my home and go play at some clubs. So all of your videos give a lot of information, Thanks for that! :)
And just a video idea for beginners: Music Copyrights. Becouse i would like to know about them.
I had just recently watched 3 or 4 of your videos and I clicked this.. I thought this was Thierry Henry. But anyways, I have gotten a good amount of knowledge from you sir. Of course, much more to learn. Thank you!
I’m glad I could add some value 👍🏽
Good video bro. I been Dj for about one year at home. I done 3 house party's for free and it feels good. Free because I don't feel secure with my music and mixing. I play Latin music very little rap.
As said in video starting out do what you can and gain as much experience however possible that is best for you. Remember, as you gain experience, confidence, and grow your ability/equipment (also if you're a mobile DJ) the more you can charge as your requests for gigs become greater. Stay humble, but stay true!
Jose Alvarez Yes!
Great vid @DJ TLM. Back in 2011 I started my own company in web consulting and it didn't really pay the bills for me.
Did these things,
1. made Twitter search alerts for phrases like "dj is ill" "need dj tonight"
2. I found a guy who could teach me how to dj in a different (more commercial) genre (small bar/clubscene/apres ski) and give me some gigs for low money. Not my type of music, but I needed to pay the bills.
3. created my own social media brands, websites and so forth (at that time that was not as common as now) (all of it removed from the internet by now as it doesn't really fit with the work I'm doing now)
Within about half a year I could live of dj-ing fulltime, playing 5-7 gigs in a week and could drop any other work I was doing. According to some dj list website at that time there were 20.000 djs in the Netherlands, so trying to make a living seemed dawnting, as well as that there was some post-recession backlash going in, forcing a lot of venues to close. It was fun to work both the dj gig and the marketing of events to try to keep those places open.
Only regret I have... making my hobby into a job, made me not listen to any music for a couple of years or go to any bars or clubs for that matter cause I had seen more than enough. Now, 10 years later it's starting to itch again and I appreciate your videos as they get me up to date on what's new in the scene in terms of gear and knowledge. Thanks!
I have been doing the same thing, not as a DJ, but as a pro touring sound system owner.
I can't take off nothing, very well said.
Your video's help out a lot! Thanks
Great vid. I'm glad you illustrated for the new DJs your early experience gaining gigs. My first times playing in front of people were basically house parties and ended up costing me money. It was me and a friend throwing a party for our friends and we bought all the food and beverage for the parties (soda,chips, snacks, beer, sometimes hard liquor) We wanted to party and wanted to have all the girls show up. I also wanted to be the DJ and the life of the party so the girls would pay attention to me. I'm the DJ. I have all the equipment and all these lights. I've got more music than that dude over there (I have everything he has plus all this other music) I didn't know how to Mix yet but I had a mixer and could crossfade from one song to the next like they did on the radio. That fellow over there cant do that. Plus, who else do you know that has speakers with 15" woofers Back then being a DJ was my way of being a rock star when I couldn't play an instrument. I eventually got better and was able to start making money from it. I learned The equipment and started installing and maintaining PA and lighting in local bars and clubs and was available to DJ when the bar's regular DJ needed a night off. I landed a few residencies and also got into Karaoke. All these things added up to years of entertainment experience and knowledge and finally decent pay.
I know this comment is late, but this is so helpful because this is exactly the phase I'm at. I'm thinking about starting to ask for payment soon, but I'm doing a few gigs for free and considering them an internship where I can learn things like how certain groups react to my music selection, how I can get a crowd going, etc.
My answer is simple Ive been DJing for 7 years off and on. I say pay me what you think im worth at the end of the night. If it was bad I usually dont get much. If i did great and I STILL got paid low I decide not to work with that guy again, But that doesn't happen much. I have been paid so much MORE that i was picturing. Once i got paid 350 for a half hour set in a small crappy club that blew up that night
Marco Castillo NIce tip, bro!
+Marco Castillo you might do well and the promoter says you were shit
If I know, and the Promoter know I did well and he low balls me, thats the last time I work with that guy again. They had their chance.
Marco Castillo way too many greedy promoters out there
Very bad idea. Way too much of a gamble
you have hit the right mark with this video.. i have been in this game for over 25 years and you hit every point..i agree with you 1000% on how to price for certain gigs.. i tell the young cats i know the same thing.. with your permission may i share this with them cause i swear we sound like..lol thanks again for the information..you are a really humble man for doing this! #djtimdogg
DJ TLM i truly like all the Knowledge You Share wth the Universe, and as A Young Ugandan DJ. I need your help in everything. thanks.
lol totally agreed i just started playing at a small venue down here in Denver for a weekly event and i may end up talking about a price after another 6 to 9 months bu as far as right now ill take all the experience that i can
Wow I appreciate ur video,nice work bro
Well im a mobile Dj and just like you mentioned, i do take into consideration the distance i have to travel, if i need to pay toll and i dont have a car but a good friend of mine takes me to these venues so i consider how much i have to give him and all of that gets added on to the package they choose. I based my prices on the amount of equipment i have to take which i made into packages. I have 3 packages. One which is just music 400, second is music and light effects and fog or low lying fog for 1000 and if they wanna add a photo slideshow or if the guest wanna play video msgs, i throw in 2 32" screens or projectors and that is 1600. I also have a monthly gig at the greenhouse cafe in brooklyn where i get paid 75, but i get free drinks and food and i do it mainly for the experience.
DJ Founten Thanks for the input
Hey TLM, thanks for the great vid!
I've just started playing in front of an audience, at my friends' parties and such, for free. It really helps a lot, it's way more fun and a very good practice for my future career (if i get the chance). Playing at a club or something is quite a big step though, i'm not sure when or if i''ll get the chance to try that. Must be very scary.
this is very educational thank you for the info!
+DigitallyDestructive thanks for watching
Great video.......keep them coming boss
Hey love you videos watch them all the time just water to know if you could give me any tips on mixing edm and jungle drum and bass ? Thanks
Great segment on dj pricing. Your right, it is a very dicey topic. However asking questions about a gig is key because the last thing you want is to be overworked but yet underpaid. I have been Djing in northern va for 4 years and I play primarily hip hop & R&B. Although I'm fairly new to the game I'm still capable of rocking a party. My fee starts at $75 per hour. Anything additional services(production, party lights, etc) will be extra. It's the only way I can be fair to customers as well as myself. Djays aren't jukeboxes. We are expected to entertain the crowd with everyday music and make it interesting enough to dance to. This takes research, practice and a lot of time and money. So I try to make sure that the people that I deal with respect that first. If this is the case, Then we can talk money:)
I started out with packages then switched to $125 per hour. It works better for me straight to the point let the client do the math. I get more gigs charging by the hour then I did with packages.
DJLAKAY I do $100 an hour
Thank you DJ TLM for the information. Yes i am an experienced DJ now playing for 9 years. My first year or 2 i played for alot of events for free to get my name known through word of mouth and flyers and now i am famous.
Hey TLM, thank you for all your helpful videos. However, I was wondering how you came up with/made your logo? And where do you go to make your business cards? Thanks in advance!
Very informative man thank you, I was scared to death when I started charging for my dj services, thought I was the only one LOL
best Ever advice concerning the subject.
On point as always
@Dj TLMtv
Echt super goed advies! ik vroeg mij af of jij nou nederlands bent?
Thanks for the inspirational video :)
Good and informative video!!
i like your videos,I am DJ. and all the staff you said is true, nice dj TLM
thank you for this great tips , it helps a lot
beautifully said bro. tq for the sharing... i am dj sonic from India. this has helped me.
This helps a lot. Thanks for the info djTLMtv
I've been Djing for about 2 years on the side. I charge 15% of the equipment I use plus travel and time. I use a DDJ-SX ($1,000 roughly), so if I don't have to bring speakers ($500 each), My base would be 150 plus gas and $10 and hour. SO for a gig that's 4 hours long and maybe half a tank of gas away it would come out to $150 for the equipment. Another $150 if I have to set up and travel with sound. Gas ($30) and 4 hours (40) to come to $370. Then I'm flexible around that. I'm just starting out, so I'm not going to charge too much, but I'm not a novice, so I'm not going to short myself. I figure, once I get better, I'll up the hourly rate and my equipment percentage, but I'll probably stop at 30% of equipment and just raise the hourly rate.
Thank you. Very helpful.
Great video!
Hey DJ TLM, Kyle Kessler here. I've been spinning tunes longer than most people in this business have been alive. LOL! I was a jock on the radio for 20 years and have been doing mobile DJ work for 25 years. I outright own my entire system (sound, lights and special effects) so my overhead is next to nothing. Just my time , music, travel, etc. I am not the highest priced Mobile DJ in my area, but I am not nearly the lowest. I always have people trying to get me for cheap. My experience fetches a particular amount, however, outright owning the business (and several other businesses to boot) I can pick and choose what shows to do and how much to charge. Two of the most important things I do, is to get a signed contract for every show, and I get paid UP FRONT. People usually don't have a problem paying you in advance, if they have a contract that spells out all of the particulars.
you are a smart man :) really enjoy your videos
After Dark Thanks
To be honest, thanks to TLM, my mixing and my transitions have gotten a lot better. I really want to see more of your mixing tutorial series for some more info and stuff I could do!
Janis Dumins No doubt! More parts are coming. I just have to find the time ;)
Thanks! Btw, I'm the guy who emailed you for the "playing music that you don't like video"! That helped me out HUGELY!
I played for beer and a great experience. Because I liked it. Later when I was making a bit of a name, the money offers started to roll in. I didn’t care for the money, I did what I like. When you’re past that phase you know enough of the scene to make a good price.
Me starting back out after a long time not doing it, iv done a few for free, but i have this women wanting me to do her wedding in July, an i asked her what their budget was for the dj, an she gave me a decent number an i agreed to do it for half of that because i still need experience myself. She was like your booked. At least ill have enough to cover travel money. Plus it gets my name out there amongst the folks at the wedding. Word of mouth is the best advertisement
This is an older video but I still hope you see this. I love your videos, it’s helped me keep going. I love you Dj TLM. Even though you Dj a different style. Your videos still apply to all genres. Thank you for doing what you do on CZcams. Makes us think outside the box we live in. Love to meet you one day. Would you be down for that?
That is a banging jacket brotha
Stumbled on your Channel by accident but love the videos and very informative advice. Only question is where were you when I was starting out and fumbling lol.
I dont have set prices because it all depends on what Im carrying, if they want video or not, do they want lighting, how far away is it, etc. I mostly do private events because theres not much money in the Dj scene here at least. But if I do a club I start from $250.
Cheers
+djTLMtv You are an inspiration man. It's good to see people, such as yourself, who are willing to share knowledge with others. Keep doing what you do brother.
Thank you man!
LOVE it..
I started off practicing in my bedroom until I started getting the DJ bug as well. So I took $2,000 and I went out and bought me a nice controller, some DJ speakers 2 12 inch speakers and 2 18 inch subs a laptop computer and Virtual DJ software. And I forgot to mention that I bought some business cards from Vistaprint. Picked out a dj name and started hitting the pavement. At first I wasn't getting too many paying gigs and it was very tough because a lot of local bars already have DJ's available so I thought that I try the wedding market. Now at first I've been doing a lot of research and finding out that beginner DJs should not play at weddings because of all the pressure and the set up and the cost of that set up. This is the reason why this video makes sense when it comes down to charging people. As the brother said in the video there is no set price for what you charge. But as soon as I started gaining experience I started using the economical approach or " the cheap man's version of trying to save people money and also gain some experience playing in front of people." so I started charging people everything under $200. Sometimes I've even gone lower than that. But this was a way for me to get some gas in my car and to gain some experience playing in front of people when I'm DJing certain music. I had a difficult time with certain genres because all I knew was jazz music and contemporary gospel. Now I begin playing rock, heavy metal, electronica, R&B, hip hop rap, and even classical music. Yes I've had a gig where all I have to play with classical music and all I charge was $200 for 8 hours worth of work. That was a very long day but I've talked to some local DJs that was willing to give me a little bit of information concerning prices. And one of the things that I found out was if you're going to be there for more than 6 hours think of it as your permanent job if you're getting paid $15 an hour to work with a corporate person that's how much you should be charging when you're DJing. Think of being a mobile DJ as a permanent job and when you start getting even more experience and if you're willing to make this a long term career then you can start charging more like a $100 or $200 an hour . So, all I have to say is start slow do your research don't charge a lot of money at first if you're just getting out there and don't take on too much that you can't handle. Your customers are looking for professionals they're not looking for amateurs and when you're playing in front of people you have to be respectful to the music as well as being respectful to your customers.
Things to consider when calculating the price:
1.) How far do you have to drive? (I tack on an extra 20$ for every 5 miles over 80 miles away)
2.) What type of event are you doing? (A wedding will *always* be more than some kids 16th birthday party)
3.) Do you need to bring a generator just to power your rig? (Adequate power is huge, and having to bring your own is an additional $70 right off the top)
4.) Do you need single day insurance just to play there? (If so, another $60 right off the top, and that's cutting them a deal figuring the average single day general liability costs over or around $100)
5.) How big is the crowd? (Less than 100 = $2-300 USD, Over 100 = $4-5, Over 200 = $6-8, over 300 you're a serious DJ and can charge almost anything)
6.) How much gear are you bringing? ( Bringing one speaker, no subwoofer, a soundboard, and your controller and latpop is nothing compared to bringing every piece of gear you own)
7.) *How long are you performing* (Generally speaking, if you have quality gear and are good, $100 an hour is not asking a lot. Some DJ's are around $150 to 200$ just because of their reputation)
8.) Are you setting up in more than one place? (Mostly for weddings. If the ceremony and reception are in different areas, charging close to double is fair since you need twice the amount of gear)
9.) "Feel out the client" - a dad who's wringing his hands together and sweating about price points for his daughter's wedding is WAY different than a club owner who isn't even looking at you as you go over the pricing. Realize what you can and can't charge. Some people will actually turn you down if you don't charge enough....they have this weird way of reasoning in that if you're not asking for a certain price range they figure you're not used to performing at high profile events.
very very nice....... vid....thanks for sharing you'r experience... i don't think all dj.s are kind as you on sharing their experience....
This was a awesome question. For me I have a base price of $100.00 a hour with a 4 hour minimum. Now that is a based price subject to change depend on the event needs. Anything over 4 hours and just like a job overtime was time and a half. The reason My base price was based on time, the equipment I brought, 4 speakers, 2 mixers,3 sets of lights, bubble machines and fog machine. I also gave you a recorded CD of you event and the kicker I would do live calls or prerecorded calls from people that can't make it. But I base the final quote on distance, time. setup people needed. Foe me it was easy, my first clients were members of a country club I used to be the Banquet Manager, so I know I they had money. At the same time I was doing family and friends parties at 50%, and I was working at a club that when I started had 6 people on a Friday night, I play there for free. Like the DJ said there are a lot of things to consider where quoting a price. Hell I did gigs where I rented 2 50inch TV's and added 100. a hour. My last point sometime you have to start out free, well I thought it was losing money because of the business cards and flyers, but it was a investment. Also I always made sure I had a signed contract, stating what I would bring, and how long I would play and the price. It would also state what they would suppy ect. tables chairs, drinks, for things like that. The biggest part of the contract was the you had to let me know 72 hours in advance in you wanted to cancel or I would still charge you. oh, yea don't forget the cancel check thing. Any questions email me at bigdaddieproductionsllc@comcast.net
DJ BIGDADDIE
This was made 8 yrs ago but still today,now sounds so fresh.....