Hey Brian.... I've been following you quietly for years. I know you had a set back and I am hoping you are recovering well. I want to take a moment to simply wish you and your family a Very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year. Thank you for all you do!
A really interesting insight which uncovers a lot of the "hidden" costs which many of us take for granted. I think the 13 people who gave this a thumbs down are probably DJ's whose business is on the slide!!
I love that advice, its very practical and sound (no pun intended) but I'veheard alot of stuff but nothing so on point. I thank you encourage more videos for the social DJ as myself who need honest unbiased options.
Awesome info! I’d love to see if you would have this in a PDF format to use for reference? Would be a great tool for upcoming DJs on marketing and expenses. Thanks for all you do!
i've been Djing since i was 16 i'm now 54 and still doing it learning all the time just added VDJ to my set up i'm out most weekends doing gigs you can have the best Djing Equipment in the world and not please everybody it is up to you as a Dj to entertain the crowd you have to learn how to read the crowd communicate with you client ask them what they like age of the crowd that's gonna be there even ask them to send you a list of there favorite songs they like then you will have some idea but its up to you as the Dj to put that night together if its a older group they like the music as it was not mixed up or scratched up if its the younger group well that's when you can shine and show off your talent it's all about reading the crowd well i hope this helps a little
Makes sense. Interesting video... I never really took time to itemize my equipments' cost since I dj for a hobby but do gigs every now and then. Now I will.
Brian I like this video it's good advice I have worked for 15 years on and off and i must admit it's a hobby for me to get me out of the house and enjoy!...but I take it seriously and purchase top end gear which I've now decided needs to pay for itself going in to mid 2015...i have just replaced my old rig with new cabs...bins...lights additional...and so it makes sense to take on board some of this post. In the UK like elsewhere the recession is still biting and people expect Dj, s for silly money not understanding the investment and work and travel that goes in to carrying out a Wedding gig or 50th for example...its all about selling to the client and putting forward a service that others don't! In another post you talk about a boy approaching you at a seminar and saying he doesn't get enough gigs and he mixes better than others...For the record I only use virtual dj to mix no controller but it's smooth transition on the night and crowd pleasing music with good lighting...mixing for me is night club or school gig territory....i would rather emersion myself in the crowd and present than become too involved in being armed van burn. .. Your thoughts?
Great post, I'm still building my Dj set up, it's so important to have a business plan if not, you will be djing for free. I see so many djs selling themselves out, because they don't charge as much. I haven't did my first gig yet, but before I do I want to be able to present myself as a professional, and get paid like one.
You always give good advice Brian ! The problem I have with my pricing is that there are a lot of djs around me that charge less than 150€ per gig. Most people think it is enough to have a 100€ dj because they can't understand the difference. I charge around 400€ so with the economic crisis here in Portugal I haven't had many gigs because people can't afford me, but I'm surely not gonna go back to the 150€ gigs.. It's hard to survive like this, but what can you do.. Tomas
Great vid really nicely broken down. I think this is a great way to look at it, rather than just spending money on equipment. marketting etc without the thought of returns and making a profit. Times have changed though for DJ's. In the 1970's bands were what people used , then Dj's took over because they were cheaper, and now we have the DIY people using ipods and laptops. It's not as a good a Dj like possibly a Dj is not as good as a band, But it's easier now and cheaper.
It's bang on, why aren't 'we' making any money? Well It's not the clients fault, It's DJ's who don't think of themselves as a business. Why would a client think of us as a business when many of us (as a collective) don't think ourselves a business.
Dj jean -- at gigs w/o drinking involved (bars) .. I take my 17 daughter + boyfriend for set up + break down.. $30 makes them happy.. Other times I get local teens as assistance lol they think its so cool .. My Mona's a DJ !
Another great video Brian! As foir the $700 special Wal-Mart laptop, that is the threshold of what should be spent. A $349 laptop should be avoided. As for DJs wishing to get into karaoke and/or video mixing a good "VJ" laptop should start at around $1000 but a good long lasting one with a powerful video card and a Quadcore or higher processor can range $1300 to $4000+ !! My Toshiba Qosmio with SLI cost $4200 and my i7 MacBook Pro was $2800! DJ RuDe Keep Spinnin'!!
I feel that you should also price accordingly to your skill, I understand that you need to make up the cost of your equipment but if your a starting DJ that doesn't have experiance its not a bad idea to get experiiance and a name for yourself before you start pricing! I first learned to DJ around the age of 13 and did free gigs for my school, comunity events and orginizations, now I'm 17 and started to charge at a good rate that people are willing to pay for :) just some advice from a young DJ
With all the heavy equipment I have to carry around for each gigs, I'm thinking of putting my medical and gym expense into my dj account. AND, if I make enough money at a gig frequently, I will hire someone to set up my stuff. Now, THAT is what I call DJ service!
Don't get me wrong, I think it's a great concept! Sure got me thinking. Just thought I would have a look at the numbers & see where you were actually ended up.
Interesting idea :) Just looking at your numbers. The 10 Gigs bring you 7500 Euro, 35 gigs bring you 8570 euro, and 50 gigs bring you 7500 Euros. If it were fair to say that each gig has a 50 euro operational cost, the numbers change. 10 gigs bring you $7000, 35 gigs bring you 6820 Euros and 50 gigs bring you 5000 euros. Your 750 euro gigs are still where you end up pulling in the most profit!
Yes I know.. but for only 7000 a year I can't live, so I have to collect from all three packages to make the puzzle complete. On a Friday or Saturday night (when I don't have a 750 gig) I can sit on my ass at home earning nothing or I can DJ a cheaper gig to get at least my expenses covered. Respect to all of you who can make a living just by charging the proper amount for your DJ services!
Hi, Brian I have a little topic, I myself im a Dj for around 3 years and I still dont know how to deal with requests. Sometimes I feel like an A-Hole for not accepting request but you know, its my job, and they are paying me for playing MY music not their music. If I take requests are mostly from the ones that are going to pay me, not some random guy. What do you do? Thanks
Great Video! I have 3 DJ websites. No1. for 750euro's per gig. No2. for 250 per gig and No3. for 150. The sites are not linked and have three different looking DJ setups so it's hard tot tell it's all from the same person. The advertising on all websites is the same. The 750euro website get's 10 gig's a year. The 250euro gets about 35gigs a year and the cheap one gets 50gig's a year. In this situation I have a lot of work, but with just the high payed gig's alone I can't cover all of my bills.
Great video I have a few questions: 1. Do I need a license to dj? 2. Do I need insurance and who sells this type of insurance? 3. The music membership info, where can I obtain information for a membership? 4. Would the lights and sound system be ok to store in a detached garage that gets pretty cold in the winter? Thanks in advance
will park This guy has some pretty informative videos, but Unfortunately doesn't get back to anyone that I know of. I was hoping maybe someone that read my questions might answer some of them.
+will park This guy has some pretty informative videos, but Unfortunately doesn't get back to anyone that I know of. I was hoping maybe someone that read my questions might answer some of them.
Hey guys. I hope I can provide some insight. To answer your questions: 1) Here in Canada, if your music is being played from the original album (vinyl, cassette, cd) then you as a dj do not need a license. Now again this is canadian law, in such case the VENUE needs to have a SOCAN license (or i'd imagine ASCAP for USA dj's). Now today's age everything is usually digital and mp3...of which you need a license for to play publicly for profit. HOWEVER, this doesn't apply if you are part of a music pool which licenses your music. But i would imagine that only the pool-music would count. If you buy from itunes, beatport, etc, their terms are usually for private non-commercial use. 2) Insurance I believe is necessary, however alot of dj's put in their contracts some stipulations that removes them from being liable for damages. How often do you play out? Do you play enough gigs that warrants getting full insurance? I'm pretty sure all insurance brokers offer business insurance, which is what you need. Just make sure the terms and coverage match the cost of your business equipment aka dj gear. Ultimately insurance protects your ass. If you leave your car open and someone takes off with a speaker...you're out that money...insurance is also good in that respect as well, not just protecting you from damages. 3) Music memberships are all over the place. The most popular one is Promo Only. There is a whole host of ones. I use a music pool like zipdj, and a few others plus I work for a radio station, so that helps. Of which I am required to have licensing, which i do. Now with promo pools and music memberships they have a stipulation that u are only renting that music. If they send you physical cd's and u play only those cd's then you don't need a full license (in most cases). Downside is, at anytime they could technically ask for that music back (never has happened, but it could). 4) I personally don't like storing gear in the freezing cold. However you gotta do what u gotta do. To ensure u dont break anything, check all your user manuals for the operating temperatures or their storage temps if they state it. If your garage goes below their recommended temps...then you have an issue! However I have worked with a few dj's that keep their stuff in -40c, then just ensure at least 3 hrs warm up time...no issues, gear still works years and years later! So its a toss up really. Cheers guys.
Sure, I did that when I first started. My initial investment (before music which I already owned) was $1700 & everything was paid for before I even did my first gig via security deposits.
Very good but you have to cater for marketing as well if its advertisements, jerseys, call cards, vehicle wraps, etc. still a cost at the end of the day. I dj partime because I have my own business. I will advise the younger djs to start teaming up with your competition so you can get more gigs. The stronger your force the better your results. You may not see profit for the first 8 months to a year depending on how you push your self.
Some good information. However I do have a bit of issue on one thing though. Now, maybe I'm just ignorant at how DJs use their laptops, but I'm not completely ignorant when it comes to computers. In my humble opinion, if you're wearing out a computer in 2 years, you're not taking care of it at all. Now, I'm not talking about it becoming out dated on paper, (IE: new OS, newer processors, ect) but over all performance. If you're doing your maintenance properly ( IE regular defrags, virus/malware scans, registry error scans, ect ect ect) and don't throw it around like a football, even a wal-mart laptop should stay in working order for a while. (Also, adding a cooling pad to help keep things cool during use will help.) The laptop I'm using right now, I've had for about 2 years, and I bought it used. Still runs great, despite the fact that even I haven't been very good about running all that maintenance. Using a couple external HDs for the music will help save wear on the laptops main HD, as well. Especially if you're using Esata or USB 3.0. (Firewire is fast too, but becoming outdated and hard to find on laptops these days) Anyway, just my thoughts on that. I'm not convinced that you should be wearing out a laptop in 2 years unless you're just really treating it like crap.
On average I charge by the hour. Weddings $200 per hour, Sweet 16s/Quince $175 per hour, Other indoor events $150 per hour. House parties $100 per hour. Everything else like up-lights, gobos/monograms, water or other effects are charged extra. if gig is 40 or more miles away then I charge $30 extra for mileage/gas.. 50% deposit and contract prior and the rest on the day of event before music starts or option of payoff prior to event. I setup early and play music for them giving them an unannounced extra hour or so Free. I get tipped most of the time an extra $100 to $200 at the end of the night.
dozens of djs i know get pissed because they go out and buy the same things i have and then they don't get the gigs. besides the material stuff there should be some background behind you... club or months and months of backyard miles. Once you have the equipment you should have a technique to sell yourself.
Always please the paying customer....as a dj you should pick the best time to put in the request they wanted....which takes me into the importance of djs being good at programming music and reading the crowd but thats a whole different issue/video.
well a lot of the problem is most of those kinda of people that charge pennies have a day job and its more like a hobby to them....unlike us the ones who make it a career
Any computer that has 4 gb's of RAM or more. 64-bit, i3 or better processor, and 300 or more GB of storage. Always choose Intel, not AMD. Try HP PC's. Or Mac's but they are way expensive but they have a lot of stability
the dj business will ALWAYS i repeat always be looked at by most as not a "real job" IN GENERAL.. Sure you have your dedicated talented djs who have been in business successfully for 20 plus years. Good for them! Im happy for them, im one of them myself. But the majority of djs (at least what i see) aint no good. Too many people giving themselves titles (like professional dj) that they dont deserve. This industry has become a complete joke! It's all smoke & mirrors everyone, buyer beware!..
lol! Ive for 289 euros a 500w rms 15 inch sub (120db peek) and 2 10 inch speakers. Total: 500. So yeah. And i got 2 tripods for 30. and that midi-controller is not like 500 but more like 200-300. So you are a little bit overpricing things :P
lol theres no profit being a dj theres always something breaking and new stuff to buy.Thats how my company got so much equiptment.I have 7 set ups and cant keep busy in our area people rather pay 100-200 for a crapy dj with crapy gear than hire a good up beat crowd pleasing dj for 400 a night.And most of the time the show is limited by the client on what the dj can do and play.I will be doing a gig at the missouri state fair again this year and its just 200 a night plus tips no more free beer
That's where you just put your business plan together & justify your costs to your clients. You can do this with quality & experience above & beyond the 150 euro DJ. If you try to compete with those who are obviously loosing money, then you loose too
Just because you want to be a DJ does not mean you should be a DJ - You are as good as the rate you can get regularly. A DJ who does it "for fun" is fooling himself. It's a lot MORE fun be be skilled enough to get paid well for having fun.
I highly agree.....but it gives guys like us a bad name...but rom my experience YES sometimes you scare people off with prices BUT I rather get 10 gigs a year making $700 a gig than 50 gigs making $150 per gig
Lot of dj's get mad at others for charging so cheap. I believe at one time- we probably all cut someone as well. some of us dj's need to stop crying. we all need to make a living somehow. my pricing is consisted of who I play for. Ive had customers for over 15 years. I try to be very reasonable. when I get new clients and its wedding time- this is my time to make real money. So it all depends on the situation. its just me...
The worse people to dj for is the people that you know.They was you to dj for free and the people that you dont know what you to dj for pennies.just saying!!!
Hey Brian.... I've been following you quietly for years. I know you had a set back and I am hoping you are recovering well. I want to take a moment to simply wish you and your family a Very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year. Thank you for all you do!
This puts everything into perspective so well. Thank you. I wish more people around me understood this.
A really interesting insight which uncovers a lot of the "hidden" costs which many of us take for granted. I think the 13 people who gave this a thumbs down are probably DJ's whose business is on the slide!!
I've been looking for just this type of video for a long time. Thanks.
Excellent video! Truly!
I love that advice, its very practical and sound (no pun intended) but I'veheard alot of stuff but nothing so on point. I thank you encourage more videos for the social DJ as myself who need honest unbiased options.
Awesome info! I’d love to see if you would have this in a PDF format to use for reference? Would be a great tool for upcoming DJs on marketing and expenses. Thanks for all you do!
Great video you hit it right on the head. I talk about this all the time with young guy I was helping out :)
i've been Djing since i was 16 i'm now 54 and still doing it learning all the time just added VDJ to my set up i'm out most weekends doing gigs you can have the best Djing Equipment in the world and not please everybody it is up to you as a Dj to entertain the crowd you have to learn how to read the crowd communicate with you client ask them what they like age of the crowd that's gonna be there even ask them to send you a list of there favorite songs they like then you will have some idea but its up to you as the Dj to put that night together if its a older group they like the music as it was not mixed up or scratched up if its the younger group well that's when you can shine and show off your talent it's all about reading the crowd well i hope this helps a little
Djgriff Djgriff im reading this and you're 57 now. 🙂
Makes sense. Interesting video... I never really took time to itemize my equipments' cost since I dj for a hobby but do gigs every now and then. Now I will.
Excellent points!
just happened across this video. Where were you 10 years ago when i started?! LOL excellent video sir! keep up the good work
You nailed in the head Brian! A lot of people don't know how much it cost to run a DJ business. Great video, thanks again.
Great Video...made me think about things differently. Upgrades are what I'm dealing with now.
Brian I like this video it's good advice I have worked for 15 years on and off and i must admit it's a hobby for me to get me out of the house and enjoy!...but I take it seriously and purchase top end gear which I've now decided needs to pay for itself going in to mid 2015...i have just replaced my old rig with new cabs...bins...lights additional...and so it makes sense to take on board some of this post.
In the UK like elsewhere the recession is still biting and people expect Dj, s for silly money not understanding the investment and work and travel that goes in to carrying out a Wedding gig or 50th for example...its all about selling to the client and putting forward a service that others don't!
In another post you talk about a boy approaching you at a seminar and saying he doesn't get enough gigs and he mixes better than others...For the record I only use virtual dj to mix no controller but it's smooth transition on the night and crowd pleasing music with good lighting...mixing for me is night club or school gig territory....i would rather emersion myself in the crowd and present than become too involved in being armed van burn. ..
Your thoughts?
Great post, I'm still building my Dj set up, it's so important to have a business plan if not, you will be djing for free. I see so many djs selling themselves out, because they don't charge as much. I haven't did my first gig yet, but before I do I want to be able to present myself as a professional, and get paid like one.
Thank u soo soo much! :)
You always give good advice Brian ! The problem I have with my pricing is that there are a lot of djs around me that charge less than 150€ per gig. Most people think it is enough to have a 100€ dj because they can't understand the difference. I charge around 400€ so with the economic crisis here in Portugal I haven't had many gigs because people can't afford me, but I'm surely not gonna go back to the 150€ gigs.. It's hard to survive like this, but what can you do..
Tomas
most djs don't wanna waste their time worrying about plans.. they just wanna go out and ROCK DA HOUSE boie ... Thanks B
Dang good video. Really helped a lot. Thanks :)
xde rrf
Great vid really nicely broken down.
I think this is a great way to look at it, rather than just spending money on equipment. marketting etc without the thought of returns and making a profit.
Times have changed though for DJ's. In the 1970's bands were what people used , then Dj's took over because they were cheaper, and now we have the DIY people using ipods and laptops. It's not as a good a Dj like possibly a Dj is not as good as a band, But it's easier now and cheaper.
What do you think about used gear?
Thanks man!
It's bang on, why aren't 'we' making any money? Well It's not the clients fault, It's DJ's who don't think of themselves as a business. Why would a client think of us as a business when many of us (as a collective) don't think ourselves a business.
Thanks brian, love your posts. Im a ETA ELVIS TRIBUTE ARTIST I HAVE HUGE expenses my average costumes run $3500-$ 5500
What kind of music services are you talking about. It sounds interesting. What service do you use? I have never heard of something like this.
Whats the best laptop for djing ?
Dj jean -- at gigs w/o drinking involved (bars) .. I take my 17 daughter + boyfriend for set up + break down.. $30 makes them happy.. Other times I get local teens as assistance lol they think its so cool .. My Mona's a DJ !
briansredd where is the tag it with light contest winner video? i missed the stream or whatever and want to know who won?
my laptop is old and the display drivers crashed so i have to install a new os i wanted to try unbuntu. tired of windows
Another great video Brian! As foir the $700 special Wal-Mart laptop, that is the threshold of what should be spent. A $349 laptop should be avoided. As for DJs wishing to get into karaoke and/or video mixing a good "VJ" laptop should start at around $1000 but a good long lasting one with a powerful video card and a Quadcore or higher processor can range $1300 to $4000+ !! My Toshiba Qosmio with SLI cost $4200 and my i7 MacBook Pro was $2800!
DJ RuDe
Keep Spinnin'!!
Great tools.
I feel that you should also price accordingly to your skill, I understand that you need to make up the cost of your equipment but if your a starting DJ that doesn't have experiance its not a bad idea to get experiiance and a name for yourself before you start pricing! I first learned to DJ around the age of 13 and did free gigs for my school, comunity events and orginizations, now I'm 17 and started to charge at a good rate that people are willing to pay for :) just some advice from a young DJ
I totally agree...
With all the heavy equipment I have to carry around for each gigs, I'm thinking of putting my medical and gym expense into my dj account. AND, if I make enough money at a gig frequently, I will hire someone to set up my stuff. Now, THAT is what I call DJ service!
Don't get me wrong, I think it's a great concept! Sure got me thinking. Just thought I would have a look at the numbers & see where you were actually ended up.
Interesting idea :) Just looking at your numbers. The 10 Gigs bring you 7500 Euro, 35 gigs bring you 8570 euro, and 50 gigs bring you 7500 Euros. If it were fair to say that each gig has a 50 euro operational cost, the numbers change. 10 gigs bring you $7000, 35 gigs bring you 6820 Euros and 50 gigs bring you 5000 euros. Your 750 euro gigs are still where you end up pulling in the most profit!
Yes I know.. but for only 7000 a year I can't live, so I have to collect from all three packages to make the puzzle complete. On a Friday or Saturday night (when I don't have a 750 gig) I can sit on my ass at home earning nothing or I can DJ a cheaper gig to get at least my expenses covered. Respect to all of you who can make a living just by charging the proper amount for your DJ services!
Hi, Brian I have a little topic, I myself im a Dj for around 3 years and I still dont know how to deal with requests. Sometimes I feel like an A-Hole for not accepting request but you know, its my job, and they are paying me for playing MY music not their music. If I take requests are mostly from the ones that are going to pay me, not some random guy. What do you do? Thanks
Great Video! I have 3 DJ websites. No1. for 750euro's per gig. No2. for 250 per gig and No3. for 150. The sites are not linked and have three different looking DJ setups so it's hard tot tell it's all from the same person. The advertising on all websites is the same. The 750euro website get's 10 gig's a year. The 250euro gets about 35gigs a year and the cheap one gets 50gig's a year. In this situation I have a lot of work, but with just the high payed gig's alone I can't cover all of my bills.
What about buying second hand? Could spend the same money as you mentioned but get a lot more for your money.
Great video
I have a few questions:
1. Do I need a license to dj?
2. Do I need insurance and who sells this type of insurance?
3. The music membership info, where can I obtain information for a membership?
4. Would the lights and sound system be ok to store in a detached garage that gets pretty cold in the winter?
Thanks in advance
will park This guy has some pretty informative videos, but Unfortunately doesn't get back to anyone that I know of. I was hoping maybe someone that read my questions might answer some of them.
+will park This guy has some pretty informative videos, but Unfortunately doesn't get back to anyone that I know of. I was hoping maybe someone that read my questions might answer some of them.
Hey guys. I hope I can provide some insight. To answer your questions:
1) Here in Canada, if your music is being played from the original album (vinyl, cassette, cd) then you as a dj do not need a license. Now again this is canadian law, in such case the VENUE needs to have a SOCAN license (or i'd imagine ASCAP for USA dj's). Now today's age everything is usually digital and mp3...of which you need a license for to play publicly for profit. HOWEVER, this doesn't apply if you are part of a music pool which licenses your music. But i would imagine that only the pool-music would count. If you buy from itunes, beatport, etc, their terms are usually for private non-commercial use.
2) Insurance I believe is necessary, however alot of dj's put in their contracts some stipulations that removes them from being liable for damages. How often do you play out? Do you play enough gigs that warrants getting full insurance? I'm pretty sure all insurance brokers offer business insurance, which is what you need. Just make sure the terms and coverage match the cost of your business equipment aka dj gear. Ultimately insurance protects your ass. If you leave your car open and someone takes off with a speaker...you're out that money...insurance is also good in that respect as well, not just protecting you from damages.
3) Music memberships are all over the place. The most popular one is Promo Only. There is a whole host of ones. I use a music pool like zipdj, and a few others plus I work for a radio station, so that helps. Of which I am required to have licensing, which i do. Now with promo pools and music memberships they have a stipulation that u are only renting that music. If they send you physical cd's and u play only those cd's then you don't need a full license (in most cases). Downside is, at anytime they could technically ask for that music back (never has happened, but it could).
4) I personally don't like storing gear in the freezing cold. However you gotta do what u gotta do. To ensure u dont break anything, check all your user manuals for the operating temperatures or their storage temps if they state it. If your garage goes below their recommended temps...then you have an issue! However I have worked with a few dj's that keep their stuff in -40c, then just ensure at least 3 hrs warm up time...no issues, gear still works years and years later! So its a toss up really.
Cheers guys.
Bomb Squad Entertainment Great information I really appreciate the informative response. Thanks
It doesn't matter. Business is business
Sure, I did that when I first started. My initial investment (before music which I already owned) was $1700 & everything was paid for before I even did my first gig via security deposits.
yup its all about that investment
Very good but you have to cater for marketing as well if its advertisements, jerseys, call cards, vehicle wraps, etc. still a cost at the end of the day. I dj partime because I have my own business. I will advise the younger djs to start teaming up with your competition so you can get more gigs. The stronger your force the better your results. You may not see profit for the first 8 months to a year depending on how you push your self.
Some good information. However I do have a bit of issue on one thing though. Now, maybe I'm just ignorant at how DJs use their laptops, but I'm not completely ignorant when it comes to computers. In my humble opinion, if you're wearing out a computer in 2 years, you're not taking care of it at all. Now, I'm not talking about it becoming out dated on paper, (IE: new OS, newer processors, ect) but over all performance. If you're doing your maintenance properly ( IE regular defrags, virus/malware scans, registry error scans, ect ect ect) and don't throw it around like a football, even a wal-mart laptop should stay in working order for a while. (Also, adding a cooling pad to help keep things cool during use will help.)
The laptop I'm using right now, I've had for about 2 years, and I bought it used. Still runs great, despite the fact that even I haven't been very good about running all that maintenance. Using a couple external HDs for the music will help save wear on the laptops main HD, as well. Especially if you're using Esata or USB 3.0. (Firewire is fast too, but becoming outdated and hard to find on laptops these days)
Anyway, just my thoughts on that. I'm not convinced that you should be wearing out a laptop in 2 years unless you're just really treating it like crap.
DJ's are very superstitious about their laptops.
On average I charge by the hour. Weddings $200 per hour, Sweet 16s/Quince $175 per hour, Other indoor events $150 per hour. House parties $100 per hour. Everything else like up-lights, gobos/monograms, water or other effects are charged extra. if gig is 40 or more miles away then I charge $30 extra for mileage/gas.. 50% deposit and contract prior and the rest on the day of event before music starts or option of payoff prior to event. I setup early and play music for them giving them an unannounced extra hour or so Free. I get tipped most of the time an extra $100 to $200 at the end of the night.
dozens of djs i know get pissed because they go out and buy the same things i have and then they don't get the gigs. besides the material stuff there should be some background behind you... club or months and months of backyard miles. Once you have the equipment you should have a technique to sell yourself.
Always please the paying customer....as a dj you should pick the best time to put in the request they wanted....which takes me into the importance of djs being good at programming music and reading the crowd but thats a whole different issue/video.
Thing is, at those super low costs, you make nothing. You actually pay to DJ
Perhaps a part time job as secondary income..?
well a lot of the problem is most of those kinda of people that charge pennies have a day job and its more like a hobby to them....unlike us the ones who make it a career
Been all MP3 for 7 or 8 years now
Got all dat sh#t foe 300$ with 6 15 inch speakers
Any computer that has 4 gb's of RAM or more. 64-bit, i3 or better processor, and 300 or more GB of storage. Always choose Intel, not AMD. Try HP PC's.
Or Mac's but they are way expensive but they have a lot of stability
the dj business will ALWAYS i repeat always be looked at by most as not a "real job" IN GENERAL.. Sure you have your dedicated talented djs who have been in business successfully for 20 plus years. Good for them! Im happy for them, im one of them myself. But the majority of djs (at least what i see) aint no good. Too many people giving themselves titles (like professional dj) that they dont deserve. This industry has become a complete joke! It's all smoke & mirrors everyone, buyer beware!..
lol! Ive for 289 euros a 500w rms 15 inch sub (120db peek) and 2 10 inch speakers. Total: 500. So yeah. And i got 2 tripods for 30. and that midi-controller is not like 500 but more like 200-300. So you are a little bit overpricing things :P
Thought the same
+Pricky_ Cactus btw doing it with a friend now, $200 a gig and our stuff is about $1000. weve had 1 gig so far and our next gig is on 21 november :).
mines is miles off 6000 I think he put the prices a bit high on this vid
Pricky_ Cactus indeed, you can buy just a hercules controller with djuiced or virtual dj for 70 bucks. no need to spend over 500 dollars.
This video was made in 2013 guys...
lol theres no profit being a dj theres always something breaking and new stuff to buy.Thats how my company got so much equiptment.I have 7 set ups and cant keep busy in our area people rather pay 100-200 for a crapy dj with crapy gear than hire a good up beat crowd pleasing dj for 400 a night.And most of the time the show is limited by the client on what the dj can do and play.I will be doing a gig at the missouri state fair again this year and its just 200 a night plus tips no more free beer
That's where you just put your business plan together & justify your costs to your clients. You can do this with quality & experience above & beyond the 150 euro DJ. If you try to compete with those who are obviously loosing money, then you loose too
Just because you want to be a DJ does not mean you should be a DJ - You are as good as the rate you can get regularly. A DJ who does it "for fun" is fooling himself. It's a lot MORE fun be be skilled enough to get paid well for having fun.
I highly agree.....but it gives guys like us a bad name...but rom my experience YES sometimes you scare people off with prices BUT I rather get 10 gigs a year making $700 a gig than 50 gigs making $150 per gig
And people want me to perform for $50 at times lol
Lot of dj's get mad at others for charging so cheap.
I believe at one time- we probably all cut someone as well.
some of us dj's need to stop crying. we all need to make a living somehow.
my pricing is consisted of who I play for.
Ive had customers for over 15 years. I try to be very reasonable.
when I get new clients and its wedding time- this is my time to make real money.
So it all depends on the situation.
its just me...
I think clients need to see this to realize djing in not free
some dj software s free
yes i agree 100%!.. they are fooling themselves.
I use a few. Most only need 1. I have Prime Cuts, Top Hits USA & Promo Only Pool. Got videos on all of these services if you search my channel
The worse people to dj for is the people that you know.They was you to dj for free and the people that you dont know what you to dj for pennies.just saying!!!
Thanks man!