I have been in this business since 1999...I am commanding the most money I have EVER commanded. I would not leave my driveway today for $295. Experience, using reviews from many happy clients, being yourself, and knowing how to sell all come in time. You can't last in this business charging low rates. Think about it...you are the ENTERTAINMENT! You are what the guests WILL REMEMBER! ...not the food or anything else! Charge well for what you do!
On another note Brian on behalf of All The UA-camrs I want to say thank you for making these videos. They are very educational when it comes to the business side of DJing. The DJ business is not all about buying the latest lights and midi controllers, It is about getting paid too. Thanks for the help in the other aspects of the business. I know you might not be the best DJ out there but you're certainly one of the wisest ones. Thanks for what you do and I do look up to you!!
Brian, I love this video and it's inspired me to do a breakdown of my costs and hopefully be able to justify my rates and even increase them. Based on the figures you used my profit on a regular $1,000 average wedding is just under $300... Unacceptable in my opinion. Keep posting great videos man, you are helping our industry more than you know!
Hey! Thank you for the advice! I'm in love with djing but I'm not that good with business but now that I've watch this video you have help me tremendously! Thank you!
Hey Brian I'm going to put another twist on this ;-) Every market has basically 3 service and pricing levels. This is no different in our industry. You get: 1) Entry level DJs - These guys are the weekend warriors playing with crap equipment, misreading their audiences, downloading music and undercutting everyone's prices. Some of the more experienced guys started here and some started off in nightclubs. 2) Mid market DJs - These guys have been doing it a while, understand the concept of great customer service, can read their audiences and generally walk away from smiling clients at the end of a gig 90% or more of the time. They buy their music and pay all their licensing. These guys are committed to the industry and realise that this is a transition phase to get where they want to be (upmaket DJs). They generally spend more on equipment than they can afford (because they have a long term goal), spend more time and money on marketing and are extremely driven and service orientated. 3) Upmarket DJs - These do the big, high profile gigs, famous people's weddings and hardly need to advertise because their names are well known amongst the wealthy. They demand and get a premium price because they've earned the right to. We'd all like to be in this catagory but the reality is that only a select few make it this far. Most djs never get past catagory 1 before the hard work and little money (and continual insults they have to put up with from clients and other DJs) get to them and they give up. Some also see being a DJ as being more glamorous than it really is and when reality sets in, they give up. Expecting to skip any of these stages is unrealistic. You cannot run before you've learned how to crawl and walk. Your market also dictates what your price ceiling is. I class myself in the upper "mid market" catagory and have taken almost 9 years to get there because when I started, DJing was only a hobby to me. I think that most of the times we are too hard on the entry level DJs because very often they simply cannot afford the decent equipment yet. There are also very few pro DJs in my country that will show a newbie the ropes. By the way, I'm 49 years old and still loving every gig ;-)
DJ OWEN no not really. Only because ur paying for it so ur gaining and the artists of these songs are loosing out. For a bedroom odd jam I'd say it's fine but if ur doing weddings dances and clubs not a good or a fair idea to go on. Just saying there's enough people out there that do that tho still.
@DURTY BAWZ Build / obtain a Bill Fitzmaurice horns based PA system, properly tuned using speaker management hardware. It can be loud and won't hurt your ears, due to lack of distortion. Check them out. I've have a few videos on my channel but theirs loads out there. Not too expensive to build or buy and outperform commercial speakers by some way.
Nice well rounded video here which has taken your DJ pricing video yesterday and added some real life elements that people can relate to. It's basic math really and you should be charging accordingly for the equipment that you use at an event.
Nice video Brian makes one think about how to price your service vs someone else doing the same job and how one can legitimately come up with different figures...
Great Idea. I think I am going to start itemizing too.. One of the problems with how we are paid is the client just thinks we are making it up. Then, if we charge more than a guy on Craigslist, we're greedy and full of ourselves. If you show them what it would cost, itemized, if they did it all themselves, it will make more sense to them! Only thing I would add is more $ for music. Figure on how many songs you can play in an hour, say 20-25 @$1 each..if they bought them on i-tunes or Amazon.
Great video Brian! I like your cost break down. But it is going to be very hard to get those figures for a gig especially these days when anybody thinks he or she is a DJ. You got brides renting PA systems and making iPod playlists to cut expenses, you got the bedroom and Craigslist’s DJs undercutting and the worst ones the UA-cam DJ who spend more time bragging about their gear than getting gigs. A better number for me is $500 for a basic set up for a wedding.
I like the video and im not gonna sit on here and act like a 2 year old because what you say is slightly different then what i think or agree with. I thank you for these videos and i look at them as something to think about rather then you saying whats right and wrong. Keep the videos coming and these people cant even type english so they should work on that before they try to become a dj. Keep up the good work.
Depends on where you live. In the USA, you have Prime Cuts, Top Hits USA, Promo Only, Full Tilt Remix, etc. Canada has Promo only as well. Europe has a few, like CD Pool, Mastermix, etc.
I once called all the dj's in the area to get a sense of there pricing. I heard so many times, we have top of the line equipment, and then refereed to there Behringer speakers. I truly carry only the top of the line equipment and was a bit frustrated by the lies most of these guys were telling, but the show speaks for its self. ( Rane 57,Pio cds, Kw122 kw181s, moving heads, global truss, shure wireless, wireless dmx,martin lighting software, martin jem k1 hazer )
hi brian. great video!!! if we put this way wich is the right way to put it. i think we are all underpaid. most of us take a lot more than the basic package you put outhere. i just feel that clients have no idea what this cost to us and when you give them a price. they just assume you charge to much. how ever i will print this on paper and show them!. good job!!
The equipment is just 1 part of the equation. You still need to figure out what YOU are worth as a DJ & entertainer, how well you can use the equipment you have, etc.
Great vid Brian. I actually was tweaking my site and prices. Raised them and probably should be more. Can we mirror your vid to our sites ? Great mini education and reminder to potential clients AND DJs
I hate the charging aspect of business. I shouldn't, but I feel bad/guilty! I want to give the best price possible while getting the value of my worth. This is a fantastic way of formulating costs in a tangible way!
I would suggest, if you would like to try this formula to add up how much all your equipment would cost to go out & buy. That the total & divide it by 20 or 5%. Then figure out what you had to buy for music to do that gig & how much it cost you to get to your gig + any other expenses you have.. Add all those numbers up then you'll have your base price. Then figure out what you want to pay yourself & you have your answer
Excellent video, I'm a dj from Puerto Rico and watching this is a relief because I charge thinking like that. The thing is that the client come and see me doing my show, what I use, what I do and then we talk about what they want, need, how far I have to travel, how many employees I have to take, how big it's the place, how many hours after that I show them a menu of prices, the one that they point the client sign on it, 50% deposit and that's it. Good djs won't have to worry about crappie MFuck
Very helpful. I do however think 10% from equipment used is a bit much. Considering my equipment total to nearly $15,000. Do you have any suggestions as far as that goes?
You've got to always do what you feel is best for you. I will say, though that there are so many factors involved in pricing, selling & performance. You have clients who call and ask How Much? Sometimes, they ask this because they don't know what else to ask. Sometimes they ask because they are price shopping. They may or may not be your client. You also have clients who call & ask about availability, what services you offer, etc. These people are not just price shopping. They seek more
Hi brian. thanks for this video. maybe you can also make a video about your equipments and how much they cost you: from chords, table, to software. it'll give beginner DJs better ideas about setting up an equipment.. thanks
Brian...you speak of "pricing" in some of your video's...I appreciate that. I noticed in all of your sound advice, you've never mentioned the difference between what a "professional" and a non professional Dj is. There's a big difference, and the world needs to know. Pricing has a lot to do with the difference. Anybody can call themselves a Dj but being a professional Dj takes time, effort, integrity, training and being a leader in the field....not to mention having professional equipment, social skills and the ability to communicate well on and off the microphone. Just saying.
I don't understand what difference it makes. We're talking about 5% (or whatever % you like) of the total cost of your gear weather you bought it locally or online or whatever. It's just about creating a business plan. Out of curiosity, what's yours? How do you determine what to charge & how are you covering your expenses?
Hey Brian well its a question for everyone what about mobile djs that only have to do a Spanish Music Gig What kind of Spanish Music would they start with? lets say u just unloaded and set everything up people are just starting to come in so what kind of Spanish music do u play? dancing?romantic? then at eating hour what music?
Good Advise there Brian you have to figure out your costs. Most clients out there have no idea what a Pro DJ spends on equipment and offer quality services. Unfortuately there are many so called DJ's offering inferior equipment and charging low prices.
Brilliant video Brian.. I'm curious.. How does a four year college degree get calculated into this? How about the many years additional instruction and training?
who is the wise guy that is rating this video down? he must be in a band. As for the video. This is great. i will also place what was mentioned in the video. as a collective of DJ we need to have a similar price to show this trade we are all in that anyone that is only charging 200 bucks for a wedding needs to stop it!!!
I agree, when you play a 128bitrate youtube rip. I bet you cant tell the difference from low end and a high end speaker. That being said, you can still rock a party with entry level gear. In my experience its easier to get people to dance when you have a good sound system. Since upgrading from Ksubs to K181's every mobile gig I have had at least 1 or more people compliment the sound system. The qsc logos are gaff taped over. Often they still say QSC
Actually, in a business world. You can do whatever you want with the numbers with percentages, what you pay yourself, etc but in the end it's probably a good idea to do your math & see where you stand on your current pricing
I know an 80 year old DJ who is very much still in demand! He just got his 2 sons, both in their 50's, into it as well. Please don't get me wrong, I'm not telling everyone to do this, I'm only suggesting this one way you could do this AND it's working for a lot of DJs who are making a profit and livable wage. Whatever you do or decide to do, I feel it would be a great idea to have some kind of business plan in place instead of just throwing numbers out there hoping they buy
Yes my clients leave with smile. I have a 30 of 30 on google local. I charge $50 to $100 more than djs that sit at a table with Virtual Dj and 192br songs and a microphone that feeds back. High quality tools are cheaper in the long run. Yes I could use a entry level fogger, but guess what, when i use a high end hazer I never get any complaints from the client or the venue. Its the right tool for the job, because they don't notice anything in the air. Just like my other tools.
... when you get that client who wants to know things beyond How Much, those are the clients who have higher expectations. They aren't suckers, they seek quality & value. If you can provide this & more, you will profit well :) Maybe another video is in order
In NY we suffer because there are Djs that charge 200 bucks to dj a private gig! mean while I'm charging for my gear and what I'm worth. Djs with 1 speaker and cheap gear, no lighting. Venues completely dark and cutting our throats. So sad how it is here.
Hey Buddy. I am 16 to I would take it up to at least £20 to £25 per hour. I have about £1600 worth of stuff and I am still growing and bringing In more stuff and I am Charging £20 per hour. I used to charge £10 an hour when I still had my old disco lights with the big bulbs and old PA but the problem was towards the end when ever a bulb went it was costing me £7 per bulb to replace and if two had gone thats £14 gone already so I would Only have £6 so I was pretty much breaking even. It was because LED was in and all these bulbs were harder to find. I would suggest raising it to £20/£25 as no other DJ out there is gonna beat a price like that. People are not looking for the top of the range gear with movable heads and what not. They are looking for lights and sound thats it. Most of the people out there won't even know what a movable head is!. But yes Put your pricing up. When I get my new 2 x Vertigo Hex Leds and another alto 800w Active Speaker and stand I will be raising my prices up again. and when I get my fog machine and Low Lying Fog Machine(That I will make) I will even put prices up again. So my max limit will be about £30/£40 per hour. But at the time being stay low and work up with more gear you have but you are at the same stage as me so put pricing up to £20 per hour.
this is what happened to me a while back, i was asked to do a party for an Association, and about a week before the party i got a call from one of the organizer that they found someone cheaper and said that he didn't know about. ..so naming a price doesn't really make any diff. if someone out there is ready to do it for almost nothing..
Here's what I do: I charge a 50% non refundable price which is my guarantee that I'll show up because I've financially bound myself to the client and it's the client's guarantee that I have the gig and can turn other potential clients away and sometimes I have to turn away better paying clients but that's just the way it works. In my country a DJ has to have two music rights licences and the cheap guy hardly ever has any. If a client wants to cancel, I very politely remind them that the authorities could shut their party or event down should they use one of those unlicensed DJ. I have never yet had a client demand their deposit back and have only once ever had a client cancel and that was because of circumstances outside of her control. Any way, I could always phone the authorities myself if the client turns nasty :-)
K-sub, MacBook Pro, lights, stands ran $200 bucks ( I forget the name) I have got cases to protect my gear.. And I have a very good mic. I tell people for a gig $300 wedding party $600 bucks wedding $1000 an they look at me crazy.
nice video as usual brian. If you are charging $500 for a wedding it is a hobby, not a business - which is fine. Businesses make money, hobbies keep you busy. @MrDjjumpdown - this is why 12 yr olds should be put to bed early...
Mr.DJJumpdown, Clean edits and radio friendly music is not free. I been in this DJ game for many years and I know what I'm talking about. You can come across some pirate websites with one or two albums or singles, but if you want a reliable source of clean music for school dances and upscale weddings you have to pay. Believe me I don't just talk shit here on UA-cam, I actually DJ every weekend!!
And i pay for my music! Sometimes I don't even take people up on offers because its not worth doing the gig for $100-200 bucks. I know what I'm worth. I just hit when people try to low ball me.
These are not pipe dreams, this is business. Of course you have to adjust your salary to the area you live in and your overall skills & talents, but cost is cost. DJ lighting doesn't cost less to buy in depressed areas of the country than it does in affluent areas. I'm not sure where you live or what your clientele is like or what kind of DJ you are, but if something doesn't work for you, that's fine, don't do it. I'm only offering suggestions. What are you doing to try to help?
@ Koshy1 - BTW, I hate DJs that continually phone around or email other DJs fishing for prices. Build your own brand for God's sake and charge a reasonable price for the services you offer. I have never phoned other DJs to find out what they charge as I think it's unethical. I rather try and put myself in my clients' shoes and charge as reasonable price I can and add as much value as I can to my services. Wouldn't you want the best value for money if you were the client.
I don't know how you can pull a profit @ $500 per wedding, between time (prep & performance), travel, setup, tear down, equipment wear, music selections costs etc, etc...
Joseph Freitas after you cover your fixed cost (the price of equipment) to continue to dj would just require covering variable cost( gas, fog juice, ect) so you might not make money at first but you will in the long run
isnt the right eauation $4,300-5% get you $215 which multiplied by 20.... im just throwing this out there cuz i did the eqution n my cal. come out with something funky.
I don't really care what brand of equipment you use... Are your clients leaving at the end of the gig with a smile on their faces? I can buy entry level pro gear at half or less of the price of the top of the range pro gear and still make my clients leave smiling at the end of the evening. Here's the thing though. I'd have made a lot more money and wouldn't be caring whether or not you think I'm second rate because my clients will be happy and you couldn't compete. I use mid market pro gear.
So I'm an old DJ WTF! You're laughable. Look man, I do what I do I'm very successful at it. I do pay for my music. Expecting DJs to get all their music for free is a fable.
I have been in this business since 1999...I am commanding the most money I have EVER commanded. I would not leave my driveway today for $295. Experience, using reviews from many happy clients, being yourself, and knowing how to sell all come in time. You can't last in this business charging low rates. Think about it...you are the ENTERTAINMENT! You are what the guests WILL REMEMBER! ...not the food or anything else! Charge well for what you do!
On another note Brian on behalf of All The UA-camrs I want to say thank you for making these videos. They are very educational when it comes to the business side of DJing. The DJ business is not all about buying the latest lights and midi controllers, It is about getting paid too. Thanks for the help in the other aspects of the business. I know you might not be the best DJ out there but you're certainly one of the wisest ones. Thanks for what you do and I do look up to you!!
Brian, I love this video and it's inspired me to do a breakdown of my costs and hopefully be able to justify my rates and even increase them. Based on the figures you used my profit on a regular $1,000 average wedding is just under $300... Unacceptable in my opinion. Keep posting great videos man, you are helping our industry more than you know!
Hey! Thank you for the advice! I'm in love with djing but I'm not that good with business but now that I've watch this video you have help me tremendously! Thank you!
Now that was a great explanation on how to price for a gig. Thanks.
one of the most helpful videos you have ever made! thanks!
Hey Brian
I'm going to put another twist on this ;-)
Every market has basically 3 service and pricing levels. This is no different in our industry. You get:
1) Entry level DJs - These guys are the weekend warriors playing with crap equipment, misreading their audiences, downloading music and undercutting everyone's prices. Some of the more experienced guys started here and some started off in nightclubs.
2) Mid market DJs - These guys have been doing it a while, understand the concept of great customer service, can read their audiences and generally walk away from smiling clients at the end of a gig 90% or more of the time. They buy their music and pay all their licensing. These guys are committed to the industry and realise that this is a transition phase to get where they want to be (upmaket DJs). They generally spend more on equipment than they can afford (because they have a long term goal), spend more time and money on marketing and are extremely driven and service orientated.
3) Upmarket DJs - These do the big, high profile gigs, famous people's weddings and hardly need to advertise because their names are well known amongst the wealthy. They demand and get a premium price because they've earned the right to. We'd all like to be in this catagory but the reality is that only a select few make it this far. Most djs never get past catagory 1 before the hard work and little money (and continual insults they have to put up with from clients and other DJs) get to them and they give up. Some also see being a DJ as being more glamorous than it really is and when reality sets in, they give up.
Expecting to skip any of these stages is unrealistic. You cannot run before you've learned how to crawl and walk. Your market also dictates what your price ceiling is. I class myself in the upper "mid market" catagory and have taken almost 9 years to get there because when I started, DJing was only a hobby to me. I think that most of the times we are too hard on the entry level DJs because very often they simply cannot afford the decent equipment yet. There are also very few pro DJs in my country that will show a newbie the ropes.
By the way, I'm 49 years old and still loving every gig ;-)
Amen brother!
I use UA-cam mp3 any good?
DJ OWEN no not really. Only because ur paying for it so ur gaining and the artists of these songs are loosing out. For a bedroom odd jam I'd say it's fine but if ur doing weddings dances and clubs not a good or a fair idea to go on. Just saying there's enough people out there that do that tho still.
@DURTY BAWZ Build / obtain a Bill Fitzmaurice horns based PA system, properly tuned using speaker management hardware. It can be loud and won't hurt your ears, due to lack of distortion. Check them out. I've have a few videos on my channel but theirs loads out there. Not too expensive to build or buy and outperform commercial speakers by some way.
@@charlesjenkinson5020 not qsc buddy....
Nice well rounded video here which has taken your DJ pricing video yesterday and added some real life elements that people can relate to. It's basic math really and you should be charging accordingly for the equipment that you use at an event.
Brian, this was really useful info (as usual) -thanks!
Great break down Brian.
On point, once again! Thanks Brian.
I can dig it Brian...great info!!!!
Nice video Brian makes one think about how to price your service vs someone else doing the same job and how one can legitimately come up with different figures...
Very helpfull thanks! I never knew how much I should charge for a gig, now I at least have an idea how much I should charge
Great Idea. I think I am going to start itemizing too.. One of the problems with how we are paid is the client just thinks we are making it up. Then, if we charge more than a guy on Craigslist, we're greedy and full of ourselves. If you show them what it would cost, itemized, if they did it all themselves, it will make more sense to them! Only thing I would add is more $ for music. Figure on how many songs you can play in an hour, say 20-25 @$1 each..if they bought them on i-tunes or Amazon.
Great video Brian! I like your cost break down. But it is going to be very hard to get those figures for a gig especially these days when anybody thinks he or she is a DJ. You got brides renting PA systems and making iPod playlists to cut expenses, you got the bedroom and Craigslist’s DJs undercutting and the worst ones the UA-cam DJ who spend more time bragging about their gear than getting gigs. A better number for me is $500 for a basic set up for a wedding.
I like the video and im not gonna sit on here and act like a 2 year old because what you say is slightly different then what i think or agree with. I thank you for these videos and i look at them as something to think about rather then you saying whats right and wrong. Keep the videos coming and these people cant even type english so they should work on that before they try to become a dj. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for the tips is very helpful...
Thanks dude this helped out alot!
Very nicely done! Definitely some great ideas and got me thinking about showing my clients a cost breakdown. Can't hurt right?
Depends on where you live. In the USA, you have Prime Cuts, Top Hits USA, Promo Only, Full Tilt Remix, etc. Canada has Promo only as well. Europe has a few, like CD Pool, Mastermix, etc.
I once called all the dj's in the area to get a sense of there pricing. I heard so many times, we have top of the line equipment, and then refereed to there Behringer speakers. I truly carry only the top of the line equipment and was a bit frustrated by the lies most of these guys were telling, but the show speaks for its self. ( Rane 57,Pio cds, Kw122 kw181s, moving heads, global truss, shure wireless, wireless dmx,martin lighting software, martin jem k1 hazer )
hi brian. great video!!! if we put this way wich is the right way to put it.
i think we are all underpaid. most of us take a lot more than the basic package you put outhere. i just feel that clients have no idea what this cost to us and when you give them a price. they just assume you charge to much. how ever i will print this on paper and show them!. good job!!
The equipment is just 1 part of the equation. You still need to figure out what YOU are worth as a DJ & entertainer, how well you can use the equipment you have, etc.
Great vid Brian. I actually was tweaking my site and prices. Raised them and probably should be more. Can we mirror your vid to our sites ? Great mini education and reminder to potential clients AND DJs
Thanks brian, great ideas all, i may implement some of this....
I hate the charging aspect of business. I shouldn't, but I feel bad/guilty! I want to give the best price possible while getting the value of my worth. This is a fantastic way of formulating costs in a tangible way!
I would suggest, if you would like to try this formula to add up how much all your equipment would cost to go out & buy. That the total & divide it by 20 or 5%. Then figure out what you had to buy for music to do that gig & how much it cost you to get to your gig + any other expenses you have.. Add all those numbers up then you'll have your base price. Then figure out what you want to pay yourself & you have your answer
Excellent video, I'm a dj from Puerto Rico and watching this is a relief because I charge thinking like that. The thing is that the client come and see me doing my show, what I use, what I do and then we talk about what they want, need, how far I have to travel, how many employees I have to take, how big it's the place, how many hours after that I show them a menu of prices, the one that they point the client sign on it, 50% deposit and that's it. Good djs won't have to worry about crappie MFuck
Nice video on pricing...
Great job.
After a few years posting this video. did the theory of "itemizing" the expenses work?
He explains this around the 5:15 part of the video. It's all up to you and what you feel your worth is. Training, etc....
Very helpful. I do however think 10% from equipment used is a bit much. Considering my equipment total to nearly $15,000. Do you have any suggestions as far as that goes?
Love this! Worth staying up for. =)
Very helpful. thanks
You've got to always do what you feel is best for you. I will say, though that there are so many factors involved in pricing, selling & performance. You have clients who call and ask How Much? Sometimes, they ask this because they don't know what else to ask. Sometimes they ask because they are price shopping. They may or may not be your client. You also have clients who call & ask about availability, what services you offer, etc. These people are not just price shopping. They seek more
Hi brian. thanks for this video. maybe you can also make a video about your equipments and how much they cost you: from chords, table, to software. it'll give beginner DJs better ideas about setting up an equipment.. thanks
is that what people use to convert youtube to mp3s?? i heard there's a software like that but i dont know if that is the one
Brian...you speak of "pricing" in some of your video's...I appreciate that. I noticed in all of your sound advice, you've never mentioned the difference between what a "professional" and a non professional Dj is. There's a big difference, and the world needs to know. Pricing has a lot to do with the difference. Anybody can call themselves a Dj but being a professional Dj takes time, effort, integrity, training and being a leader in the field....not to mention having professional equipment, social skills and the ability to communicate well on and off the microphone. Just saying.
I don't understand what difference it makes. We're talking about 5% (or whatever % you like) of the total cost of your gear weather you bought it locally or online or whatever. It's just about creating a business plan. Out of curiosity, what's yours? How do you determine what to charge & how are you covering your expenses?
Hey Brian well its a question for everyone what about mobile djs that only have to do a Spanish Music Gig What kind of Spanish Music would they start with? lets say u just unloaded and set everything up people are just starting to come in so what kind of Spanish music do u play? dancing?romantic? then at eating hour what music?
What sort of subscription services are out there? I could definitely use something like that..
Good Advise there Brian you have to figure out your costs. Most clients out there have no idea what a Pro DJ spends on equipment and offer quality services. Unfortuately there are many so called DJ's offering inferior equipment and charging low prices.
Once again great video!
Writing from work...
I am still at work...
Sad.
Brilliant video Brian.. I'm curious.. How does a four year college degree get calculated into this? How about the many years additional instruction and training?
who is the wise guy that is rating this video down? he must be in a band.
As for the video. This is great. i will also place what was mentioned in the video. as a collective of DJ we need to have a similar price to show this trade we are all in that anyone that is only charging 200 bucks for a wedding needs to stop it!!!
I agree, when you play a 128bitrate youtube rip. I bet you cant tell the difference from low end and a high end speaker. That being said, you can still rock a party with entry level gear. In my experience its easier to get people to dance when you have a good sound system. Since upgrading from Ksubs to K181's every mobile gig I have had at least 1 or more people compliment the sound system. The qsc logos are gaff taped over. Often they still say QSC
Actually, in a business world. You can do whatever you want with the numbers with percentages, what you pay yourself, etc but in the end it's probably a good idea to do your math & see where you stand on your current pricing
Can I share this video on my Website?
I know an 80 year old DJ who is very much still in demand! He just got his 2 sons, both in their 50's, into it as well.
Please don't get me wrong, I'm not telling everyone to do this, I'm only suggesting this one way you could do this AND it's working for a lot of DJs who are making a profit and livable wage.
Whatever you do or decide to do, I feel it would be a great idea to have some kind of business plan in place instead of just throwing numbers out there hoping they buy
So what about if your starting your first gig, ive got a traktor kontrol s4 and id happy do my first couple of gigs for free
Well, I'm 13 and got an upcoming gig, what do I charge!?!?
how much is $700 in RS plz tell
Yes my clients leave with smile. I have a 30 of 30 on google local. I charge $50 to $100 more than djs that sit at a table with Virtual Dj and 192br songs and a microphone that feeds back. High quality tools are cheaper in the long run. Yes I could use a entry level fogger, but guess what, when i use a high end hazer I never get any complaints from the client or the venue. Its the right tool for the job, because they don't notice anything in the air. Just like my other tools.
Dammm DJ C.Smith tell em y u mad!!!
... when you get that client who wants to know things beyond How Much, those are the clients who have higher expectations. They aren't suckers, they seek quality & value. If you can provide this & more, you will profit well :) Maybe another video is in order
I would also add Taxes in there.
He's always jumpin' out that window. I'm used to it
yea think im goin 2 have 2 go that route
In NY we suffer because there are Djs that charge 200 bucks to dj a private gig! mean while I'm charging for my gear and what I'm worth. Djs with 1 speaker and cheap gear, no lighting. Venues completely dark and cutting our throats. So sad how it is here.
thanks for the advise, im only 16 but love djing so I only charge £10 per hour + lighting. would that be to cheap considering my buget was £2000?
Hey Buddy. I am 16 to I would take it up to at least £20 to £25 per hour. I have about £1600 worth of stuff and I am still growing and bringing In more stuff and I am Charging £20 per hour. I used to charge £10 an hour when I still had my old disco lights with the big bulbs and old PA but the problem was towards the end when ever a bulb went it was costing me £7 per bulb to replace and if two had gone thats £14 gone already so I would Only have £6 so I was pretty much breaking even. It was because LED was in and all these bulbs were harder to find. I would suggest raising it to £20/£25 as no other DJ out there is gonna beat a price like that. People are not looking for the top of the range gear with movable heads and what not. They are looking for lights and sound thats it. Most of the people out there won't even know what a movable head is!.
But yes Put your pricing up.
When I get my new 2 x Vertigo Hex Leds and another alto 800w Active Speaker and stand I will be raising my prices up again. and when I get my fog machine and Low Lying Fog Machine(That I will make) I will even put prices up again. So my max limit will be about £30/£40 per hour. But at the time being stay low and work up with more gear you have but you are at the same stage as me so put pricing up to £20 per hour.
Cheers mate
As a DBA, you pay income tax, but one thing I don't get into would be legal/tax advice in videos. I'll leave that to the pros
this is what happened to me a while back, i was asked to do a party for an Association, and about a week before the party i got a call from one of the organizer that they found someone cheaper and said that he didn't know about. ..so naming a price doesn't really make any diff. if someone out there is ready to do it for almost nothing..
Here's what I do: I charge a 50% non refundable price which is my guarantee that I'll show up because I've financially bound myself to the client and it's the client's guarantee that I have the gig and can turn other potential clients away and sometimes I have to turn away better paying clients but that's just the way it works. In my country a DJ has to have two music rights licences and the cheap guy hardly ever has any. If a client wants to cancel, I very politely remind them that the authorities could shut their party or event down should they use one of those unlicensed DJ. I have never yet had a client demand their deposit back and have only once ever had a client cancel and that was because of circumstances outside of her control. Any way, I could always phone the authorities myself if the client turns nasty :-)
lol
yea real good music and clean ones are not free
Basic set up without lights just audio, that is not a bad number.
K-sub, MacBook Pro, lights, stands ran $200 bucks ( I forget the name) I have got cases to protect my gear.. And I have a very good mic. I tell people for a gig $300 wedding party $600 bucks wedding $1000 an they look at me crazy.
nice video as usual brian. If you are charging $500 for a wedding it is a hobby, not a business - which is fine. Businesses make money, hobbies keep you busy.
@MrDjjumpdown - this is why 12 yr olds should be put to bed early...
Mr.DJJumpdown, Clean edits and radio friendly music is not free. I been in this DJ game for many years and I know what I'm talking about. You can come across some pirate websites with one or two albums or singles, but if you want a reliable source of clean music for school dances and upscale weddings you have to pay. Believe me I don't just talk shit here on UA-cam, I actually DJ every weekend!!
I have seen DJs acquire music only to find out it says clean but was not. You get what you pay for.
An easy way to put all this together would be to create a spreadsheet.
Top cabs 8k, subs 36k. Double that to include your spare equipment. You need to up your game to reach a pro level.
Please do :)
JBL speakers and lights
This dude talking back to us our pages about to BLOW UP!!!!!!! (MAD THUMBS DOWN)
And i pay for my music! Sometimes I don't even take people up on offers because its not worth doing the gig for $100-200 bucks. I know what I'm worth. I just hit when people try to low ball me.
please do :)
Word..@briansredd yr the michael jordan of this UA-cam shit.
These are not pipe dreams, this is business. Of course you have to adjust your salary to the area you live in and your overall skills & talents, but cost is cost. DJ lighting doesn't cost less to buy in depressed areas of the country than it does in affluent areas. I'm not sure where you live or what your clientele is like or what kind of DJ you are, but if something doesn't work for you, that's fine, don't do it. I'm only offering suggestions. What are you doing to try to help?
Well we try not to. speaking of, blood thinner time
It's show business. No business no show.
$4300 divided by 5% = $215.
$215 X 20 = $4300
I think I'm under paid. Set up technics 1200's rane mixer, serato, qsc k12 and the
I own my DJ system
Yeah give me another stroke why don't ya? :P
@ Koshy1 - BTW, I hate DJs that continually phone around or email other DJs fishing for prices. Build your own brand for God's sake and charge a reasonable price for the services you offer. I have never phoned other DJs to find out what they charge as I think it's unethical. I rather try and put myself in my clients' shoes and charge as reasonable price I can and add as much value as I can to my services. Wouldn't you want the best value for money if you were the client.
I don't know how you can pull a profit @ $500 per wedding, between time (prep & performance), travel, setup, tear down, equipment wear, music selections costs etc, etc...
Joseph Freitas after you cover your fixed cost (the price of equipment) to continue to dj would just require covering variable cost( gas, fog juice, ect) so you might not make money at first but you will in the long run
isnt the right eauation $4,300-5% get you $215 which multiplied by 20....
im just throwing this out there cuz i did the eqution n my cal. come out with something funky.
Ah that guy hates me. The only time I hear from him is when he's ready to slam something I've said or done. Maybe it's my hair cut ;)
Spanish music is too vague. That would be like saying English music. You'll have to figure out what they want. There are several Spanish music genres
Music is an expense, like everything else you have to buy to run a business.
If you steal your music & videos, then I guess you don't have that expense
.....
LMFAAAAAAAA man IDK.
If I ever had to itemize my expenses for my clients, I would decline the job.
I itemize for my client and I make a lot more money because the client can clearly see what they are paying for.
I don't really care what brand of equipment you use... Are your clients leaving at the end of the gig with a smile on their faces? I can buy entry level pro gear at half or less of the price of the top of the range pro gear and still make my clients leave smiling at the end of the evening. Here's the thing though. I'd have made a lot more money and wouldn't be caring whether or not you think I'm second rate because my clients will be happy and you couldn't compete. I use mid market pro gear.
Clean music is not free.
Wait if all his (fans) lol are reading this then they gonna check out yr page cuz u getting in his ass.....
So I'm an old DJ WTF! You're laughable. Look man, I do what I do I'm very successful at it. I do pay for my music. Expecting DJs to get all their music for free is a fable.