Employing other dj's

[ppentertainments]

Firstly I do not want this to turn into another discussion about the digital dj licence.

What I am wondering is what do you use when you have more than one person dj'ing for you. ie music. if using MP3 how many times can you 'backup' you mp3's to allow other people to use them. Or do you expect your staff to provide their own cd's / mp3's.

Also what about PLI. Do you get PLI for each individual, are you able to get it for your business including all employees, or again do you expect them to have their own.

Also what rates of pay would you give.

I am not intending going down this route as I work solely with my father (and the odd helper) and doing well as we are, but curiosity got the better of me.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Firstly I do not want this to turn into another discussion about the digital dj licence.

What I am wondering is what do you use when you have more than one person dj'ing for you. ie music. if using MP3 how many times can you 'backup' you mp3's to allow other people to use them. Or do you expect your staff to provide their own cd's / mp3's.

Also what about PLI. Do you get PLI for each individual, are you able to get it for your business including all employees, or again do you expect them to have their own.

Also what rates of pay would you give.

I am not intending going down this route as I work solely with my father (and the odd helper) and doing well as we are, but curiosity got the better of me.


You can't let other people use your mp3s. You need a licence and the licence is in your name for one database. (when it comes out)

Original CDs are different though.

PLI depends on your cirumstances and how you trade. I run a Ltd company and have company PLI for anyone who works for me as well as employer liability insurance to cover them.

When I was with Musicguard, they allowed you associate members on your PLI at about £30 each, but I'm not sure if they still do that.

Rates of pay are up to you. There are a lot of variables. It might depend on whether they are full time, using yours or their own gear etc etc

[ppentertainments]

You can't let other people use your mp3s. You need a licence and the licence is in your name for one database. (when it comes out)

Original CDs are different though.

PLI depends on your cirumstances and how you trade. I run a Ltd company and have company PLI for anyone who works for me as well as employer liability insurance to cover them.

When I was with Musicguard, they allowed you associate members on your PLI at about £30 each, but I'm not sure if they still do that.

Rates of pay are up to you. There are a lot of variables. It might depend on whether they are full time, using yours or their own gear etc etc

Thats what I thought esp about using MP3s. Basically then you need the Dj to supply music or purchase extra cd's. If dj's are buying their own music it is no suprise that there are so many cowboys out there as the music takes up a lot of my budget. If they have the music they can buy equipment cheap enough !!

Agree that you should only be allowed to use MP3 on 1 database.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

If you are considering using a DJ wihout music, then buy cheap greatest hits CDs and bargains when you see them to build up a second collection.

If I sorted them out, I reckon I could get at least 2, maybe 3 decent collections from the one.

[DazzyD]

Hi Chris

I would expect that it's severely naughty to be backing up your music for others to use (at the same time, anyway). I, too, work with my family (my dad and my brother) and each has their own music collection. In fact, we have a music library assigned to each system and each system is put together to match a specific function (family party, pub disco/karaoke, etc) which works for us. My own personal collection in the biggest by far cos I've been building it

As for PLI, you can get it for a company but I believe you have to name each employee that it covers. From experience, this can see your premiums rocket but the price could be a drop in the ocean to what you might need to pay out if something went wrong and you didn't have it!

Rates of pay round here tend to be averaged at around £10 per hour. Well, this is what I've been offered from other operators to do their bookings using their rigs. In fact, this weekend I'm working such a booking cos, apparently, I've been asked for by name for a booking taken by a company I used to freelance for. Got some extra bills to pay this week so the £60 I'm getting for 4 hours work is a little more than £10 per hour but £15 an hour is the very least I'd do this kind of work for now.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

As for PLI, you can get it for a company but I believe you have to name each employee that it covers.

No you don't! :)

[DazzyD]

Oh well, you did with my my cover, anyway! I had to name 3 people which seemed to make the premiums go up at a very steep rate (instead of getting discounts for more people on the policy it actually worked the other way and cost more!). And I've been renewing every year since then cos I'm too lazy to shop around!

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Oh well, you did with my my cover, anyway! I had to name 3 people which seemed to make the premiums go up at a very steep rate (instead of getting discounts for more people on the policy it actually worked the other way and cost more!). And I've been renewing every year since then cos I'm too lazy to shop around!

Do you run a company then or are these just add-ons with Musicguard?

[DazzyD]

No its a three-way partnership. The policy is through DJGuard and I think it was just a case of adding them on.

I've got the best part of the year to go before I start looking around but, with the problems I've read about on the threads with DJGuard, I think I'll look at other options next time. Mind you, I've never had a problem myself but, then again, I've never needed to make a claim (touch wood!).

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

No its a three-way partnership. The policy is through DJGuard and I think it was just a case of adding them on.



If you read my post near the top you'll see the reason for my question!

I did the same for a while. They called it adding associates and I also used to do it. It used to be about 30 quid a pop.

[A1DL]

Oh well, you did with my my cover, anyway! I had to name 3 people which seemed to make the premiums go up at a very steep rate (instead of getting discounts for more people on the policy it actually worked the other way and cost more!). And I've been renewing every year since then cos I'm too lazy to shop around!

That sounds like a halfway house between an individual's policy and a proper "block policy", the sort that Daz is talking about and that an established Ltd Co will/should have.

A block policy generally allows any number of concurrent shows to be operating at any given time, it covers PLI, employer and product liability and it's price is calculated as a percentage of the prior year's sales ex vat. Block policies don't come cheap, my company pays a quite considerable four figure sum to renew it each year.

[DazzyD]

I do think the term "Policy Associates" rings a bell now that you come to mention it.

The PLI also comes with equipment insurance and £10,000 accident insurance for each person so it does seem like a fairly comprehensive all-in policy. What attracted me to it was that it had been designed specifically for mobile DJs - something which I couldn't find anywhere else. Mind you, I didn't really look too hard!

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

That sounds like a halfway house between an individual's policy and a proper "block policy", the sort that Daz is talking about and that an established Ltd Co will/should have.

A block policy generally allows any number of concurrent shows to be operating at any given time, it covers PLI, employer and product liability and it's price is calculated as a percentage of the prior year's sales ex vat. Block policies don't come cheap, my company pays a quite considerable four figure sum to renew it each year.

Mine is not quite that much but is pushing that way.:eek:

Mine is a combined all risk insurance which also covers me for hire and insures the companies gear too.

[DazzyD]

I did think about taking the incorporation route a few months ago but thought the costs outweighed the benefits for us at the moment. And company insurance was one the factors we looked at. Maybe next year!

[rob1963]

I don't think employing other DJs is worth the hassle, and there's too much red tape.

If I'm asked to do a disco on a date when I'm already booked, I'll just recommend one of my friends and pass on their details.

In return, my friends will often recommend me when they are asked to supply discos on dates they're already booked for.

It is so much simpler than taking the booking myself & then employing or sub-contracting it to another DJ. I wouldnt know where to start!

As has been said before, the Rob James motto is "Keep it simple"!

:D :D :D

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

As has been said before, Rob James is simple!

:D :D :D

:eek: :D

[rob1963]

:eek: :D

I just need to clean my keyboard & screen & then make another cup of coffee.

Back in a little while.

:rolleyes:

[MrWeetabix]

In terms of paying another jock for work done on your behalf, it tends to be easier to make them declare that they are "self employed" when you pay them. a Payslip-type form to this effect should suffice, that way you have a signed/dated agreement between you and the jack stating that they are responsible for their own taxes and such like, including responsibility for music and its legal ramifications.

I tend to pay a higher rate than most (locally anyways) for this type of work, which is a reflection on their "self employed" status.

perhaps a little off topic, but I think it is at least an associated issue.

"Reach for the laser, Shabba!" :beer1:

[ppentertainments]

I don't think employing other DJs is worth the hassle, and there's too much red tape.

If I'm asked to do a disco on a date when I'm already booked, I'll just recommend one of my friends and pass on their details.

In return, my friends will often recommend me when they are asked to supply discos on dates they're already booked for.

It is so much simpler than taking the booking myself & then employing or sub-contracting it to another DJ. I wouldnt know where to start!

:D :D :D

Thats the way I am doing it at the moment. Was looking to 'expand and branch out' but I think unless you do it in a big way the costs and hassle will far outweigh the extra profit. I market the 'personal touch' being only myself and father and to be honest has been good as far as wedding bookings go - only 6 weekends with no bookings at all, left this year.