Minimum Price

[Have a disco]

OK guys Gear Price asides what is the minimum you are willing to go out for a nights DJing using someone elses gear How much do you feel you are worth an hour

Most local pubs pay £50 -70 for the nights work around here locally, but the likes of Litten trees or Yates wine bars pay a maximum of £135 via an agency ie eventsUK but expect the best week in and out regardless obviously they add they're fee ontop

[dj-jaym]

50-70 wouldnt get me out of bed,

120 min for 3 hours !

135 agency could kiss my ass 200 min agency fee

oh and i wouldnt use anyone elses gear ever

[Dragonfly]

used to have a residency at 90 a night but dj only midweek id 70 if i didnt have to travel to the ends of the earth.

had an enquiry for a pub 20 miles away 55 for sat night 45 for sunday ........ no ta.

[Danno13]

If it was local enough and i didn't need gear, or was too close to get a better booking then i'd take £100. With Kit, minimum £150.

[Have a disco]

with yates £135 is normally std heres a full run down of todays gig list

Oxford, Oxfordshire Wed 27 Sep Residency 8-11.30 £ 90 DJ CD only
Mainstream pop, chart, commercial dance, R&B & cheese

Rotherham, Lancashire Fri 29 Sep Cover 8.30-12 £ 100 DJ CD only
Mainstream pop, chart, commercial dance, R&B & cheese

Coalville, Leicestershire Fri 29 Sep Cover 9-1 £ 115 DJ See note
Mainstream chart, commercial dance, R&B.

South Shields, Tyne & Wear Sat 30 Sep Cover 8-1 £ 100 DJ CD only
Mainstream pop, chart, commercial dance, R&B & cheese

St Helens, Merseyside Sat 30 Sep Residency 8-12 £ 100 DJ CD only
Mainstream pop, chart, commercial dance, R&B & cheese

Leicester Square, London Thu 5 Oct Cover 8-1 £ 120 DJ CD only
Mainstream chart, commercial dance, R&B.

Chelmsford, Essex Fri 6 Oct Cover 9-2 £ 135 DJ CD only
Mainstream chart, commercial dance, R&B.

Chesterfield, Derbyshire Fri 6 Oct Cover 8-12 £ 90 DJ CD only
Mainstream pop, chart, commercial dance, R&B & cheese

Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands Sat 7 Oct Cover 9-1 £ 110 DJ CD only
Mainstream pop, chart, commercial dance, R&B & cheese

Sutton, Surrey Fri 20 Oct Residency 8-1 £ 108 DJ CD only
Mainstream chart, commercial dance, R&B

Croydon, Surrey Fri 27 Oct & Fri 3 Nov Cover 2 weeks 8-2 £ 135 DJ CD only
Mainstream pop, chart, commercial dance, R&B & cheese

Coalville, Leicestershire Fri 27 Oct Cover 9-1 £ 115 DJ See note
Mainstream chart, commercial dance, R&B.

Stratford, East London Thu 21 Dec Cover 8-12 £ 135 KARAOKE See note
Venue has PA & big screens but you need to supply your own karaoke machine, disks & screen for the singer. (this is yates)

As you can see the prices for all of the above are basically for DJ Work but the bottom one being for karaoke as well and I wonder how much ontop the likes of the agencies are getting as well??????

[Danno13]

I haven't had that list through today. Yes i'm sure the agency are taking a fairly big cut. But if i've got nothing else, then £100 is better than a night infront of the tele. Saying that though, i've only just signed up to that mailing and haven't taken anything on from them yet... although I still have this weekend free.

[A1DL]

Rotherham, Lancashire Fri 29 Sep Cover 8.30-12 £ 100 DJ CD only
Mainstream pop, chart, commercial dance, R&B & cheese




when did Rotherham move a bit to the left from South Yorkshire, Badger? :teeth:

[dj-jaym]

Im sure you will say your way to being removed now have a disco,

im sure they dont want it being public posted

and i imagaine there taking 50% !

[Have a disco]

It takes a while to get recognised and through there system but eventually you recieve it but that dont help when you still cant get the work even when applied for. Regulars with good rep get in first everytime or people with karaoke get the first lookin

In general Im led to believe that he gets £50 - 65 for every successful placement which still leads to the point if this was a disco which he regularly asks for then my prices are too low as he quotes £150 on here making a total of £200 per night minimum if not more ???

how much are we really worth as DJ's????

[Thames Valley Discos]

Badger, you really do have an issue with pricing dont you. Thats all you ever go on about

[Have a disco]

No Im trying to work out many things when it comes to pricing as agencies are charging £450 for a new year booking Im going out for £330 but I enjoy this booking as its a great night. So I want to know why they are so silly over pricing

But in general we continually seem to underprice ourselves as professionals there is no bench mark as such

You NEVER see a circuit band go out for less than say £500 into say a pub venue, of course unless they aint on the circuit then its a lot less, they entertain just as good as we do. SO WHY are we in the entertainment industry treated so badly by LOUSY Pay rates

OK Thames how much are you worth to go out for a night with just your cds (headphones/Mic as well) to DJ for say something within 25 miles of where you live and plenty of DJ work is continually being asked to be covered with in your locum this is based on any day of the week HOW MUCH DO YOU FEEL YOU ARE WORTH?

[Have a disco]

Im sure you will say your way to being removed now have a disco,

im sure they dont want it being public posted

and i imagaine there taking 50% !

was just trying to figure out the right pricing structure for next year and these are just a days average posts loads more come and go

This aint about me being removed its a valid topic in How much DJ's should be paid as it seems that many sources undervalue and underpay us

[Paul James Promotions]

Do you think it is appropriate to be copying the list of available work on to the forum Badger?

We only do 1 Yates's residency now, on a Tuesday.

[minty]

So whats the name of the company that supply dj's for yates etc !!!!! Might give them a bell to see what they are willing to pay in my area?????

[jamesh]

Think for most nights Local, no equipment i'd be looking for nothing less than £100 other than Friday and Saturday nights where it would be £150...

With equipment i try never to go out less than £175 at anytime..... Ideally its in the £200+ price bracket

[CRAZY K]

Danno--you said --But if i've got nothing else, then £100 is better than a night infront of the tele. Maybe not!

Take a tip--turn off the tele and take some time to plan how you are going to improve and expand your business taking it into better paid work.

Believe me its time well spent--im actually glad im going to be a little less busy in November so I can continue to plan for next year.

Good luck with it,

CRAZY K

[Danno13]

Good advice K.. but most of my gigs are at the £175 - 200 mark, which i'm happy with at the moment, and am pushing the rates up more for next year with weddings now being quoted at £225.

All i'm saying is that i come to a weekend when i've got nothing booked (I've only had two since May).. then its better to be going out and earning slightly less than going out and spending money, and the £100 was just for me with CDs or laptop.. wouldn't take a rig out as well for that.

[Have a disco]

So whats the name of the company that supply dj's for yates etc !!!!! Might give them a bell to see what they are willing to pay in my area?????

email me mate will give as much as I can via email

[Have a disco]

So most of us agree that in general we woul NOT go out for less than half our normal price locally???

[Candybeatdiscos]

Good advice K.. but most of my gigs are at the £175 - 200 mark, which i'm happy with at the moment, and am pushing the rates up more for next year with weddings now being quoted at £225.

All i'm saying is that i come to a weekend when i've got nothing booked (I've only had two since May).. then its better to be going out and earning slightly less than going out and spending money, and the £100 was just for me with CDs or laptop.. wouldn't take a rig out as well for that.

My weddings start from £300 upwards, and most of my competitors charge from £100 to £200

[Shaun]

So most of us agree that in general we woul NOT go out for less than half our normal price locally???


I wouldn't go out for less than my full price locally.

[Candybeatdiscos]

nope me neither - not now

i used to but relised i was cheating myself

[Have a disco]

Erm this is just Local DJing not humping gear about etc justa case of moving your CDs mic n headphones about, you would get laughed at by anyone unless your name was Pete Tong or anyone else Famous

Or just the fact you cant compete with dare I say it younger DJ's

[Shaun]

Erm this is just Local DJing not humping gear about etc justa case of moving your CDs mic n headphones about, you would get laughed at by anyone unless your name was Pete Tong or anyone else Famous


I have no illusions of granduer (sp?), however, I charge what I believe I'm worth. Sell the talent, not the gear!

[Thames Valley Discos]

but what the.... ah i,m off to bed

[Candybeatdiscos]

but why lower your rate - at the end of the day lets say your local calls you on thursday, asks if your available for friday night for say £100 to just DJ, thier gear etc, you take the job on, then on the friday afternoon a bride calls say's that thier DJ has cancelled etc you cannot really take the job as your just turning into the person that we all hate - the dj who dumps a job due to a better paying gig.

I charge my normal rate no matter what as i am then out of commission for the night and not available for any other gig...cant be in two places at once....if i end up with nothing then i help out friends who DJ by roading for them or spend the evening having fun with my kids

[Have a disco]

Gnight THAMES

[Shaun]

Or just the fact you cant compete with dare I say it younger DJ's

I have no idea what that comment means in the context to this thread??.

Will I compete with dj's that are willing to work for half my fee? No thanks!. I'd rather spend 30 minutes setting up my gear and make double (or more) what they'll be earning for the night. Do the maths, what's the smarter option ;)

[Have a disco]

Point made but what Im asking is Are WE underpriced as DJ's in general

lets face it an electrician gets £50 for just turning upbefore the hourly rate same with a plumber, chippie, brickie , roofer etc etc etc WHY shoul we be an worse off ours is a trade after all

[Have a disco]

I have no idea what that comment means in the context to this thread??.

Will I compete with dj's that are willing to work for half my fee? No thanks!. I'd rather spend 30 minutes setting up my gear and make double (or more) what they'll be earning for the night. Do the maths, what's the smarter option ;)

Choice of Work or No work thats the smarter option is it not?????

[Shaun]

Choice of Work or No work thats the smarter option is it not?????


Who said I wouldn't be working?. I'd be out making full pay while others toddle home with half a wage packet.

[Have a disco]

But days when you aint working......... the point was would you rather be earning a DJ's wage if so what would that be????????????? as you would not get £300 unless you were the DB's of a DJ, most clubs will only pay a max of £150, pubs considerably less and anywhere else well see (the original post) above it fluctuates greatly.

But we DJ's are entertainers in our own right WE are greatly underpaid, Its time we stood our ground, ONE week end of moral support would cripple the industry completely, and maybe get all of our basic wages up as well. But make it 2 weekends we would upset our customers as well and we would lose all support

Too be honest minus costs, most of us work for minimum wage or less for the hours done and this includes preparation of your night and journey time

[Shaun]

It's really a pointless discussion for me anyway. I ALWAYS use my own gear.

[Have a disco]

It's really a pointless discussion for me anyway. I ALWAYS use my own gear.

Thats fair enuff elite but even you must have a few weekends where your at a loose end and someone may have offered you a nights work in the past?? if it happened again where would you consider it worth your while to JUST DJ price wise that is, rather than sit on your bum doing nothing?? twiddling ones thumbs

[BeerFunk]

It's really a pointless discussion for me anyway. I ALWAYS use my own gear.
Never do clubs?

[mikeee]

Point made but what Im asking is Are WE underpriced as DJ's in general

lets face it an electrician gets £50 for just turning upbefore the hourly rate same with a plumber, chippie, brickie , roofer etc etc etc WHY shoul we be an worse off ours is a trade after all

The simple answer is YES, and always has been

[soundtracker]

The thing is that there is no WE. There is a huge variety of price even throughout this forum!

[colinm345]

Think for most nights Local, no equipment i'd be looking for nothing less than £100 other than Friday and Saturday nights where it would be £150...

With equipment i try never to go out less than £175 at anytime..... Ideally its in the £200+ price bracket

Same as us:teeth:

[Candybeatdiscos]

, most clubs will only pay a max of £150, pubs considerably less and anywhere else well see (the original post) above it fluctuates greatly.

This is only because some DJ's will accept the lower payment when it looks like being a quiet night, and as a result clubs & Pubs then think well if they are prepared to work for a low rate now then they should do it all the time....

someone will always be prepared to accept lower payments...

But if we stick to our prices consistently then clients will pay the correct prices...they are getting quality.