The most common question is I am just starting out, but I got a call to do a party and I don't know what to charge. So here s a few tips to help you with this problem.
So before quoting a price think of it this way. The more you charge the better the show has to be! So if you are starting out it should be low on your price with as many extras you can do to compensate for the lack of experience and skill set. Just keep in mind too low means your cutting yourself short and too much means you better be able to deliver!
Now always charge enough to cover your expenses. Then know what a reasonable DJ is charging that people have used before. Ask your friends and family to get the pricing they have paid before and if they ask it is so you can get a gauge of what you should be charging . If they normally pay $500 per party you should be half so $250 should be your price. Especially if this is some of your first jobs. Price is a major factor when people book jobs so always charge low because you are an unknown and you can always raise your price after a few gigs to still stay below the other dj's pricing until you can meet or exceed the type of quality that they can provide.
As a DJ I really don't mind loosing a job to a DJ starting out unless they are charging well above there skill set. You need to be competitive, but understand your time is money. If you are starting out and you quote that $250 and you feel you did good and can charge more for the next party it is OK to go up another $50 and keep going up until you get to the price that people will not pay. Determining a price for experienced dj's is a challenge. You need to get as much as the show you put on is worth. Just never forget your time is money and make sure you think like a customer.
I would love to hear from other DJ's about this subject so please post your comment below.
Thank You,
THE DJ ADVISER
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Friday, November 15, 2013
How To Book Party's for Beginner DJ's By THE DJ ADVISER
So let's you have been practicing at home with your DJ equipment and you have been downloading songs night and day. Now you feel you are ready to book party's, so let's start with the basics!
Your first job should always be for your family OR friends. They will be your best critic because they will boost your ego by telling you that you are great, even though you probably will make a million mistakes that can only be corrected with experience. Also if things do not go well it is OK, your friends and family will understand. Just don't over promise and under deliver and do a wedding or a major event in a catering hall as your first gig. That will cause issues if something goes wrong. A backyard party or house party is the best way to learn, because music expectations are low and can be fixed with a simple stereo if something goes wrong.
Now let's say you have done those party's you are ready to take on more gigs. I would still never take on a wedding, but smaller catering hall party's might be the next step. Ask the size of the party because even though you might feel confident in doing the party from a skills standpoint you might not have the equipment to do a good sized catering hall. Just keep in mind more speakers looks really bad only better quality equipment will solve this issue.
So by doing friends and family party's you will start to get confident to advertise you are a DJ. So just make sure before you take on a party for strangers. Be honest with them, and explain you are just starting out, but you feel confident you can do the party. Because some people think all DJ's are equal and we are not! Experience, Style, and Music Inventory is what separates us all. I am not saying don't talk yourself out of the job, but if they have a minimum expectation and you don't live up to that it will kill your confidence.
The main way you will book more jobs is word of mouth and personality. If you have a good personality and your family and friends like you and they think your good enough. They will be your biggest advocate at work and to friends. So make sure you treat every job as if it is your last job because if you don't it will be your last job, and you will say" No one is having party's" Wrong! There is a party going on everyday with a DJ you just need to make sure people are helping you. No amount of money can get you more jobs people usually get a DJ by word of mouth or recommendation. So keep your head high and just keep talking about it.
I would like to hear from other DJ's on this subject so please post your comments bellow
Thank You,
THE DJ ADVISER
Your first job should always be for your family OR friends. They will be your best critic because they will boost your ego by telling you that you are great, even though you probably will make a million mistakes that can only be corrected with experience. Also if things do not go well it is OK, your friends and family will understand. Just don't over promise and under deliver and do a wedding or a major event in a catering hall as your first gig. That will cause issues if something goes wrong. A backyard party or house party is the best way to learn, because music expectations are low and can be fixed with a simple stereo if something goes wrong.
Now let's say you have done those party's you are ready to take on more gigs. I would still never take on a wedding, but smaller catering hall party's might be the next step. Ask the size of the party because even though you might feel confident in doing the party from a skills standpoint you might not have the equipment to do a good sized catering hall. Just keep in mind more speakers looks really bad only better quality equipment will solve this issue.
So by doing friends and family party's you will start to get confident to advertise you are a DJ. So just make sure before you take on a party for strangers. Be honest with them, and explain you are just starting out, but you feel confident you can do the party. Because some people think all DJ's are equal and we are not! Experience, Style, and Music Inventory is what separates us all. I am not saying don't talk yourself out of the job, but if they have a minimum expectation and you don't live up to that it will kill your confidence.
The main way you will book more jobs is word of mouth and personality. If you have a good personality and your family and friends like you and they think your good enough. They will be your biggest advocate at work and to friends. So make sure you treat every job as if it is your last job because if you don't it will be your last job, and you will say" No one is having party's" Wrong! There is a party going on everyday with a DJ you just need to make sure people are helping you. No amount of money can get you more jobs people usually get a DJ by word of mouth or recommendation. So keep your head high and just keep talking about it.
I would like to hear from other DJ's on this subject so please post your comments bellow
Thank You,
THE DJ ADVISER
Downloaded Music For All DJ's By THE DJ ADVISER
So I know things have changed since I started djing and the days of going to a record store and buying your inventory is over. Although I got to admit nothing was more exciting than to go to a store and buying a record or song and waiting to play it for others because you had something most did not have.
Now songs are heard on YouTube & Itunes before even the radio gets it! So here is some helpful hints to make sure you download the right music.
Downloaded Music Quality - Alright lets start with the new way to download music. YouTube or free download sites. Now this will save you a ton of money on buying certain versions of songs you need and want, but at the price of crappy quality which will hurt you in the end. So I heard a DJ recently play all the songs the people requested but the quality was so bad on there pretty good system that it actually was painful to listen too, and it destroyed the party. If you download a song make sure you listen to it and if the quality is bad you need to either find a digital version or you need to get a program that can get you to fix the quality prior to using it in public. The best thing to do is get a free studio program that can import the song so you can fix the high's. mid's and low's. Usually it is a simple fix of just taking out some base and mid and increasing the high's. Easiest way to fix download Virtual DJ's Free Home Version and re-record the song that way!
Party DJ Downloaded Music - If you are doing a party with a mix of older and younger people makes sure you download clean versions. Nothing is more disappointing than to have your family look at you because you played a song with curses, no matter what type of party it is. they view it as the equivalent of you getting on a mic and saying "Hey Everyone Go Fuck Yourself" Just make sure if you know a certain song has acurse word in it just type in clean version or (clean) after the song title to see if it is available. If it is not you might want to think twice to play it with family there!
I would like to hear what other DJ's have on this subject so please post your comments below.
Thank You,
THE DJ ADVISER
Now songs are heard on YouTube & Itunes before even the radio gets it! So here is some helpful hints to make sure you download the right music.
Downloaded Music Quality - Alright lets start with the new way to download music. YouTube or free download sites. Now this will save you a ton of money on buying certain versions of songs you need and want, but at the price of crappy quality which will hurt you in the end. So I heard a DJ recently play all the songs the people requested but the quality was so bad on there pretty good system that it actually was painful to listen too, and it destroyed the party. If you download a song make sure you listen to it and if the quality is bad you need to either find a digital version or you need to get a program that can get you to fix the quality prior to using it in public. The best thing to do is get a free studio program that can import the song so you can fix the high's. mid's and low's. Usually it is a simple fix of just taking out some base and mid and increasing the high's. Easiest way to fix download Virtual DJ's Free Home Version and re-record the song that way!
Party DJ Downloaded Music - If you are doing a party with a mix of older and younger people makes sure you download clean versions. Nothing is more disappointing than to have your family look at you because you played a song with curses, no matter what type of party it is. they view it as the equivalent of you getting on a mic and saying "Hey Everyone Go Fuck Yourself" Just make sure if you know a certain song has acurse word in it just type in clean version or (clean) after the song title to see if it is available. If it is not you might want to think twice to play it with family there!
I would like to hear what other DJ's have on this subject so please post your comments below.
Thank You,
THE DJ ADVISER
Unwritten DJ Rules for Beginner DJ's by The DJ Adviser!
So as much as we like to think we can just download a DJ program, download some songs and then get someone to purchase us some starter equipment. So you can say hey I am a DJ, you are wrong! There is some unwritten rules we all need to follow to ensure your reputation does not get destroyed while you start to learn.
Nothing is in any real order but I would use this as a guide as to what and why you should be doing these things although there is a Golden Rule that is to ALWAYS BE HUMBLE!
Why should I always be Humble? The answer is simple we are all not god's gift to djing, there is no way you do everything perfect, and everyone else does not do it better than you! Even a horrible DJ might do 1 thing better than you and that's why you need to be humble and try not to be too cocky about what you do well. I don't care if you have been djing for 5 minutes or 50 years being humble to others that want to DJ is always the right thing to do. You never know in this industry, and no matter how good you get you can always keep learning.
Watch & Learn From Others - You should have been to a party once or twice and you probably danced and everyone must have had a great time! Those are the DJ's you need to be learning from! First don't be shy! You need to go over introduce yourself and say " Hi I am starting out so I just want to watch and learn" Always tell the DJ why you are standing there if not it is creepy, and if you say I want to watch and learn it is a compliment for them to have you stand there not a creepy feeling!
A Good Attitude Is A Must - If you are partners with someone (usually what you do when you start out) always make sure you both or all have a good attitude and want to do this! If one of you acts like a jerk or and ass you both are perceived that way and perception is reality! The average starter DJ usually only lasts about 2 years because someone gets either too cocky or they say something stupid that insults someone. Always stay in good spirits if not just say "sorry I don't want to do this anymore"
Inventory & Quality - Ok this is very important. A DJ is only as good as the range of music he has and the quality of that music. Let's deep dive here! If you are mixing for friends at a house party or a friends sweet 16. You might be able to get away with all the new music. However first make sure you have industry standards. The best thing to do is go through the billboard archive and download the top 10 songs from every year. Also if you download songs from P2P sites or YouTube to save money just make sure you listen to the quality. The worst thing you want to do is play a song and it sounds like crap. you will destroy anything you are doing without clear good quality music (for more information checkout our future blogs entitled Downloaded Music)
Dress Code & Equipment - It is OK if you paid $500 for your equipment just make sure you beat it up and test it at home before you tell someone you can DJ for them. The last thing you want to do is have to be replaced by a stereo or IPOD because your equipment died! Also no matter what the party always dress nice for everything you do. Again perception is reality and if I see you dress in jeans and a shirt you lost me at Hello!
Speaking On A Microphone - OK I probably will write multiple posts on this subject to help all, but the unwritten rule is before you speak know what you want to say and say it right. Don't ever scream into a mic and always make sure you have something to say before you amplify it. Also make sure you can speak clearly and do not swallow the mic no matter how nervous you get! Sorry the unwritten rule is if you cannot say nice things or say them clearly you probably should not be on the mic. Again you could mix your ass off, but if you get on a mic and say something stupid.you just destroyed your skills!
Well I would like to hear from other DJ's on this subject so please post your comments below!
Thanks,
THE DJ ADVISER
Nothing is in any real order but I would use this as a guide as to what and why you should be doing these things although there is a Golden Rule that is to ALWAYS BE HUMBLE!
Why should I always be Humble? The answer is simple we are all not god's gift to djing, there is no way you do everything perfect, and everyone else does not do it better than you! Even a horrible DJ might do 1 thing better than you and that's why you need to be humble and try not to be too cocky about what you do well. I don't care if you have been djing for 5 minutes or 50 years being humble to others that want to DJ is always the right thing to do. You never know in this industry, and no matter how good you get you can always keep learning.
Watch & Learn From Others - You should have been to a party once or twice and you probably danced and everyone must have had a great time! Those are the DJ's you need to be learning from! First don't be shy! You need to go over introduce yourself and say " Hi I am starting out so I just want to watch and learn" Always tell the DJ why you are standing there if not it is creepy, and if you say I want to watch and learn it is a compliment for them to have you stand there not a creepy feeling!
A Good Attitude Is A Must - If you are partners with someone (usually what you do when you start out) always make sure you both or all have a good attitude and want to do this! If one of you acts like a jerk or and ass you both are perceived that way and perception is reality! The average starter DJ usually only lasts about 2 years because someone gets either too cocky or they say something stupid that insults someone. Always stay in good spirits if not just say "sorry I don't want to do this anymore"
Inventory & Quality - Ok this is very important. A DJ is only as good as the range of music he has and the quality of that music. Let's deep dive here! If you are mixing for friends at a house party or a friends sweet 16. You might be able to get away with all the new music. However first make sure you have industry standards. The best thing to do is go through the billboard archive and download the top 10 songs from every year. Also if you download songs from P2P sites or YouTube to save money just make sure you listen to the quality. The worst thing you want to do is play a song and it sounds like crap. you will destroy anything you are doing without clear good quality music (for more information checkout our future blogs entitled Downloaded Music)
Dress Code & Equipment - It is OK if you paid $500 for your equipment just make sure you beat it up and test it at home before you tell someone you can DJ for them. The last thing you want to do is have to be replaced by a stereo or IPOD because your equipment died! Also no matter what the party always dress nice for everything you do. Again perception is reality and if I see you dress in jeans and a shirt you lost me at Hello!
Speaking On A Microphone - OK I probably will write multiple posts on this subject to help all, but the unwritten rule is before you speak know what you want to say and say it right. Don't ever scream into a mic and always make sure you have something to say before you amplify it. Also make sure you can speak clearly and do not swallow the mic no matter how nervous you get! Sorry the unwritten rule is if you cannot say nice things or say them clearly you probably should not be on the mic. Again you could mix your ass off, but if you get on a mic and say something stupid.you just destroyed your skills!
Well I would like to hear from other DJ's on this subject so please post your comments below!
Thanks,
THE DJ ADVISER
So Why Trust The DJ Adviser?
So I guess the main question is why trust The DJ Adviser? The answer is simple I realized I am not going to live forever so why not share my experience, secrets, hints, tips and advice to up and coming DJ's?
Don't utilize this as the end all be all of djing, this blog is more like a guide of helpful hints and advice for all DJ's so we can help each other out! I wanted a place where DJ's could go to learn from others so we can ensure as DJ's we grow to make sure we weed out bad practices and so new dj's can learn from the mistakes we have made along our journey!
With personally having over 20 years of event & club djing experience I thought this could be a great way to spark respectful conversations so we can help all not make the huge mistakes we all did. Although mistakes help a DJ learn first hand there is some unwritten rules we all need to follow to ensure the people have a great time and good time.
I hope our future blogs are very useful to you!
Thank You,
DJ RICHIE B
Don't utilize this as the end all be all of djing, this blog is more like a guide of helpful hints and advice for all DJ's so we can help each other out! I wanted a place where DJ's could go to learn from others so we can ensure as DJ's we grow to make sure we weed out bad practices and so new dj's can learn from the mistakes we have made along our journey!
With personally having over 20 years of event & club djing experience I thought this could be a great way to spark respectful conversations so we can help all not make the huge mistakes we all did. Although mistakes help a DJ learn first hand there is some unwritten rules we all need to follow to ensure the people have a great time and good time.
I hope our future blogs are very useful to you!
Thank You,
DJ RICHIE B
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