They're not just paying for your time working there. They're paying for your MANY years of experience. That experience is worth more than anything else you bring.
These are not your customers. Let them hire the low price DJs or have an iPod wedding. Folks who attend those train wreck events tend to gravitate towards professional vendors when it’s their turn to pay for a wedding.
Ya, I'm a events dj myself & I believe that Technology today, (smartphones, tablets, virtual assistants, laptops and portable speakers with access to Spotify, etc.) is taking away our ability to work, which sucks. :( I currently do 1-2 events a year, but I would love to do more. :(
You are correct. Everyone's ""Cost Per Gig" will vary, but we all have an fixed cost, and inflation has made that climb last few years. This is why my rates have climbed much higher since 2019. Cost of Living is very high. Cost of being a DJ is much higher. How do any people expect us to go do an event for $300 to $500 or even $600 in 2024 is absurd. We don't do this to be completely broke all the time. Here in Maryland we have about 7-8 months out of the year where The vast majority of clientele choose to have their event. It is literally DEAD January through March so I can't make money for those 3 months. If I get lucky I book a job in January, and maybe 1 in March. In February most years there are no jobs. April is the transition month into Wedding Season. Maybe 3-4 bookings in April. May is BUSY every weekend, June is OKAY (It use to be a busy month years ago but last 10 years it averages 3-4 maybe 5 bookings. July is a 1-2 booking month every year. August is the same often just 1 because everybody goes on vacations and it's HOT here. September/October are BUSY jobs available every weekend, and November is usually an Okay month with business dropping off for Thanksgiving week. December can vary from being okay to Very Busy. I don't make money being a DJ every week of the year. I have maybe 30 weekends a year where I can book a job, maybe two jobs on 3-5 weekends a year. So with those 30 weekends, I need to charge enough to make the business work which makes it worse than if it was an all the time continuous income business. Also, we are an aging profession. Most guys are getting up there in age who work as DJs and many have been retiring last 4 years. If it wasn't for weddings, there would be no Mobile DJ business, and wedding clients are really starting to get tapped out as wedding costs are way up all together. With less DJs in the pool in many areas as time marches on, the cost to book a DJ is going to naturally go higher as well.
Those low ball customers sound the same looking for something on a budget or reasonable price. And when you show up to the event they have a circus pay bartenders,custom cake floral arrangements band,photobooth,riding bull ,over $1000 alcohol bottles and they want to pay the dj what ever they have left bag of penuts after all other expenses priority $200-$300 for wedding quince dj hey were not chopliver ...were the firt and last to leave we should get payed more then the rest venndors.
Meanwhile here in the Philippines some delulu people only wants to pay 26$ to 43$ (price converted from Pesos to USD) for an all day and night sounds and lights service (all inclusive). While DJ's here pay around 40% more from what American DJ's pay for their equipment! I cannot comprehend how Philippine DJ's can recoup their investment if they buy the same high quality branded stuff.
Tutuo yan pare. It's been that way sa pinas since the 90s when we started doing mobile disco/dj events. Being a DJ there is not lucrative especially ngayon sobra dami ng kumpetensya and "DJs" kuno. I still DJ dito sa States pero as a sideline lang on weekends pero it pays much much better than dyan. Ingat pards.
Perfect video at the right time, I was just recommended by 6 people on Facebook, gave the person a price privately through messenger, then said it was too much. The nice thing is another DJ posted a "special" ad, undercutting me by 50.00. I'm wondering if these people pull up to gas stations and say yeah that price doesn't work for me can you do better? SMH
I did a 25th wedding anniversary last weekend at a local venue, and the Venue manager told me they had 2 back to back weddings that were a complete disaster. The couples elected to rent DJ Equipment plus some lights and a Microphone. First wedding a Friend did the announcements, disaster, the best man was playing their music from the couples Spotify List but forgot his phone was the source for the music which was.. continue…
hi brian i saw your review you did for the ADJ Pro Event Table - 32 inch TV Mount Idea By Request nice , i was thinking of maybe having a video camera kind of on the side view of of your decks of what your doing .....good idea ? i like the one that you did with the truse over head with the tv above you that was really cool too love your videos , take care
It's really tough to be a DJ nowadays as clients know that they'll find a "DJ" at craigslist, fb marketplace, etc for a cheap budget. The ballpark price for getting a DJ based on talent and experience has never been standardized ever since compared to other professions. Anyone can pretend to be a DJ nowadays.
We’re lucky if we get the equivalent of $230 here in the UK for a 4 hour set. It’s a joke trying to make a living from it. Even with years of experience. 😢
Second Couple also didn’t agree what the DJ was charging so the rented equipment. There price they paid for their rental was just over 1K. Against n intros were messed up and in the middle of their first song the music cut out because the Best man went out for a smoke and lost the Bluetooth connection to the equipment. This just shows you how Cheap People can be.
Some night clubs want to pay a dj 8-2am $100 In South Tx Seen some djs on fb $100 for 4 hrs Were lucky to get $800 for a wedding or Quinceañera Id rather go fishing
Nice vlog. This reasonable term sucks but i see it all the time so im the guy who thinks if you cant fight it, join it. So i throw the clock back to 1985. I show up a little late, wear clothes that look like im going to do yard work and bring lights that shine right onto your face. My speakers are set at 1980's style ear level for a good loud sound and i don't give a shit if grandma thinks its too loud. Go home then. Plus there are sometimes gaps between songs. I do use Tidal and a laptop but rarely care if the clients want bangers as i play stuff i like. I suggest djs stop buying gear that you think is top notch and lighting that wont bother their eyes. Stop with the array speakers and dj booth nonesense and dust off that plastic table. Dont cater to these clients, play to them at 1985 prices like they are willing to pay. There's no difference between me and a high-end dj at a wedding during dinner. We're both scarfing down their food. If high end djs are so high-end, why don't they bring their own food instead of inhaling the food at a sit down or buffet table. Peace ✌️🎉
Also, I will say that there is a DJ's "Overall business costs per gig" and then there is our "General Cost of Living". According to my total expenses last year divided by the number of events I booked, my cost was about $290 per gig last year. That is less than previous years because I spent ZERO on advertising last year. In previous years up until 2021 I spent a few thousand on google adwords, and some on facebook ads, and wedding websites etc. which made my cost per gig higher. Just because my cost per gig is say $300, doesn't mean I can charge $500 and earn enough money to be able to afford life. Simple math, If I charge just $1,000 every event or that ends up being my average booking amount and do 30 jobs a year, that is $30,000 before all my biz expenses are taken out. Would that be enough money for anybody to pay their bills on time? That is poverty level wages unless the DJ has a full time Job doing something else too. This is why I work a full time job plus Deejaying as much as I can now. It's too hard to make ends meet being a DJ alone.
Many DJs (especially those judt starting out) fail to consider the cost of bring a "professional" DJ. How much for equipment, music, insurance, gas/milesge on your vehicle. Promotion/marketing, etc. Thats your gixed cost. My fixed cost (averaging at least 30 events a year is $500 per event /$15,000 per year. Then there's my time and experience. If you do events for less than or eaual to your fixed cost, its a bobby. Not e club djs and mobile djs are very different in pay and number of events.
why would anyone consider, as in take into consideration beforehand, hiring a made up word like "progressional", whatever that is. and wtf are "fot equipment" and "mysuc"
How/why does it cost you 600 before you go out ?? Surely all.licences, insurance and equipment has already been paid for ? I guess music might be a thing . Only asking iut of curiosity. Great vid keep em.comming
As I said, I have done cost analysis videos before. I base it on "Rental" cost of my equipment (5% of total replacement cost per event). Then I figure in annual cost of insurance, office, vehicle, music service, advertising, clothing, etc based on an average of 20 events per year. Finally, there's out of pocket expenses per event, like fuel, specialty music downloads, etc. After that, I need to pay myself. That's how I do it. Everyone has their own business plan.
@@briansredd some things I never thought of in there. you guys do it so differently over there. I'd never consider charging for clothing. You charge for music services and then For speciality music ?? Will try and find one of your vids on costing.
@@stuartmillsom3509 It's just like any other business. Nobody, besides DJs are going to sell you something for less than it cost them to buy & provide.
Overhead cost recovery. It cost money to operate a business and you have to recoup that money. Most people don't like to use the same equipment forever. They like to upgrade and get new toys when new gear comes out. You have to have that built into your cost to replace those. Licenses need renewing, music subscription services, buying random songs you can't get from your record pools, lighting subscriptions, software, CRM, web hosting, phone line, insurance is something we continually pay for, marketing, work clothes, shoes, etc all cost a lot of money so it really does add up. Say you're spending $9,600 per year on expenses to operate your DJ business and you do 20 gigs per year than your cost per gig is $480.00 because that's what it cost you to have the equipment, gear, software and show up dressed nice to do the event. You're not going to itemize it and give your client a bill for a new shirt and tie but it's all a cost of doing business that needs to be considered and included.
@@justingarret4776 I'm not knocking it , just never thought about It like that. Fortunately my DJing is a part-time job. Yes I am legal. Insurance , pat tested and relevant licences and legal music. I'm not a gear junkie. I still use time to time my original Citronic predator mixer from the 90's when I do 80/90's nights. Currently I'm using. 4 yr old Numark nvii and Serato( lifetime licence) but have just bought a new laptop. Like I said earlier you peeps in the states have a different way of doing things. Except playing the music lol. In the UK it tends to be just the party after the meal . Not a lot of the formalities that you guys do. I'm not trying to be funny or knock the way it's done there, just trying to understand your pricing
He was saying that $600 was his investment cost just to get out the door. Mine is only $400, then you charge more to pay for your time, experience and any upgrades. Never forget to pay yourself.
As I said, I have done cost analysis videos before. I base it on "Rental" cost of my equipment (5% of total replacement cost per event). Then I figure in annual cost of insurance, office, vehicle, music service, advertising, clothing, etc based on an average of 20 events per year. Finally, there's out of pocket expenses per event, like fuel, specialty music downloads, etc. After that, I need to pay myself. That's how I do it. Everyone has their own business plan.
Definitely isn't too hard to do. Say you're spending $9,600 per year on expenses to operate your business and you do 20 gigs per year than your cost per gig is $480.00. Everyone's math will be different depending on their expenses. How many different software subscriptions they pay for, like CRMS, your DJ programs, Editing Software, Lighting Software, web hosting, insurance on your gear, liability insurance, business phone line, how much you spend on advertising, your customer acquisition costs, how much gear you purchase, how much you paid for the gear. Are they using Ape Labs or Both Lighting? That makes a large difference in itself when you're showing up with $15k just in lighting, that's $150 by itself cost per gig if you plan to replace your lighting in 5 years. $70 dollars for Evolve 50's if you want to replace them in 3 years, music pools and software subscriptions say $250 per month that's another $150 cost per gig, new controller every 3 years when something new comes out you want $25, wireless microphone $25, say you're spending $200 a month on some form of advertising to get those gigs, another $120 per gig, $100 a month in insurance...another $60 per gig so we're already up to $600 and didn't count a bunch of stuff so it's definitely possible.
Sounds like someone is paying your bills. There is a deference between taking your toys over to your neighbors party vs being a professional DJ. I love music too, but I love to live beyond the poverty level.
@@flyrobin2544 I'm not a professional Dj, I've only played at 5 birthday party's with my friends and I'm used to living on the bread line, also i've loved vinyl turntables since the late 70's these controllers and laptop's are not for me
They're not just paying for your time working there. They're paying for your MANY years of experience. That experience is worth more than anything else you bring.
Thank you for pointing out my accidental typos. I shouldn't post when I'm tired (after a dj job). Hopefully you were able to get my point.
These are not your customers.
Let them hire the low price DJs or have an iPod wedding.
Folks who attend those train wreck events tend to gravitate towards professional vendors when it’s their turn to pay for a wedding.
Exactly. You get what you pay for. If you want cheap, I'm not within your market. Also, a few wash / up lights and a clean setup go a long way.
Another Great Video
Ya, I'm a events dj myself & I believe that Technology today, (smartphones, tablets, virtual assistants, laptops and portable speakers with access to Spotify, etc.) is taking away our ability to work, which sucks. :( I currently do 1-2 events a year, but I would love to do more. :(
Good Moring
briansredd
You are correct. Everyone's ""Cost Per Gig" will vary, but we all have an fixed cost, and inflation has made that climb last few years. This is why my rates have climbed much higher since 2019. Cost of Living is very high. Cost of being a DJ is much higher. How do any people expect us to go do an event for $300 to $500 or even $600 in 2024 is absurd. We don't do this to be completely broke all the time. Here in Maryland we have about 7-8 months out of the year where The vast majority of clientele choose to have their event. It is literally DEAD January through March so I can't make money for those 3 months. If I get lucky I book a job in January, and maybe 1 in March. In February most years there are no jobs. April is the transition month into Wedding Season. Maybe 3-4 bookings in April. May is BUSY every weekend, June is OKAY (It use to be a busy month years ago but last 10 years it averages 3-4 maybe 5 bookings. July is a 1-2 booking month every year. August is the same often just 1 because everybody goes on vacations and it's HOT here. September/October are BUSY jobs available every weekend, and November is usually an Okay month with business dropping off for Thanksgiving week. December can vary from being okay to Very Busy. I don't make money being a DJ every week of the year. I have maybe 30 weekends a year where I can book a job, maybe two jobs on 3-5 weekends a year. So with those 30 weekends, I need to charge enough to make the business work which makes it worse than if it was an all the time continuous income business. Also, we are an aging profession. Most guys are getting up there in age who work as DJs and many have been retiring last 4 years. If it wasn't for weddings, there would be no Mobile DJ business, and wedding clients are really starting to get tapped out as wedding costs are way up all together. With less DJs in the pool in many areas as time marches on, the cost to book a DJ is going to naturally go higher as well.
It’s simple though…pay less you get less..pay more you get more
Those low ball customers sound the same looking for something on a budget or reasonable price. And when you show up to the event they have a circus pay bartenders,custom cake floral arrangements band,photobooth,riding bull ,over $1000 alcohol bottles and they want to pay the dj what ever they have left bag of penuts after all other expenses priority $200-$300 for wedding quince dj hey were not chopliver ...were the firt and last to leave we should get payed more then the rest venndors.
Been at it for almost 7 years now full time. I’m at a point now where my price is my price and you either can afford it or not
Meanwhile here in the Philippines some delulu people only wants to pay 26$ to 43$ (price converted from Pesos to USD) for an all day and night sounds and lights service (all inclusive). While DJ's here pay around 40% more from what American DJ's pay for their equipment! I cannot comprehend how Philippine DJ's can recoup their investment if they buy the same high quality branded stuff.
Tutuo yan pare. It's been that way sa pinas since the 90s when we started doing mobile disco/dj events. Being a DJ there is not lucrative especially ngayon sobra dami ng kumpetensya and "DJs" kuno. I still DJ dito sa States pero as a sideline lang on weekends pero it pays much much better than dyan. Ingat pards.
That sucks
Perfect video at the right time, I was just recommended by 6 people on Facebook, gave the person a price privately through messenger, then said it was too much. The nice thing is another DJ posted a "special" ad, undercutting me by 50.00. I'm wondering if these people pull up to gas stations and say yeah that price doesn't work for me can you do better? SMH
Well the best man’s phone was sending the signal via Bluetooth to both speakers. Total price for rentals was $80 plus tax.
I did a 25th wedding anniversary last weekend at a local venue, and the Venue manager told me they had 2 back to back weddings that were a complete disaster. The couples elected to rent DJ Equipment plus some lights and a Microphone.
First wedding a Friend did the announcements, disaster, the best man was playing their music from the couples Spotify List but forgot his phone was the source for the music which was.. continue…
hi brian
i saw your review you did for the ADJ Pro Event Table - 32 inch TV Mount Idea By Request
nice , i was thinking of maybe having a video camera kind of on the side view of of your decks of what your doing .....good idea ?
i like the one that you did with the truse over head with the tv above you that was really cool too
love your videos , take care
It's really tough to be a DJ nowadays as clients know that they'll find a "DJ" at craigslist, fb marketplace, etc for a cheap budget. The ballpark price for getting a DJ based on talent and experience has never been standardized ever since compared to other professions. Anyone can pretend to be a DJ nowadays.
We’re lucky if we get the equivalent of $230 here in the UK for a 4 hour set. It’s a joke trying to make a living from it. Even with years of experience. 😢
If you only work one day a week, how do you expect to make a living?
Second Couple also didn’t agree what the DJ was charging so the rented equipment. There price they paid for their rental was just over 1K. Against n intros were messed up and in the middle of their first song the music cut out because the Best man went out for a smoke and lost the Bluetooth connection to the equipment. This just shows you how Cheap People can be.
Some night clubs want to pay a dj 8-2am $100 In South Tx Seen some djs on fb $100 for 4 hrs Were lucky to get $800 for a wedding or Quinceañera Id rather go fishing
Nice vlog. This reasonable term sucks but i see it all the time so im the guy who thinks if you cant fight it, join it. So i throw the clock back to 1985. I show up a little late, wear clothes that look like im going to do yard work and bring lights that shine right onto your face. My speakers are set at 1980's style ear level for a good loud sound and i don't give a shit if grandma thinks its too loud. Go home then. Plus there are sometimes gaps between songs. I do use Tidal and a laptop but rarely care if the clients want bangers as i play stuff i like. I suggest djs stop buying gear that you think is top notch and lighting that wont bother their eyes. Stop with the array speakers and dj booth nonesense and dust off that plastic table. Dont cater to these clients, play to them at 1985 prices like they are willing to pay. There's no difference between me and a high-end dj at a wedding during dinner. We're both scarfing down their food. If high end djs are so high-end, why don't they bring their own food instead of inhaling the food at a sit down or buffet table. Peace ✌️🎉
Iucky to get £200 for 4hrs here in the UK that's with full PA and lights. Dj's are basically on min wage £11ph
Also, I will say that there is a DJ's "Overall business costs per gig" and then there is our "General Cost of Living". According to my total expenses last year divided by the number of events I booked, my cost was about $290 per gig last year. That is less than previous years because I spent ZERO on advertising last year. In previous years up until 2021 I spent a few thousand on google adwords, and some on facebook ads, and wedding websites etc. which made my cost per gig higher. Just because my cost per gig is say $300, doesn't mean I can charge $500 and earn enough money to be able to afford life. Simple math, If I charge just $1,000 every event or that ends up being my average booking amount and do 30 jobs a year, that is $30,000 before all my biz expenses are taken out. Would that be enough money for anybody to pay their bills on time? That is poverty level wages unless the DJ has a full time Job doing something else too. This is why I work a full time job plus Deejaying as much as I can now. It's too hard to make ends meet being a DJ alone.
Many DJs (especially those judt starting out) fail to consider the cost of bring a "professional" DJ. How much for equipment, music, insurance, gas/milesge on your vehicle. Promotion/marketing, etc. Thats your gixed cost. My fixed cost (averaging at least 30 events a year is $500 per event /$15,000 per year. Then there's my time and experience. If you do events for less than or eaual to your fixed cost, its a bobby. Not e club djs and mobile djs are very different in pay and number of events.
why would anyone consider, as in take into consideration beforehand, hiring a made up word like "progressional", whatever that is. and wtf are "fot equipment" and "mysuc"
How/why does it cost you 600 before you go out ?? Surely all.licences, insurance and equipment has already been paid for ? I guess music might be a thing .
Only asking iut of curiosity.
Great vid keep em.comming
As I said, I have done cost analysis videos before. I base it on "Rental" cost of my equipment (5% of total replacement cost per event). Then I figure in annual cost of insurance, office, vehicle, music service, advertising, clothing, etc based on an average of 20 events per year. Finally, there's out of pocket expenses per event, like fuel, specialty music downloads, etc. After that, I need to pay myself. That's how I do it. Everyone has their own business plan.
@@briansredd some things I never thought of in there. you guys do it so differently over there.
I'd never consider charging for clothing. You charge for music services and then For speciality music ??
Will try and find one of your vids on costing.
@@stuartmillsom3509 It's just like any other business. Nobody, besides DJs are going to sell you something for less than it cost them to buy & provide.
Overhead cost recovery. It cost money to operate a business and you have to recoup that money. Most people don't like to use the same equipment forever. They like to upgrade and get new toys when new gear comes out. You have to have that built into your cost to replace those. Licenses need renewing, music subscription services, buying random songs you can't get from your record pools, lighting subscriptions, software, CRM, web hosting, phone line, insurance is something we continually pay for, marketing, work clothes, shoes, etc all cost a lot of money so it really does add up. Say you're spending $9,600 per year on expenses to operate your DJ business and you do 20 gigs per year than your cost per gig is $480.00 because that's what it cost you to have the equipment, gear, software and show up dressed nice to do the event. You're not going to itemize it and give your client a bill for a new shirt and tie but it's all a cost of doing business that needs to be considered and included.
@@justingarret4776 I'm not knocking it , just never thought about It like that. Fortunately my DJing is a part-time job.
Yes I am legal. Insurance , pat tested and relevant licences and legal music. I'm not a gear junkie. I still use time to time my original Citronic predator mixer from the 90's when I do 80/90's nights. Currently I'm using. 4 yr old Numark nvii and Serato( lifetime licence) but have just bought a new laptop.
Like I said earlier you peeps in the states have a different way of doing things.
Except playing the music lol.
In the UK it tends to be just the party after the meal . Not a lot of the formalities that you guys do.
I'm not trying to be funny or knock the way it's done there, just trying to understand your pricing
how it cost u 600 dolar?
$600 per gig? Skeptical on that math but are you doing 8 events or 50? Guess that could change things.
He was saying that $600 was his investment cost just to get out the door. Mine is only $400, then you charge more to pay for your time, experience and any upgrades. Never forget to pay yourself.
As I said, I have done cost analysis videos before. I base it on "Rental" cost of my equipment (5% of total replacement cost per event). Then I figure in annual cost of insurance, office, vehicle, music service, advertising, clothing, etc based on an average of 20 events per year. Finally, there's out of pocket expenses per event, like fuel, specialty music downloads, etc. After that, I need to pay myself. That's how I do it. Everyone has their own business plan.
Definitely isn't too hard to do. Say you're spending $9,600 per year on expenses to operate your business and you do 20 gigs per year than your cost per gig is $480.00. Everyone's math will be different depending on their expenses. How many different software subscriptions they pay for, like CRMS, your DJ programs, Editing Software, Lighting Software, web hosting, insurance on your gear, liability insurance, business phone line, how much you spend on advertising, your customer acquisition costs, how much gear you purchase, how much you paid for the gear. Are they using Ape Labs or Both Lighting? That makes a large difference in itself when you're showing up with $15k just in lighting, that's $150 by itself cost per gig if you plan to replace your lighting in 5 years. $70 dollars for Evolve 50's if you want to replace them in 3 years, music pools and software subscriptions say $250 per month that's another $150 cost per gig, new controller every 3 years when something new comes out you want $25, wireless microphone $25, say you're spending $200 a month on some form of advertising to get those gigs, another $120 per gig, $100 a month in insurance...another $60 per gig so we're already up to $600 and didn't count a bunch of stuff so it's definitely possible.
I'd do it for free, not in it for the money, I just love music
Sounds like someone is paying your bills. There is a deference between taking your toys over to your neighbors party vs being a professional DJ. I love music too, but I love to live beyond the poverty level.
@@flyrobin2544 I'm not a professional Dj, I've only played at 5 birthday party's with my friends and I'm used to living on the bread line, also i've loved vinyl turntables since the late 70's these controllers and laptop's are not for me