Average Charge For 2007

[Norfolk DJ 0]

So do most Dj's on here work 'in-house'? If you're not in YP you must be well established to get the work..? We are well placed in YP (at the beginning) and still dont get a vast amount of calls. Although when we do get calls we get the ones who say "How Much?!" So I'm with you Tonsk on that one.

 

We are getting well known for 18ths though :Thumbup:

 

L8r

 

Based south of Norwich, I pick up work from word or mouth, local contacts, local hotels and some agencies.

 

Don't bother with the local rag, penny pinchers tend to ring you up and expect you to work for nothing at dodgy venues.

 

I'll pass any 18th's on to you, as I don't do them any more!

 

Rob

[Tonsk 0]

Me too.. I don't do 18ths or 21sts either.

 

My work comes in from 2 residencies I have and more often than not my website...

 

The web accounts for over 50% of all enquiries and work I get - and normally after they have been on the web, they say they want to book, give me the date and THEN ask how much - Not the other way round like YP.

[spinner 0]

The majority of my work comes via the internet, with a few from an agency. The idea of a residency doesn't appeal.

 

All of my bookings in Norfolk or Suffolk are at a good rate, which proves it can be done.

[zanzibar2 0]

Based south of Norwich, I pick up work from word or mouth, local contacts, local hotels and some agencies.

 

Don't bother with the local rag, penny pinchers tend to ring you up and expect you to work for nothing at dodgy venues.

 

I'll pass any 18th's on to you, as I don't do them any more!

 

Rob

 

Yep..go for it Rob. My son tends to do most of the night on 18ths - I concentrate on the cheese but it works well

 

L8r

[Dream Catchers 0]

My son tends to do most of the night on 18ths - I concentrate on the cheese but it works well

 

Ditto.... my son does the same.

 

Jim

[STAR-Events 0]

I went for the 400+ mark

 

I honestly believe that you get what you pay for!

 

I know I am a competent Dj who will not ruin an event,

I know my equipment is top knotch and does a higher than average job.

I also know i'm new to the forum so don't want to sound like an arogant fool.

 

But if we demand it and people know the quality of the service you provide they will pay! The cost of other event services is rediculous compared to the amount us Dj's get paid.

 

I had a call for an event the other month and they complained they could get someone for £100, which i didn't deny! You can get a car for £100, but equally you can buy a car for £1,000,000... there's just a slight difference between the two!!

 

How ever ALL my work is through word of mouth and this gives me a good standing.

 

 

[spinner 0]

Well put.

[Dukesy 0]

I agree.

[Tonsk 0]

Definately.. But again the issue is getting the general public to understand the differences...

 

Like we hear most times from non-djs, all we do is press play.

 

 

 

Don't we????

 

 

 

 

Nope - Not really, but it's getting THAT message across to joe Public, so that they realise that even though anyone can buy the equipment and call themselves a DJ, not everyone of those IS a dj....

[deejaymitch 0]

I get most of my jobs in a town, and in venues, where I'm well-known and so everyone expects "mates rates". I've definitely been charging too little but that will change in 2008

[TonyB 0]

Strange how things change. A year ago I would of looked at the poll and thought wow I must put my prices up. Now I look at it and think come on chaps, put your prices up.

 

I was thinking that the £150 to £200 functions are perhaps just village hall/pub type functions but even for that type of function, my starting price is £220.

 

I'm positive that I am worth more than a fruit cake smile icon

[DJH 0]

this is interesting, as norfolk dj and tonsk know, most of us dj`s in norfolk charge between the £150 - £200,well the one i know do, maybe more if its a wedding, im quite happy with this charge as i have said before it really is just a hobby for me, but ill take the work if it comes in,

i have had custies ringing up, i give them a price and they say i can get one for X ammount , i just say take him then as im not here to undercut and not bothered if i have the work or not,

local Dj`s to me vary as well, one up my road is £120 a night, fine if you just want 60`s and 70`s played all night, another who lives opposite me charges £100 a night, but he rarely does them, so i dont leave the house for anything under £150 now, might even consider putting that bracket up in the new year,

i dont do my local community hall because they only want to pay £100, sod that im better than that, let the two ive metioned do them,

so my vote goes in the £151-£201 bracket

 

Haydn

[Charlie Wilson 0]

The more you can get away with charging the better, it should make you more professional.

 

I like to earn £250 a week minimum from been a DJ the rest is to pay out for costs including the upgrade of gear as and when the new gear comes out.

[Tonsk 0]

Charlie, I don't think your phrasing is right.

 

I charge as much as 1. I think I am worth and 2. I think the market/target audience will pay.

 

Its not a case of higher charge = more professional.

 

There are people who charge more than me turn up with tired equipment, no pat/pli but get the party rocking and charge as much as they do because of the experience they have.

 

This doesnt make them professional, just good at what they do...

 

Equally, some charge less but have full PAT/PLI, contracts etc etc they just don't believe in themselves enough to charge more as they may have just started/moved etc....

[Big B 0]

my average charge for a wedding is £250.00 but i also send them a 10% discount voucher in an email so it lowers it to £225.00.

 

 

[Smudger 0]

I go along the lines of, do I want to work or not. Is £150 better than sitting at home with my equipment not in use.

 

I quote £275 for 7:30 - mdt locally and adjust for extra time, distance and carry at gig, but might reduce that depending on how I feel. I don't really have a fixed price as I'll always ask how much they've been quoted already and maybe try and do a deal. If the diary is busy their less likely to get a deal. We'd all like to earn as much as possible, but you can't have your equipment sat there doing nothing for the sake of a couple of quid.

 

 

Jon

 

[shakermaker 0]

Totally agree with that comment. To be honest, I find myself turning work away these days as things have just gone absolutely mad.

 

As for my pricing? Well, I think we are going along the same lines.

[nigelwright7557 0]

I charge £75 in my home town.

 

It goes up if I have to travel.

 

I dont DJ for the money I do it because I enjoy it.

 

I am not really undercutting other discos as I pick and choose which events I want.

Typically I do one disco every 2-3 months.

 

 

[soundsgood 0]

i think the prices we can charge depend a lot on location, unfortunatly the industry is being devalued in my area by people "buying work" i personally will not take a show out for less than £200.00 for a 4 hour party but in an ideal world this would be £300.00 but i live in a town where people are happy to do a cd only gig for £50.00 or provide a cheap mobile disco for £100.00 unfortunatly for the client it is too late when they realise that the saving wasnt worth it.

[NRG Roadshow 0]

I still find it astounding that just over 30% of voters in this poll are only charging £151-£200!!!!

 

 

[Gary (GDK) 0]

im shocked at 300+

 

and the two above 900! u wearing a masks?!

[Neil of the Roadshow 0]

We go out for between £150 and £200.

 

£150 is agency work and £200 is ours.

 

We do mostly wedding work and I can't work out why soeone who has already spent £14k on their wedding is trying to chip oour £200 fee for effectively half their day. Less than 1% - I ask you.

 

If the night do falls flat the day loses its edge and for £200 - go figure.

 

Loads of word of mouth work coming in as their are plenty of numb skulls out their making us sound doubly good and we are good anyway.

 

In the words of Les McQueen of Creme Brulee 'It's a :cense: business'

 

I love it.

 

P.S. We inlcude a home consultation in the £200 or the can come to the studio in my house. Studio is generally when we are on vocal work package and that goes out at a lot more.

[Mick H 0]

I thought I would add a slightly different angle as my work is mainly in the forces world, if I go out through my agency then I pick up 500 Euros a night, nice but the hours can be longer,I do cheaper work for local gigs (ie in the regiment I am based with) for not less than 300 Euros but fix the timings for myself. The Military market is very good to get into as I dont think they are going to fold for a while, however a lot of agencies try to tie up the market quite tight. If anyone needs advice on getting to speak with people then let me know. Each unit has the same structure and the same appointments who deal with the entertainments for each mess,officers,sergeants and junior ranks messes, each of which will have summer and xmas ball parties as standard plus all manner of different parties.

[deejaymitch 0]

I still find it astounding that just over 30% of voters in this poll are only charging £151-£200!!!!

 

I still find it astounding that people will pay far more than this when they can get someone as good, or better, for this reasonable rate.

[Kingy 0]

I still find it astounding that people will pay far more than this when they can get someone as good, or better, for this reasonable rate.

 

Surely this depends on your target ausiance and choice of markets....just as an example, I do not do pubs or clubs any more because in general they do not pay enough these days.