How Much Would You Charge...............

[AlexEntertainment 0]

As most people give prices based on DIFFERENT circumstances......Please bear in mind when giving your answers above, you should answer how much your AVERAGE charge is....

 

 

[vokf 0]

I assume you've voted Alex... I'm charging the same as you;

 

276-300 for Saturday birthday

226-250 for Mid Week birthday

351-375 for Saturday Wedding

 

Mid-week gigs are difficult for me, so I'd probably not even quote.

 

I have bookings for other parties at the other rates I've listed - but also do my local pub for much less :cow:

[AlexEntertainment 0]

I assume you've voted Alex... I'm charging the same as you;

 

276-300 for Saturday birthday

226-250 for Mid Week birthday

351-375 for Saturday Wedding

 

Mid-week gigs are difficult for me, so I'd probably not even quote.

 

I have bookings for other parties at the other rates I've listed - but also do my local pub for much less :cow:

 

 

Opps.... forgot to put "Pub or Residency Scenario" .... :aa

 

Like me, I have two pubs that I do a fantastic rates for ( used to have three until some little twerp undercut me )

also I had " Add-ons packages " for my disco.... such as Mood Lighting, Karaoke Package, Nightclub Theme Pakage (UV Flood lighting)... etc...

[vokf 0]

Like me, I have two pubs that I do a fantastic rates for ( used to have three until some little twerp undercut me )

 

Well, I told the landlord I'd be happy to travel to hampshire, and do the gig for 60quid cash, and he bit my hand off! lol

Jason

(not so little twerp )

[MintyDave 0]

I assume you've voted Alex... I'm charging the same as you;

 

276-300 for Saturday birthday

226-250 for Mid Week birthday

351-375 for Saturday Wedding

 

Mid-week gigs are difficult for me, so I'd probably not even quote.

 

I have bookings for other parties at the other rates I've listed - but also do my local pub for much less :cow:

 

Considerably less up here as thats what the market allows. Cold beer with a 1" creamy head is about £2.30 to put it in perspective.

 

I had an enquiry about a party tonight. Birthday / Leaving do for a soldier going abroad 7pm to 1am in a small local grotty club. approx 40-50 guests. I put forward £180 and they asked if i could do it any cheaper. They have some gear installed so i said £160 and use their lights. The woman told me i was far too expensive as they has a quote for £120. I simply replied sorry but no.

 

I know im in line with other the majority of other local companies and there are sixty quid sids and high end earners round and about

 

I have done some maths on this subject as it is a common post on other forums too.

 

This is my situation

 

1 typical gig 7.30 to 12.00 = 7 hours work inc travel etc. for that 7 hours i want a personal wage of £15 per hour after expenses. Thats £15 per hour for phyisically being out of the house. That puts the fee at £105. I have calculated my average business costs for a year at £2500 ( no big gear purchases) - about £50 per week. considering 1 gig per week that puts my fee at £155 on average.

 

Obviously bigger gigs deserve bigger fees which i do get on occasions and sometimes i may get a 2 hour school disco.

 

I believe that £15 per hour (over £32,000 pro rata) is a fair wage for an unqualified worker doing the gigs that i do. my wife gets not much more for a highly stressfull job in the nhs with a team of 12 people to manage.

 

Granted if i need to make any big purchases then i would not be making much profit at all but if i quoted £200 + for every gig i would be sat at home most weekends guaranteed.

 

comments are welcome.

 

Ps i have just put a quote in for a very big gig for £700 so opportunities do come - just need to be patient

 

PPs when i started writing this i was 38 years old - now im 39. Slow at typing or what!

Edited January 26, 2010 by MintyDave

[vokf 0]

I do sympathise - as a beer comparison, I paid £3.60 for a pint on Saturday night :bloodyhell:

My local charges £3.20, which is starting to become a problem (ie, I may have to switch to Fosters from Kronenburg!)

 

These price polls are interesting, but you can't read much into them as there are too many variables.

 

Some people do buck the trend, and I know there are local guys to me doing weddings for £120 (well, if they actually turned up, they would earn it! - I've had 2 reports of this!)

 

Marketing and reputation play a lot into what you can charge. Many of us take bookings over the phone, or even via email without speaking to the client. In this case a posh website can drag in the higher end gigs.

Tescos Finest range could very well come from the factory as their Value Range... its simply a different mix and better packaging... food for thought!

 

 

However, I'm only finishing my 2nd year - so very much a newbie! I have increased my rates for 2010, and provide a better service than 2008/2009 - face-to-face meetings (for weddings and local other parties), slicker looking documentation pack and better presentation all round.

 

If I didn't have my children visiting every other weekend, I would like to DJ more.

Dave, you're right about people earning similar for very stressful jobs, and I enjoy being in control of my (part-time) business.

Carmen & I would love to work together, but currently the Day jobs are paying the bills.

 

 

 

[Norfolk DJ 0]

 

Interesting spread of results

 

 

I would charge more May to September inclusive,simply becuase it's peak season and demand is high.

[Dukesy 0]

Not sure if anyone else will agree, but it seems there's little change to fees charged over the last few years.

Charges going down?!

 

[spinner 0]

Not sure if anyone else will agree, but it seems there's little change to fees charged over the last few years.

Charges going down?!

 

 

No. But mine are not going up this year.

[Wayne 74 0]

Not sure if anyone else will agree, but it seems there's little change to fees charged over the last few years.

Charges going down?!

 

 

I am happy to say, that I have seen an increase in my fees this year. Good Times.

 

And the bookings are rolling in, even better.

 

Cheers,

 

Wayne

[aaadisco 0]

I am also happy to say that my fees have gone up this year.

 

I'm getting more for my Wedding bookings and as many of these have come as referrals from happy couples, I find that they are happy to pay more for someone who has been recomended.

[MintyDave 0]

Just upped my prices and so far nobody other than the 'i want a something for nothing' type has questioned my fees.

 

A pub landlord even said i dont blame you and has been very supportive.

[Dukesy 0]

Maybe fess are going up for some in 2010, and maybe there's a fee increase year on year for some, but there's hardly any difference to previous polls conducted where the majority of fees averaged £150 - £200.

 

[MintyDave 0]

Agreed.

When you look at say a 5-10% increase on a low cost service obviously it will be some time before the fees rasie that much.

 

What would a typical increase be. I have gone for approx 10% (rounded figure) to take into account that the recession is apparently over??? the VAT rise and the knock on effect of rising fuel prices.

 

Sixty Six Quid Sid now! :joe:

Edited February 5, 2010 by MintyDave

[djnoon 0]

hi

 

for a wedding disco within 10 miles from my home i would charge £230 am based in the scottish borders which is a low payed area. for a normal disco i charge about £160 and i do a 3 hour pub disco in a local pub for £130 a night.

 

am 21 years of age now i first started doing fuction at the age of 16 and 5 years ago to get myself established i charge £50 then £80 then £120 i think when you get a good name you can charge a lot more

[sicktrick 0]

Nice to see that im Mr average although in my area I am very reasonable, hence plenty of return bookings I have a list of peoples birthdays in the diary so I can predict upcoming events. But I am more of a family and friends dj I do no promoting it's all word of mouth.

 

 

[jukeboxdj 0]

hi

 

for a wedding disco within 10 miles from my home i would charge £230 am based in the scottish borders which is a low payed area. for a normal disco i charge about £160 and i do a 3 hour pub disco in a local pub for £130 a night.

 

am 21 years of age now i first started doing fuction at the age of 16 and 5 years ago to get myself established i charge £50 then £80 then £120 i think when you get a good name you can charge a lot more

 

 

this can be true but you need to make sure you dont outprice your market

 

it is too easy to think i am worth so much only to find that the dj down the road is not quite as good but cheaper leading to punters trying him out

 

i dont advertise and all my bookings are word of mouth which suits me i charge an average rate and make a sustainable wage from it

 

a local dj put his prices up 3 times in one year and by the end of it he was struggling for bookings as he was the same dj with the same equipment only charging an extra £80 from the beginning of the year

 

Invest in your equipment and your skills and have faith in yourself

[vokf 0]

this can be true but you need to make sure you dont outprice your market

 

Wise words mate :-)

 

There needs to be an obvious difference between you and your competitors. This may simply be much better marketing- so a professional website with high quality photos.

If clients are only booking a DJ, then you'll both play music and the cheaper guy will win unless you can persuade them otherwise.

 

 

I won my first wedding from a simple email. I asked a few questions, explained a few things and followed up a few days later.

 

At that time, I'd never done a wedding before, and this was one of my first enquires (the wedding date was 7 months later).

 

So, I won the booking based on attention to detail and some of the local guys lack of decent response.

If you consider that most people will be spending lots of money on a party, a confident response that makes them think "this guy/gal knows what they are doing", will go a long way towards justifying a higher fee.

 

It won't help the price hunters - unless you can keep them on the phone long enough...

 

For me, I did find it hard to call people when I first started out. Its now easier, and I don't take a booking without at least speaking to the client, and all of this years bookings (apart from a kids party) will have a face-to-face meeting.

 

 

 

[David M 0]

i personally believe that i charge by the evening so 4 or 5 hours, wedding or birthday the cost is the same as the disco is very similar,

i find it hard to understand why any one should charge more for a wedding than a birthday,

a disco is as good as the dj and a party is a party!

would you pay more for petrol to fill your car just because you are getting married on that day ?????

i know that i wouldnt so why should my customer pay a premium because they are getting married,

i know from experience that i have had customers for thier 18th ,21st and wedding because i charge the same rate for all discos.

we all want value for money and dont want to be ripped off.

[Wayne 74 0]

i personally believe that i charge by the evening so 4 or 5 hours, wedding or birthday the cost is the same as the disco is very similar,

i find it hard to understand why any one should charge more for a wedding than a birthday,

a disco is as good as the dj and a party is a party!

would you pay more for petrol to fill your car just because you are getting married on that day ?????

i know that i wouldnt so why should my customer pay a premium because they are getting married,

i know from experience that i have had customers for thier 18th ,21st and wedding because i charge the same rate for all discos.

we all want value for money and dont want to be ripped off.

 

 

Agree with the above statement totally David. Wise words said.

 

In this day and age, it is exactly what people are looking for, value for money.

 

Cheers,

 

Wayne

[Teez 0]

Hmm, not sure what sort of weddings others have been to but the weddings I do take up considerably more time. If it's a birthday party or a normal gig, I'm there for 6 or 7 and finish around midnight or a bit later.

 

If it's a wedding, I usually have to turn up early/mid afternoon and the ending is about the same. I may not be 'DJ'ing' all that time but my time and equipment are still commited for a much longer period of time than parties.

 

If DJ's want to charge by the performing hour then good luck.

 

Personally, I charge according to market rate. If the wedding market pays generally more than the party rate then I will charge accordingly.

 

To suggest that charging a higher price for weddings is wrong and not "value for money"is frankly naive.

 

You charge what you think the client is willing to pay and you win or lose by that approach.

 

Think of that next time you buy a 1 litre bottle of Coke at the heavily discounted price of £1.35 thinking you have a bargain and then consider that the bottle and top cost Coke 2p, the label 0.01p, the water virtually free and the syrup also 1p (3.01p). I don't hear anyone shouting rip-off???

 

:ouch:

[vokf 0]

i personally believe that i charge by the evening so 4 or 5 hours, wedding or birthday the cost is the same as the disco is very similar,

i find it hard to understand why any one should charge more for a wedding than a birthday,

a disco is as good as the dj and a party is a party!

would you pay more for petrol to fill your car just because you are getting married on that day ?????

i know that i wouldnt so why should my customer pay a premium because they are getting married,

i know from experience that i have had customers for thier 18th ,21st and wedding because i charge the same rate for all discos.

we all want value for money and dont want to be ripped off.

 

 

I think this depends on how how you provide the service...

 

For some birthday parties, a few emails and phone calls is enough - so about 1-2hrs work pre-gig.

For weddings, if you simply offer the same service, then I guess there is no reason to charge more.

Turn up, play the music and go home.

 

In my case, I provide face-to-face meetings, lots of contact and effort, and therefore I charge a premium. This is not a rip-off. All gigs are important (clients paying lots for the entire night), but weddings are even more so.

:crap: up a wedding by forgetting their 1st dance, or being 20mins late due to traffic and you've probably ruined a (hopefully) once in a lifetime occasion.

 

For more other professions, you'll pay a premium for the attention to detail require for a normal wedding.

Taxi, £5, limo ~£200. ...

 

The limo will (or should) turn up on time, be cleaned and not rush you because they have an urgent pick up from the station!

Both will take you from A-B.

 

So...I'm with Teez on this.

I work hard on weddings, and are currently upping my rate with no serious down-turn in work (for my area).

 

IMO, not matter where you are based, a wedding should be worth more than a birthday party if you are able to show you can provide a better service.

If you're poor at presenting yourself, and your quotes are not wedding biased, then weddings will simply be extra work for not much extra money...

 

A few decent photos of you in a tux, with a nice neat set-up are certainly work an extra 20-30% or even more..

 

[UKHero 0]

Hmm, not sure what sort of weddings others have been to but the weddings I do take up considerably more time. If it's a birthday party or a normal gig, I'm there for 6 or 7 and finish around midnight or a bit later.

 

If it's a wedding, I usually have to turn up early/mid afternoon and the ending is about the same. I may not be 'DJ'ing' all that time but my time and equipment are still commited for a much longer period of time than parties.

 

If DJ's want to charge by the performing hour then good luck.

 

Personally, I charge according to market rate. If the wedding market pays generally more than the party rate then I will charge accordingly.

 

To suggest that charging a higher price for weddings is wrong and not "value for money"is frankly naive.

 

You charge what you think the client is willing to pay and you win or lose by that approach.

 

Think of that next time you buy a 1 litre bottle of Coke at the heavily discounted price of £1.35 thinking you have a bargain and then consider that the bottle and top cost Coke 2p, the label 0.01p, the water virtually free and the syrup also 1p (3.01p). I don't hear anyone shouting rip-off???

 

:ouch:

 

 

I have met this guy he knows what he is talking about and I agree 100% with his thoughts above. I also used to deliver sugar to coke lol but that's another story.

 

Nik

[AlexEntertainment 0]

I have met this guy he knows what he is talking about and I agree 100% with his thoughts above. I also used to deliver sugar to coke lol but that's another story.

 

Nik

 

Ok... now I'm intrigued! :) I'm a massive cola addict! LOL

I would love to have worked for Coke... but all my wages would go back into the company!

 

 

So this poll has been running for a while now and it's interesting to see that while there is a wide range of pricing, most DJ's tend to stick around a certain area.

Interesting results.

 

It's a shame we are unable to pull the results off and work out locations as well.... to get an idea on average prices PER area...

[vokf 0]

Ok... now I'm intrigued! :) I'm a massive cola addict! LOL

I would love to have worked for Coke... but all my wages would go back into the company!

So this poll has been running for a while now and it's interesting to see that while there is a wide range of pricing, most DJ's tend to stick around a certain area.

Interesting results.

 

It's a shame we are unable to pull the results off and work out locations as well.... to get an idea on average prices PER area...

 

Not a big fan of coke as a company. A bit OT, so won't go into it here.

 

I doubt there would be any meaningful results from geographic areas. You'd get an average of some kind, but we all provide different services at different levels.

A dedicated wedding DJ in my area will charge more than me... and I know I charge more than the local average.

For me, rightly or wrongly, I do have a "won't get out of bed for less than £££" charge - which does sometimes varyies!