Wedding Charges

[Hugmaster 0]

Hi

 

Trev, I'll let you into a little secret. Any DJ whether they're new, old, experienced, fantastic, crap or total unique can fill or empty a dancefloor with one track, it isn't just a secret corner of the market reserved for the average jock.

 

For example, a few weeks ago we were at a function and having a fantastic night, drunk crowd really going for it big time. At this point I tend to play the lads off against the lasses with a round of who can sing hey baby loudest, %99 of the time it goes down a total storm. however on this occasion, it not only cleared the floor, it cleared the room as everyone went for fag breaks or to refill glasses etc.

 

Lst night, went down a bomb again, however it was rockin' all over the world that cleared the floor.

 

We all make clangers, the mark of a half way decent DJ is his/her ability to win the crowd back again.

 

It isn't an exact science nor is it an art form, each function is totally different from the next.

 

Regarding R&B rap etc, I very rarely play this stuff at my gigs and no one has ever complained. Sure I play Mis-Teeq Beyance etc, but I call that chart music not R&B

 

Where are you based, I'm more than happy for you to come see how brilliant I am http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html/emoticons/smile.gif http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html/emoticons/smile.gif http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html/emoticons/smile.gif (note smiles)

 

All the best

 

Darren

[kazzachi 0]

Can we just remember that there are some very young djs on here.. and what might seem 100% obvious to us, may not be to them.

 

If you dont have anything constructive to say, thats fair enough. If there is any dj on here who believes he/she has nothing left to learn....why are you here?

[scotty 0]

QUOTE

What do you call party tracks? Last night I was in my local and when the duo finished their set at the end of the night they put on a mini disc and the first track was 'I am the music man' and the crowd in the pub loved it.!! I was frankly gobsmacked.

 

LMAO http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html/emoticons/071.gif

 

Its about how you do it, you need to test the water on the crowd first and see if they are going to respond to this type of song, I use a tester to see if they want to interact I normally start off with songs they can sing to like DJ OTZI - Hey baby, Beatles - I saw he standing there, if they react and are in good voice (I do encourage them to sing along) then I will step it up a bit and keep testing them with YMCA, Time Warp, then maybe Music Man these tracks should be played later on I normally do this in the last hour as people are a bit more drunk and less shy the most important thing to remember is to get intractive and involved dont just stand there like a wet lettuce you need to dance and look happy if your not it will reflect on your work and rub off on them make sure you dont sit down either why should they get up and dance if your sat on your ar$e.

 

If they dont know the dance they will look at you and watch how to do it

 

It also important to note at weddings that the bride and grooms family are both there and they might not want to make idiots of themselves in front of the new family members they may have only just met.

 

................Anywayz just slap myself in the face now !!!

 

I am the music man I come from down your way and I can play - http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html/emoticons/tongue.gif

 

 

[scotty 0]

Hugmaster I know what you mean I had a packed dancefloor last night and when I played 'Its raining men' cleared it weird or what ???!!! Now thats never happened before, I managed to rescue it with the B52's http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html/emoticons/toot.gif love shack Baby yeah !!! http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html/emoticons/inlove.gif

[DJTREV 0]

Unfortunately Hugs I am stuck out in Norfolk.

 

I would love to watch you,Mikee,Eskie,Ian,Spin,Kazz and of course our leader in action but geographically it poses a problem.

 

 

[DJTREV 0]

Hi Scotty

 

LMAO? what on earth is that

[The Spindoctor 0]

Laughing My *A*R*SE* Off

 

Spin

[Award Entertainment 0]

Getting back on topic (and I feel that this thread has a lot more to give yet), how many people have factored into their price-per-function the following things?

• Retirement, or a financial exit strategy from the business
• Regular equipment upgrade and replacement
• Further education in business (as well as DJ) skills
• The increasing cost of living (inflation)
• Your TRUE hourly rate, not just the time you're actually playing music
• Seminars, expos and brainstorming sessions with other entertainers
• Growth into new areas of expertise (stage hypnotism, dance, whatever!)

I suspect that very few have actually sat down with a pen and worked these things into the equation. Please be honest with me- am I right?

[Hugmaster 0]

Hi

 

Whatever we charge for any function, we put 50% of that fee directly back into the business to cover costs and for reinvesting.

 

There are many things we have on the cards for the next 3 years plus, however my business plan isn't finished yet so what those things are may change. We are however looking into providing additional services, e.g. room decoration etc.

 

We pay ourselves very little and, once the tax man's had his bite, it's definitely a labour of love.

 

We're not yet at the stage where we can reasonably expect folks to pay £500 for our services, although we hope to get there in the fullness of time. Since I moved to Northants from Birmingham it's been an exercise in reputation building again and I'm very pleased that we've come so far in a few short months.

 

Sorry, doing a bit of back slapping there, but, hey I think you should congratulate yourself if you think you've done well.

 

Darren

[ChrisPointon 0]

QUOTE

Retirement, or a financial exit strategy from the business

 

Mobile D.J'ing is just one of my occupations, and although we have a few people here who D.J as their SOLE form of income, you'll find that in the UK, they are the minority. The majority, either have full time occupations (which no doubt have pensions, health insurance etc) or are in education. Running a Mobile Disco to the majority is just a hobby or sideline, although this doesn't make them any less of an entertainer than you or make them take the industry less seriously. I would even hazard a guess that most D.J's enjoy their hobby more than their full time source of income. I agree that as well as enjoyment you should make a profit from it, how much profit is a personal thing, and down to the individual? and their ambitions, Yes?.

 

QUOTE

Regular equipment upgrade and replacement

 

Hmmm, most modern equipment - if its looked after will last you years, like most cars. I think we already established that top whack gear with four figure price tags will not make "you" anymore of a D.J, or act as cover for a bad D.J. There really is no need to buy a new lightshow every year - unless its to satisfy your own ego. Actually some of the older equipment circa late 80's / 90's (Cloud Mixers, Citronic SM450, Harrison Amps, EV Speakers) was far better made, and built and with higher specs than some of the Far East / imported "tat" on the market today http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html/emoticons/smile.gif .

 

QUOTE

Further education in business (as well as DJ) skills

 

Personally I started and continue to fund this forum, I'm also involved in running a DJ Workshop for 13 - 25 year olds. At the end of the day, I still don't think that there is any substitute for training with an established and experienced D.J. This isn't always available since many D.J's are not willing to spend the time to train others, or are suspicious of their motives (More local competition), for this reason I think that the advice given here continues to play a great part in creating a link between working and novice D.J's of all ages and levels of experience. In the UK, there is very little in the way of DJ Education, very few courses actually exist, even if you wanted to further your education. Ring up any UK College and ask them about their Dj courses - and see what their response will be, then post it here!.

 

QUOTE

Your TRUE hourly rate, not just the time you're actually playing music

 

I have a set fee, which covers my appearance between a start time and a finish time. If the function goes beyond those two constraints, then an additional fee is chargeable. This makes it easy for me to implement, fair on the customer and simple to keep track off. For instance, if I charged £150 for a 4 hour function with £25 extra per full or part hour, then if the client wanted a function which lasted 5 hours, you don't have to be Einstein to do the Maths. £150 + £25 for the extra hour = £175 booking fee. Of course I charge extra for travelling time and expenses, although I don't feel that being stuck in a car on the M6 Motorway warrants the same level of (hourly) fee as time spent entertaining on stage. Anybody can drive a car!, but professional entertainment warrants a higher fee.

 

QUOTE

Seminars, expos and brainstorming sessions with other entertainers

 

Find somewhere in the Uk, (other than the yearly PLASA) where this happens and let us know.

[DJTREV 0]

Sorry but this thread has gone a bit beyond the 'I'm a dj and I run a mobile disco' as a part time earner to suppliment my day job.

 

Quote

Retirement, or a financial exit strategy from the business

Further education in business (as well as DJ) skills

Seminars, expos and brainstorming sessions with other entertainers

Growth into new areas of expertise (stage hypnotism, dance, whatever!)

 

Most of us are part time;a lot of us are full time but I would be surprised if many of these are part of the business strategies of most of us, perhaps the retirement strategy might be.

 

Or am I now going to be flamed by Kazz and Hugs

 

 

[kazzachi 0]

Funnily enough, Im with you Trev! You dont have to earn mega bucks to plan for your future! I dj as a full time occupation BUT my job is about me having fun and giving the guests a good time.... I dont have to be a huge fee earner to plan for my retirement... its something most people do in adult life! I know where you are coming from Trev... we are hardly brain surgeons are we! I dont want to put myself up on any pedestal - and just because I dj as an occupation doesnt mean I am better or worse than anyone who does it as a hobby. In fact, I think in many circumstances, the people who do it as a hobby or part time job often give the best kind of service. They are doing it purely for the love of the job and dont discriminate against a client because of what they are prepared to spend. In fact BIG UP THE PART TIME DJS WHO OFFER AN EXCELLENT SERVICE AND SEE THE JOB AS A PLEASURE RATHER THAN A POUND SIGN! http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif

 

Hobby rate or professional rate... who give a hoot... as long as the service you give is great eh!

Edited April 12, 2004 by kazzachi

[Eskie 0]

Whilst many have rightly acclaimed this as a very useful topic, expecially to many new DJ's; I feel it would be even better if it weren't for the very unnecessary constant sniping of other contributors. There has been some great advice given on here and while not all of it is applicable to everyone's circumstances that should not detract from the appreciation of people offering their experience in order to possibly help others.

There is far too much backbiting going on; can we all try to be a little more positive and have less "point-scoring" please

[DJTREV 0]

Please dont take this the wrong way Eskie.

 

We are just dj's after all, not plastic surgeons.

 

I dont think anybody is sniping or trying to score points.Its like walking on glass at the moment on this forum.

 

Nice enough guy that he obviously is and very business like too but I think you have too admit that Richards replies seem to have ruffled a few feathers.

[mikeee 0]

Two minor things I would like to add, just out of interest:

1) Call it a hobby and the inland revenue will nail you to the wall, call it a second job (or whatever) and they are your best friends that will help you all the way.

 

2) in 1991, I got hauled accross the coals by the inland revenue, they have a book that lists every job in the UK, and at that time the book said that a professional mobile DJ was on £59,000 a year. Now how they arrive at that figure I don't know, all it told me was that I wasn't getting my slice of the cake. At the time I didn't know how to improve myself, because when you spoke to other DJ's, it was a case of "Oh well you see, you've got to have this, that and the other. Well we all know that, that isn't true. The biggest problem is WE don't know what to charge in the first place.

 

This is why I, like many of you are here in the first place, and the reason I'm pushing the NADJ.

 

 

More food for thought.

[mikeee 0]

QUOTE

We are just dj's after all, not plastic surgeons

 

Trev, you hit the nail on the head, we are specialists in our field and should charge accordingly. That's what the thread is about, getting what your worth (sounds familiar)

 

I would not expect a Plastic Surgeon to start a disco and charge top £ / $ straight away.

[ChrisPointon 0]

Earn above £56k TURNOVER per year and not only will you have the I.R on you back, but also the Customs and Excise.

 

Then when you are packing away at 2AM on that wintry, -5c Saturday night you can take solice in the fact that you have an additional 2 mouths to feed.

[mikeee 0]

Chris that £59K was in 1991, god knows what it is now http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html/emoticons/014.gif

[DJTREV 0]

I think that is the difference between you and I Mikee. You think you are a specialist in a field that I consider to be a money making hobby. I am not having a pop at anyone here so dont lets get into all that again but quite honestly I just look on d'jing as something I do to earn extra money.

[ChrisPointon 0]

Has anybody got anything NEW and refreshing to bring to this thread, at the moment is going round and round in the same old circle and repeating more than a dodgy kebab.

[mikeee 0]

Chris, there's still a fair bit of milage here yet.

 

Trev, OK you do this as a "second" Job, does that mean you shouldn't be paid a good rate for the job. You are as good as me, you go out and perform to the public and like Kazz give them a damn good time, and everyone goes home happy.

 

I was trying to find a way to simplify this long and interesting thread before everybody got to confused.

 

I think Trev's Plastic Surgeon is a good example. Dr X works for the NHS and gets paid £100K a year, he also does "private" part work, which earns him another £80K a year. Being a senior Dr., Dr X also acts as a consultant to a manufacturing company (surgical plastics) and or a drugs company which earns him another £60K a year. Is he any less professional with the other jobs outside the NHS, NO, and by my maths he's on £240K a year.

 

OK as DJ's we're not going to earn that, but if DJing is your second job, and you are doing it to a professional standard, you should be getting a professional rate.

 

The only people that don't know what the professional rate is, are DJ's themselves. If you work for an Agent or a Hotel, they will be charging a professional rate for you, so why are you not getting a bigger slice of the cake. It doesn't matter if your full time or part time, it's still the same rate.

 

Another example, the cabby, when you get in a cab you expect to be ferried from a to b, safely and you will be charged the same rate, regardless of whether the driver is part time or full time.

 

Lets take the south, as i know this area, an agent will charge £350 for a disco, if you say you only want £250, he's made £100, is that fair?

 

A hotel rings you and asks how much you would charge for a wedding, you say £250, the hotel have already quoted £350 / £400 + VAT, so they make a few bob, is that fair.

 

Now lets look at it another way, you charge £350, the hotel says, oh can't afford that, OK, you know that they are charging £350 +VAT, don't be shy, ask them, are you charging the client £350 +VAT, if you are, I will charge you £300, and you (the hotel) make £50. Probably not as much as they would like, but. You have shown a professional business manner, you have shown that you know how the system works, and this is half the battle, knowing how the system works, you can't buck it, because all that will do is get you a bad name.

 

OK at the end of the day you are happy charging £180, because that what everybody else charges, then you won't mind someone else charging £350 for your services and pocketing the difference.

It's your decision.

Sorry if this seems a bit blunt, but that is what is happening in the real world. And I'm sure Chris would like you all to charge at least £350, then you'll have spare cash to buy good quality kit and not the cheap Chinese imports.

 

[mikeee 0]

OK lets put my head right in the noose.

If anyone wants to call me about this, I am more than willing to to pass on the little that I know to anyone that wants to listen. I believe in this industry, and I believe the average hard working DJ does not get the recognition or the financial rewards that he or she should do.

 

You can get me on 0845 430 3033 (my number)

or on the NADJ no. 0845 430 3044

 

Please try and keep it between 10.00am and 5.00pm, I do have a life, really

 

I can't say fairer than that, but I will warn you, I will try and get you to sign up for the association as well, my other non money making job.

Edited April 12, 2004 by mikeee

[mikeee 0]

Richard,

 

Pigs??? I thought it would have been sheep in your neck of the woods (ROFLMAO)

[ChrisPointon 0]

Okay, so you didn't take the hint, not only made by myself, but other members.

 

Mike, I was happy to leave this topic open, provided the content remained on topic, and we stopped going around in circles. What did start off to be a relatively interesting and informative topic quickly de-generated into a free for all, between a handful of members. The lack of input from other members signals that perhaps they don't wish to partake in the animosity which seems to be forming here, and has begun spilling over into other topics.

 

When a topic stops being helpful and constructive and begins to reach a level of personal flaming, either individually or at group level in order to light a fuse, then it's time to move on.