Agents

[tonyj 0]

I see we have and advert on the forum for an agency that will represent you for a discounted rate.

 

sorry to be a pain... but why should any artist pay to be represented when an agent takes commission from bookings. so i must persume if you have to pay an up front fee then theres guaranteed work?

 

i only ask this because elsewhere on this forum and others the advice is never pay to be represented.

 

no offence infered to anyone just curious.

[paula 0]

http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/stupid.gif Exactly my thought's too!

 

Gary, can you shed some light please?

[Kingy 0]

QUOTE (paula @ Mar 1 2005, 08:58 PM)

http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/stupid.gif Exactly my thought's too! Gary, can you shed some light please?

And mine............!!

[mikeee 0]

Under the employment agency act 1973, the employment bill 2000, and the revamp that came out on the 1st July 2004, just a little light reading, it is illegal for and entertainment agency to charge an act any form of "up front" fee. Agents earn their money in one of two ways:

1) Eployment Agency - You act as a middle man and bring Artiste and Client together for a commission, normally these days 15%.

2) Employment Business - Client rings, asks for a disco you say Yep, only £350.00 - send contract between agent and client. Then agent rings discos, says I have a booking on blah blah, how much do you want, disco says £180 (or whatever), agent issues contract beween him and disco for £180. Agent makes £170.00. But unlike option one, the agent is the employer, and thus liable if it goes t*ts up.

 

Thats the brief version. For the full version, go to the DTI, employment agencies act.

[mikeee 0]

Found the ad, followed the web link, they are charging a fee for listing, which as far as I know, in plain english they can not take a fee or charge commission.

 

Since 1995 when licencing was de regulated, the world and his son became agents, and a lot of them are now in prison or have been made bankrupt by the DTI, for inproper conduct.

 

Also for those of you who work for agents, as of 1st July last year, unless you have agreed in writting with your agent about how payment is to be made to you, the agent must pay the artiste all monies owed within seven working days.

 

The changes last July have a wide sweep of consiquenses (sp), I downloaded from the DTI the explanitory notes for the changes and at 84 pages, I haven't had chance to read through the whole lot.

 

At the end of the day ask the questions, like do you work within the Employment Agency Act, do you have the minimum £10,000 bonding, etc etc - OK the later of that is a requirement under the act, but I have yet to meetan agent that has it - but the day is coming.

[YourBigEvent 0]

I have some spare gigs going most weeks, anyone do them for £80 ? http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/rolleyes.gif

[Kingy 0]

I must admit I was a little surprised to see that post on here.

 

I hope its not a taste of things to come and the forum does NOT become too commercial and full of adverts!

[YourBigEvent 0]

If it does I be the first one going..........

[liquidtrax 0]

We ask for a mere £9.99, this cost helps up advertise and promote our site. When our site is promoted, this means we get offers to book DJ's, like yourselves. We believe this is an all around benificial circle and we have reduced our fee from £19.99 to £9.99 to DJU members, we are trying!!

[Kingy 0]

QUOTE (liquidtrax @ Mar 2 2005, 09:41 AM)

We ask for a mere £9.99, this cost helps up advertise and promote our site. When our site is promoted, this means we get offers to book DJ's, like yourselves. We believe this is an all around benificial circle and we have reduced our fee from £19.99 to £9.99 to DJU members, we are trying!!

But surely, if you are a bona fide agency, you will know that charging fees up front is now illegal.

 

Why not tell us all a bit more about your background, it may be of use to the guys who need agency representation.

[McCardle 1]

i do not get on here much but i concur that the forum appears to be changing and this may not be a good thing but i do know chris right back to high school and i don't believe that he would put money before your interests

Edited March 2, 2005 by McCardle

[liquidtrax 0]

OK, I will be looking into the legalitys of it, but we have already have quite a bit of intrest including DJ's signing up and not just from UK so we must be doing something right! All we ask is £9.99, this also ensures that only serious DJ's who are willing to work sign up

[DJ Marky Marc 0]

Liquid trax only have 5 DJ's listed......

 

non of them i have heard of...

 

and as a new agent is there any work on your books or is it all a pipe dream.

 

heres a challange mr liquid, if you give me a decent booking then ill give you that £10.....

[YourBigEvent 0]

Good shout Marc

 

Looking at the site, I would be too impressed with 5 DJ's, especially if I wanted one for my wedding, anyone with a 'DJ Name' doesn't get my vote.

[Ian Stewart 0]

I have read thge web site & can't see what I get for my money, if anything.

 

what would help is a list of current clients

 

Gary can I ask why this was put on the forum, especially by one of the moderators when other links to businesses are removed

[jimmym 0]

I agree.

 

Placing Agents ads on the forum is the wrong way to go, I find this forum very proffestional and well moderated and veted. I dont mind waiting for my posts to be checked before they are shown, I dont mind being asked to remove my web site link because it linked to another forum.

I do though find it hard to belive a agent is allowed to advertise and have the cheek to ask for a signing fee.

 

There are too many good agents around who charge no fee, vet all there Djs and get them some of the best bookings and fees around and all for no fee except there percentage which is expected for all there hard work in aquiring the booking and writting the contracts.

 

Agents shouldnt be allowed to advertise, I have nothing against them but too many forums are heading this way, next we will have people on advertising other forums. I have allways considered this forum to be above the others and not run by some couple who tend to use it as a chat room for the out of work Djs.

 

I do hope we dont go to commercial.

 

Jim

[liquidtrax 0]

Can you guys give us a break? We have clubs on our books who are willing to book through us. Every business has to start from somewhere and there was once a time when DJU only had 5 members. £10 is all we ask, it isn't going to bankrupt you if it is then its simple, don't sign up!

[DJ Marky Marc 0]

Liquid,

 

Listen here mate, we are not having a go , we are just looking out for the each other. we use the forum to debate all sort of things not just to slate new DJ agents...

 

With 14 years of DJing under my belt I have never once had to pay to join an agency, they call me and ask if i will work for them all the time.

 

also agents come and go so you will always get some resistance to paying money up front....

 

justify the £10 listing fee thats all people are asking....

 

maybe a new approch is required ??????

 

ALSO WHATS YOUR PHONE NUMBER IT SEEMS TO BE MISSING FROM YOUR WEB SITE !!!!!

[liquidtrax 0]

OK, but no one is even giving me a chance. The £10 is used to contact our connections and website maintanance fees. We also have to pay staff. You can call me on 07005 10 1234

[Gary 0]

QUOTE (Ian Stewart @ Mar 2 2005, 11:03 AM)

Gary can I ask why this was put on the forum, especially by one of the moderators when other links to businesses are removed

Ow! Ouch! Ouooo!

 

Dont shoot the messenger!

 

ChrisP asked me to post the above details, as Chris wasnt near a PC at the time that the details were ready.

 

Some new things, which perhaps wouldnt have appeared on the forum during Chris's (and the forums) CSL days, may well be included in the future. This may well include disco retailers such as Disco Studio, and DJ related businesses such as Liquid Trax, all of which will also be fully fledged members of DJU, rather than faceless pop-up windows, or any of those nasty floating "always on top" adverts that stay in-yer-face wherever you scroll to. As is the case with the Liquid Trax post, its there as any other post would be, and can be viewed, or not viewed at each and every members discretion - just as we do now with other posts eg: If theres a post about the dance moves to a new cheesy dance tune, but we dont ever play cheesy dance tunes, we dont read that thread.

 

Over the last 2 years+ DJs United has grown to become the UK's most popular UK forum for mobile DJ's - with over 2400 members and a phenominal growth rate of new members. Formerly, with CSL's connections, we couldnt be classed as "independant", now however, we are. Obviously, DJU members will benefit from having a number of Disco retailers to choose from when fact-finding, choosing and purchasing new equipment, or choosing whether, or not, to contact other DJ related services which they may read about here on DJU, which is expanding in several exciting ways.

Edited March 2, 2005 by Gary

[liquidtrax 0]

P.S feel free to chat to me on the livehelp facilities on my website

[kazzachi 0]

Surely the commission you take from your DJs will cover your costs - as with all legally abiding agencies...... My personal opinion is that if you are happy to break the law at the outset of becoming an agent, I personally would not want to work for you! Sorry to say, but I dont think by being willing to act as an agent and then publicly saying that you are going to break the law to get off the ground, then many professional DJs are not going to view your agency in the very best of lights. Any DJs who are seriously considering using an agent can contact me and I will be quite happy to give you a list of agents who will NOT charge you any up front fees (as they are illegal)... and you will only pay commission once you have been paid your fee!

[liquidtrax 0]

Would you like me to do that then? No sign up fee and take 80% comission?

 

Most people say no!

[kazzachi 0]

Try taking a small business loan... or have a look at the business enterprise schemes available........ Surely you would prefer to act within the law than get very quickly shut down before you even get started. Every business has to outlay money to start off....... surely you realise that... I had to buy my disco gear before getting the bookings after all... but the money was soon recouped.

[DJGAVT 0]

QUOTE (liquidtrax @ Mar 2 2005, 12:56 PM)

Would you like me to do that then? No sign up fee and take 80% comission? Most people say no!

During my time i have worked for 7 DJ agents and still work for 4 of them! I have never had to pay an upfront fee nor have i paid any more than 20% commission. They all have fancy websites etc.

 

http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/533.gif