I brought this topic up in a different forum and got a lot of heated discussions.

There is a growing market of free DJs. Do you think a new (no name) DJ should ask for money?

How much did you get for your first gig?

What kind of question is this?

NOTHING IS FREE---if DJ Suckalot screws up the night it will cost you plenty!

I think any person hiring a DJ needs to get that DJ's references or accolades from trusted sources. Hiring just any DJ can easily be a reckless adventure for both the venue and the club patrons.

If it is a matter of pay for the first time....gimme a break....most club DJ's are lucky to bring in 300-600 bucks per night and albeit average about 175-250

Clubs have the money to pay----the smart clubs pay good dj's well to keep them on the books so that other clubs won't entice them to leave for like 50 bucks more.


BTW my first gig was in 1999 I was paid 125.00 with a food and bar tab. The club was in a basement of another club and they had an installed system that to this day I still remember as the loudest thing I've ever been on. I had about 25 Nu Music Tracks and a couple of CD's with some party favorites. I was there for about 3 months but was eventually booted out by a local radio station. A few months later the doors closed on both clubs.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: DJ BAM,

Would you expect free dentistry just because your dentist just graduated from dental school? Didn't think so. So, to answer your question, YES. I think every DJ should ask for money. "How much money" is a whole other topic.

I think my first gig was something like 500 Kenya Shillings, which was about $7 bucks!!! But that was back in 1991 and it was in Africa where the market rate was twice that for the night without bringing any equipment (or music).

This is a two part discussion

1. How do you present yourself as a new player.
2. How much do you ask for as ANY level of dj.

IMO you are a new dj when you first run a mixer from one source of music to another, and for some that is the bedroom, for some the club, or event, for me it was live on the radio. So you are not "new" obviously you have pioneer gear, you have mixed songs to some degree. This is the same as any job, you "tweak" your resume to put your experience in the best light. Fact is, you could dj for 20 years and you may or may not be any better than a talented highschooler with a pasion for the music, who has enough experience with the equipment.

As far as the second part, this is a rediculous discussion. Mobile beat and company are always telling readers, "you need to demand a rate that one could earn a living from dj'ing" If I didn't enjoy this work, I wouldn't still be doing it. No one can tell me what to charge. Peter Merry charges a reported 5k per show, but he functions as a event coordinator, and I say good for him to get that rate, and have the bullocks to proclaim it. But don't for a minute suggest that someone isn't going to be able to do the same thing for a customer at 1k, if they so desire. By the same token, you shouldn't let (in any job) a greedy, cheap owner take advantage of your young talent. You must weigh the situation for your needs. Maybe working a month for free gets you into the club and gets you 2 years worth of work. Maybe you quote a whole group of clubs 500 a night, "no less!" and you wind up dj'ing from the bedroom on a friday night while the agressive kid is gaining immeasurable experience with a real crowd. Case by case basis, and don't let anyone tell you what you should or shouldn't charge, they didn't pay for your gear, and they don't pay for your bills.

I personally think I would rather play and get a little as a new player, than wait around. Dive in and immerse yourself in the scene. Enjoy it.

Finally, keep in mind making it in this racket it is now essential to be able to modify/remix/create/ produce so I would keep the bedroom time to learning/ practicing at the computer and keep the djing out of the bedroom when possible. I only "practice" djing when a new mixer or player gets delivered.

i've only done charity work for free or if i pop into a club & rock with one of my boys (for fun).

you should be paid what you're worth in the market you're in.

I feel that a lot of new DJs now are offering little or no cost service just to get a chance to play in front of people (mostly clubs). Which makes it hard for someone like me to get paid gigs.

i see nothing wrong with playing for free.

again, it depends on the venue and who is booking you.

if i get a promoter or a club hit me up and ask me to play, of course i ask them for money up front! because they will expect me promote and pull some heads. i also ask for free admission for my friends and depending on the spot, i will ask for bottle service or a bar tab. they usually have no problems with that.

if a friend of mine calls me up and says "yo, i'm playing at this spot tonight, come throw down with me. cant pay, but i got a fat bar tab" i will come and play for free. chances are it will be good times and bunch of my friends will be there. this is what it is all about!

Didn't know that about you Eric. Respect man. From Kenya to one of the world's biggest cities, and I know you're a respectable player from the numerous posts you have made.

Thank you for the kind words. Yeah, it's been one long and interesting road for me and others, I must admit. But we can't rest on our laurels now, can we? Gotta come full circle and head back to the motherland at some point, restoring peace and progressive ideology within our brethren in the process.

You are working, you should get paid.

sounds to me like you were left wondering if you were going to get paid after you were done. Rule of thumb is to clear the details before the actual gig so there are no flase expectations.

Some dj's want thier foot in the door and may play the opening spot to see if the sound is right.

If you have a bunch of friends that are willing to come out and see you do your thing, even better! the club want to fill the place up full of fun drunk people. if you are dj no name and have no friends, then you are screwed...sorry.

Unfortunately this is not going to change, and it's a consequence of the increasing number of djs.

I even heard of a dj in a club that put an already mixed cd, and he was pretending to be djing. Of course he did not get any paid for this "show"

I also saw some pictures of a mobile dj that was playing in a party with a desktop computer !!!!, this was in Mexico were people cannot easily afford to get a laptop, and he was playing for free !!!

quote:

Originally posted by DavidDLC:
...I even heard of a dj in a club that put an already mixed cd, and he was pretending to be djing...

Reason #1 for not making mix CD's. You make mix CD's and this is what happens...

This is why you use name drops on your mix sets.

I think the important bits have been covered. My $0.02 follows close behind.

1) If you're working for charity, cover your costs (if any) and that's all. This applies to business as well. I worked at a church-group youth nightclub that charged 3 bucks cover; it covered the cost of the venue and that was it. Everyone who worked there was volunteer, and so was I, and to this day I don't feel bad about doing that in the least, if only because of the invaluable experience it brought me.

2) If you're in business as a mobile guy, free gigs only come in 2 flavors: a) VERY close friends and family, b) making up for screwing up the last one. Everything else should be a paid gig, even if, as mentioned above, all you're charging is a very small amount to cover costs (for charity or something similar). Hell, even most friends and family get a discount, but I still make money. They all understand that you're not there to give away your business; you're a professional and should be paid as such.

3) Clubs: always get paid, unless you're in bumming around with a buddy who didn't ask you to be there. If he asked for help, get paid (or get drunk on his tab ), unless you have some other arrangement with him.

4) Pay scale slides with experience and equipment brought. As a n00b, don't go around asking for $500 for a club night unless that's n00b salary where you live.

-r-

quote:

Originally posted by RyanJ:
4) Pay scale slides with experience and equipment brought. As a n00b, don't go around asking for $500 for a club night unless that's n00b salary where you live.

-r-

I was going to make exactly that point.

You should always get paid. No matter what. Even if it's gas money.

BUT do not expect hundreds of bucks for your first gig if your not established.

quote:

Originally posted by DavidDLC:

I also saw some pictures of a mobile dj that was playing in a party with a desktop computer !!!!,

Are you serious man?

No joke - there are plenty of DJs who find "desktop" computers more reliable than laptops (not to mention cheaper). If they know anything about class and style, they'll mount them in a rack case instead of just leaving them in a standard "desktop" style tower.

quote:

Originally posted by Pulse:
...(not to mention cheaper)....

Not to mention FASTER.

-r-

I've tried searching for it but can't find... I remember reading an interview with a mobile DJ who only ever used desktop computers. I think he had four in his setup. His entire set weighed 900lbs... yes, you read that right! {Doesn't include lights or speakers btw} Just how mobile it is I don't know!

's troo, they're faster too.