Disc Jockey Prices

When you are in the market for a disc jockey it does take long before you discover the rates vary drastically between vendors and obviously every vendor will tell you that their service is the absolute best. Disc Jockey rates can range anywhere from $250 to $3000 for a four hour show and then "overtime rates" often apply. Clearly there must be some method behind the madness when it comes to the vast differences between rates and it can be attributed to a variety of factors, some legitimate and others probably not as much. There is one "claim" often made by DJs that I flatly reject and that being a low priced DJ is something to be avoided because these DJs will always perform badly and that you have to pay a lot of money to get a quality DJ. Instead I would evaluate the services the DJ offers and only become suspicious if what the DJ is offering is too good to be true. This will be discussed towards the end of this article but let us first explore legitimate drivers that can impact a DJ's rate. These include experience, sound and lighting, services provided, and the type of event.

Experience

Clearly a DJ who is just getting established cannot command the same price as one who has been in business for ten, twenty or more years. If you are hiring a DJ who has just entered the business then you should just be sure the DJ has put a lot of thought into what he/she is getting involved with. It is possible for a new comer to learn the trade very quickly if he/she is willing to conduct some very basic research to understand what music is in demand. However, one can rarely go wrong when hiring an experienced DJ, clearly someone who is experienced already has learned a lot about what it takes to keep people dancing and to "read the crowd". An inexperienced DJ will surely make more mistakes and you simply will need to ask yourself, as the client, if you can tolerate mistakes during your event. There are many cases where the event must be performed flawlessly but there are many others where nobody is really going to care and likely will laugh it off and soon forget it.

Sound and Lighting

First and foremost, you should be wary of hiring a DJ that does not utilize professional sound and lighting equipment. A true professional will very easily will bring equipment, to your show, that is valued between $2,000 to $5,000 and some very high end DJs will have even higher priced equipment. The sound systems quality will be readily apparent, especially if you are in a large dance hall or if the music must be played loudly. Think of it this way, if you take your average boom box and put it on high volume it does not take a discerning ear to hear the distortion and if you are in a reception hall it may not even be possible to hear it across the room. The same is true of most home stereo systems, while they perform quite well in your home, they cannot typically provide the volume output for a four hour gig. There is a very high chance that the system will not put out a quality signal or worse the system will not last the night. I personally have seen two circumstances where a DJs amp "fried" before the night was out. There is nothing more deafening, at a dance, than a silent sound system, be absolutely certain that your DJ has a professional sound system.

Lighting can also be a major factor in a DJ's rate, it is possible to purchase "DJ lights" from your local retail store but these lights are nothing compared to a professional lighting system. Professional lighting systems can also vary from mostly manual, where the DJ turns the lights on and off and there may be some automation based on the beat of the music, to a fully automated computerized system that will cycle through various patterns throughout the night. Consider for a moment the difference in lights shows between a local band and a current singer with songs in the top 40. Obviously there will be a difference in the "light show", you should expect a $250 DJ to provide either amateur lights or very basic professional lights and a $3,000 DJ had better be able to provide multiple professional lights that are controlled by a computer system. You will need to consider what type of show you desire and whether or not your DJ can provide it.

Types of Services

The types of services your DJ provides will directly impact the price, some DJs will just play music while others will put on an entire show. Many DJs will provide at least some sort of master of ceremony duties which may include announcements, introduction of guests, announcing special dances, and possibly some games. There are DJs who will provide full fledged games akin to the ones we see on television. There are also some DJs will provide a full comedy act or other type of entertainment. Other activities may include auctions (of the bouquet or garter), having to answer a question about the bride and groom before they kiss, Karaoke, and prize drawings. The greater the number of services and typically the greater the crowd interaction, the higher the rate. This is especially true if the DJ needs to bring supplies and prizes for the game, obviously this needs to be paid for by someone and that someone will be you.

Type of Event

The type of event will have a direct impact on a DJs rate, clearly a small bar is far less important than a wedding. Therefore the rate will also vary between the two venues, for a local bar the DJ will often just "show up" and play some music and the DJ may just play what he/she wants to hear. For nearly all of us our wedding is one of the most important days of our lives and we definitely want a DJ who will take the event seriously. For weddings a DJ will often meet with you in person one or more times, consult with you over the phone or e-mail, and will plan to have music that you desire to hear. Often wedding DJs will go out of their way to purchase , music which the bride and groom have requested since it is seriously that important! Furthermore, a true professional DJ will plan to be at the top of his/her game when performing at a wedding whereas he/she will just "wing it" at a bar. Furthermore, a formal event like a wedding or anniversary often requires a wide range of music to be played whereas a bar may require a single type of music.

Conclusion

When selecting a DJ you must first decide what exactly you want that DJ to provide, obviously you want your event to be fun and memorable, but it will be important to be more specific. Once you may this determination then you can begin the process of calling and interviewing DJs. Determine what services they provide and how those match up with what you desire. Where you want to be wary is if a DJ tells you that they have a 200,000 song library, a light show to make Lady Gaga's concerts look amateurish, and a leading edge sounds system all for $250 for four hours. Clearly, it is too good to be true, however some DJs will be able to provide the same level of quality services for half the price of others. There is no such thing as a magic formula that says a DJ who charges $1000 is a true professional one who charges $500 is not serious about his/her job. Finally, there are times when you will be paying for a "name", I personally know of DJs in my area that are well known and respected and therefore are in demand. Obviously a DJ has the same amount of time as any other person and that time is limited, therefore if the demand for that DJ increases he/she can increases his/her prices accordingly.

Scott Perowitz
Minnesota Cowboy Disc Jockey Services
http://www.minnesotacowboy.com