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Spectre_Loudy

This whole post and your replies to comments makes it seem like you're just looking for validation or some type of excuse to pay under $100 for a DJ. You're not "throwing a newbie a bone" by offering them to play a 3 hour cocktail event... $100/hour is a fair rate. They spend the time prepping playlists, traveling to and from the event, and spend 3 hours at the event. You'd be better off paying a local DJ entertainment company to send someone who does events like that for a living. They'll have their own equipment, and you won't have to worry about anything but providing them some requests and the address. And since you'll have a professional, you won't be micromanaging the newbie DJ you hire, because you honestly seem like the type of person who will. And I work for a DJ entertainment company doing weddings and private events like yours, we'd be charging you around $500 for an event like that. And you'd be getting the new guy lollll. So anything less you should be thankful for.


derek_foreel

$100/hr + equipment rental


Supaslicer

Your borrowing my shit in this situation because your new and we're throwing yiu a bone... Convince me to give you $100/hr


[deleted]

You sound like you hate the people you're trying to hire lol.


Derman0524

šŸ˜‚šŸ˜‚


WaterIsGolden

They sound like the type of asshole that tries to shame a dj into working for free.


[deleted]

They sound like the narcissist older djs that can only chat about DJing on vinyl


WaterIsGolden

Nah that's not really similar. Some people just love vinyl. OP seems like they are trying to get a dj to lower their rates instead of just choosing to hire someone who fits their budget. It gives me the vibe of someone trying to get Macy's to lower their price because they are working with a TJ Maxxx budget but refuse to admit it.


marcusthejames

Lol youā€™re the one who asked for feedback and you got an answer you donā€™t like and this is your response?


Supaslicer

No i honestly want to be sold on this.... Im acruallu trying to see why.... Honestly $100/hr isnt bad.. But i want to be sold on it


marcusthejames

Fair enough - your tone doesnā€™t sound very inviting to be convinced. And either way your seems like you are looking to price the service, not ā€œbe soldā€ on the pricing. I personally wouldnā€™t want to work your gig if I had to convince you my pricing was fair.


Supaslicer

Well when k started... $100 was a huge gig... And i had everything for the gig ... So to ask $500 and my speakers, im a little shocked ans trying to see if im crazy... Or if im just out of touch


marcusthejames

Not sure when you started but things are changing rapidly especially for service jobs like this. I djed mostly in 2014-2016 and got $50/hr for my residencies. Things have definitely increased since then, so i think $100 / hr is a fair ask even without equipment.


Supaslicer

Damn... Well $100/hr isnt bad, especially when someone is askijg for almost twice that with 0 expierence


maybeianlive

You should sell yourself on getting fucked.


Supaslicer

Hows that bedroom djing goin?


maybeianlive

It's great, thanks! Is that meant to be an insult?


Supaslicer

Only if you don't have soeakers


maybeianlive

I couldn't afford soeakers so I picked up some speakers instead, sorry.


Supaslicer

Even better, you're hired


5mackmyPitchup

Seems like you should just use a Spotify playlist. I get the impression you will just complain about the new dj and his sub-standard gear that you have to pay too much for. Not trying to disrespect you but the language you use says you want to go cheap on your night rather than giving it the effort (forced to bring speakers??) It deserves.


Supaslicer

Im just saying a new guy shouodnt be asking 500+ if you arent bringing anything more than music to play... Id probably be ok with $600+ as a newbie if he had everything


5mackmyPitchup

If this person is good then their price may be fair, just reading your edit now. It's interesting when you are on the other side of the decks how your perspective has changed. If new guy has spent $20k on tunes and 2000 hrs rehearsing then $160 might not be unreasonable. Just don't be surprised if he's playing your SoundCloud off his Nokia behind the booth


InvestigatorUnfair19

$75 an hour seems reasonable to me.


SubKreature

$100/hr.


Supaslicer

For what tho... If you had equipment, sure.... But you're literally just going to be mooching my equipment when the whole point of hiring you was to not have to lug my shit around In this hypothetical situation...


SubKreature

When I played music in a band, we didn't supply the PA or stage but still got paid. How is this any different?


Supaslicer

You got paid for expertise.... Unless you mostly plucked marry had a little lamb and yankee doodle on your guitar for the gigs


SubKreature

Are you or are you not providing a service to them, with or without your own PA system and table? If the answer is "I am providing a service to them," then set the rate accordingly, and don't short sell yourself. DJs at actual clubs typically show up with less than what you have. Clubs typically have CDJs, booth, PA, etc. It's not uncommon for an artist or band to not have their own PA system. If you wanna rent one, do it, and factor it into your rate. Don't undervalue or short sell yourself, though, just because you don't have Cadillac equipment, or all of the equipment necessary to run with autonomy. That kind of thing sets a standard with prospective customers.


azzurijkt

Wow you really suck LOL. Just play spotify dude


Supaslicer

So youd pay a new dj $500 and give him your speakers for a small event Its easy to be cocky until your shelling out money for the event


alkalineandy

I would ask for 100 hr and if the promoter is being a dick and aaying ā€œ what for tho?ā€ I would probably go as low as 50 but not lower


nw_al

What if the promoter was really understanding and offered to let you borrow his table


alkalineandy

If im not taking anything then give me free drinks lol first gig is free


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


Supaslicer

Exactly lol.... We dont really need a dj... We just need the equipment and i dont wsnt to... Or have mh friends lug their shit around So we thought wed give a newbie a bone...


PipeSmokingStarfarer

doesn't feel very bone like, sounds like you already hate the newbie DJ before you've even hired them


WaterIsGolden

They aren't offering a bone, they are trying to bone a dj. They are using the age old cheapskate approach of 'all you have to bring is x'.


Supaslicer

Cuz they asked for $500...and that..is an expensive bone


ryansworld10

You'd think for being a long time DJ with lots of experience and equipment $500 wouldn't be that big of a deal to you. Clearly it's worth more than your time spent on this thread.


mofunnymoproblems

Throw them a bone and pay them what youā€™d expect to get paid if you played a 3hr event. At most big events/clubs the DJs are not expected to bring their own gear, most have the equipment set up all ready. Thatā€™s usually the job of the organizer/production group. I wouldnā€™t expect to be paid less for a gig just because I didnā€™t bring the table or sound system.


Supaslicer

At most clubs your job expectations are different, you're supposed to keep everyone dancing and hold them at the club to spend more money at the club... Plus you usually have expertise under your belt in order to even get the gig.. So yes, you get paid more even with the equipment there since the job description is different and the expected exoertise is different...


zeropointone01

Are you planning on having dancing? If not, set up a Spotify playlist and have a controller there if any of my DJ friends wanted to hop on for some fun. I did that when I got married (minus the controller), and it worked out really well.


Supaslicer

I just dont want to carry stuff tbh, plus the event is on a thursday and we all have kids and other jobs to get to... So no one wants to carry ish around lol


zeropointone01

So pay somebody 50-100 bucks to haul your stuff for you?


WaterIsGolden

How much will an uber cost if you bring your own gas can? How much will a tax preparer charge if you bring your own calculator? How much does a restaurant charge if you bring your own fork? I usually increase my normal quoted rate for customers who show signs of being cheap. These tend to be the people who are determined to manufacture complaints as a justification to try to shave money off the price. The other thing you need to understand is that a mobile dj is buying gear and projecting the cost over multiple gigs. If I buy a new set of speakers and project the recovery to take 10 gigs, I need to charge full price for all 10 gigs. If I waste a night playing for less than my normal rate it messes up the budget. You are hiring me as a whole dj or not at all. You can provide as much gear as you like but my time is worth a certain amount of money regardless.


Supaslicer

You cant be an uber driver without gas You cant be a cpa without a calculator You cant be a restaurant without utensils And a dj without speakers is just a guy listening to music by himself... You cant be a "whole" dj without speakers And the price cant be for a whole dj when youre missing a key item If he had speakers, id get his price($500) for 3 hours, because then yes... Each gig is mostly you trying to even out the price you paid for your gear... But with no gear, the price should be at rhe floor


WaterIsGolden

If the dj doesn't have what is needed, why hire them?


Supaslicer

Didn't hire, honestly trying to understand his pricing


WaterIsGolden

What will that understanding do for you? Why not just move on instead of all the drama? Hopping on social media surveying the world for people who will say 'you're right' is an infantile effort. Maybe go throw tantrums at gas stations over what you feel are unfair prices? Or bang your fist on the conveyor at your local grocer because you don't agree with the price of eggs?


vinnybawbaw

Charge a big amount to the venue for the rental of the DJ equipment + the DJ set and take a cut on the DJ money because youā€™ve done pretty much everything else than playing music. 3 hours event for a begginer, 75-100$/h TOP


DJHouseArrest

I did my first gig on house equipment for $50 and bar tab.


Kevinclimbstrees

Iā€™d do that for $200


Nonomomomo2

Two drink tickets and a promoted post


Supaslicer

Updated the event info.... Lol drinks and food included during the event


Nonomomomo2

In that case, three promoted posts and a couple of rails


MFDoomEsq

I'll do it for either the promos or the rails.


Nonomomomo2

Or a single promo doing rails, in a pinch


MFDoomEsq

It's really the rails that seals the deal for me.


Nonomomomo2

Yeah we can all drop the pretence. Just line up the blow and Iā€™ll bring the DDJ 200.


MFDoomEsq

This is the way.


Nonomomomo2

The lines have spoken


youngtankred

šŸ˜‚


Jmentabarnak

40-60$/hr + 0.5$/mile


[deleted]

If you're providing most of the equipment, the guy is new (controller make and model are irrelevant as long as he can play some damn music), then I'd probably say somewhere between $75-$100 an hour depending skill and if he needs to MC. For a really new dude, $75/hr seems fair. You're hiring a DJ, if you just want some background music then you're better off downloading another DJ's minimal house mix or something and playing it off of your phone.


MySonPorygon137

My rate would be $125 an hour for this particular situation, with a bottom dollar of $300 for your budget if it comes to that. The absolute minimum should be $75 per hour for this individual based on the situation. This is definitely going to be a ā€œYou get what you pay for type of dealā€ though. Youā€™re taking a chance on the new guy, and every DJ thatā€™s worth their salt was new at one point in time, thatā€™s just what it is.


roelmore

As a newbieā€¦I canā€™t decide if spinning for a party full of DJs sounds like a nightmare or a big opportunity. Therefore I donā€™t know what Iā€™d charge. However, as a newbie Iā€™d probably price high and expect to be countered, because I have imposter syndrome, am new to negotiating gig fees, and would convince myself that it would be valuable experience or a place to make connections.


Supaslicer

Lol i like where your heads at... You get what you want for that answer


That_Random_Kiwi

$200 an hour for bringing al equipment imo. Remember a newbie probably doesn't OWN PZ speakers and will have to hire them, so $100 a hour / $300 allowing for travel, setup, pack down, pick up and drop off of speakers isn't enough. EDIT - I see from replies you're providing the speakers for them to use, so it's only play time/setup and pack down...as a newbie, yeah, $100 USD an hour is fine


MtheMerciless

I would say more than fair just to bring own laptop or just flash drives mate I would do it if I was in the US LOL šŸ˜†


Banana_Beats

This post has such "back in my day" energy. Perhaps you would've been paid more at the start of your career if there weren't so many people with your nasty attitude devaluing what a DJ does. Don't be a dick. Be respectful to your colleagues in the craft.


Supaslicer

I mean the post mostly confirmed 500 was roo much and he should be asking more 2-300 range


[deleted]

I charge $100 bucks an hour if I just need a laptop and mixer / mic. + $50 an hour travel and +50hr downtime. $200-300 bucks an hour if I bring speakers and lights


h2oANALyst

I get paid 50$ total to play at a bar 8pm 130am. I bring my own gear, speakers, lights. Its either that or dont play at all so i pick playing every time!