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Don't forget Divorce Parties, and baby showers. Try selling a $5,000 DJ at a baby shower. The games are endless, and your MC skills need to be super polished...think Howie Mandell...otherwise you are only going to book a baby shower for $200. If you can sell well, you can show up with a pair of speakers on sticks and a corded microphone and charge $5,000. :angel::rofl::stupid: ...Not to mention all the potential future brides in the room. :icescream:

Make sure to follow up with all of your past brides to let them know you do divorce parties as well...repeat business. :hiding:


There's so much money out there to make as a DJ, I'm surprised most of us here aren't booking these $5,000+ events every weekend.
 
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DJ Ricky B said:
Don't forget Divorce Parties, and baby showers. Try selling a $5,000 DJ at a baby shower. The games are endless, and your MC skills need to be super polished...think Howie Mandell...otherwise you are only going to book a baby shower for $200. If you can sell well, you can show up with a pair of speakers on sticks and a corded microphone and charge $5,000. :angel::rofl::stupid: ...Not to mention all the potential future brides in the room. :icescream:

Make sure to follow up with all of your past brides to let them know you do divorce parties as well...repeat business. :hiding:


There's so much money out there to make as a DJ, I'm surprised most of us here aren't booking these $5,000+ events every weekend.
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While you see these in jest .. the reality is the events ARE there. You won't book these events advertising on Wedding Wire or Craigslist or through a website.
 
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DJ Ricky B said:
There's so much money out there to make as a DJ, I'm surprised most of us here aren't booking these $5,000+ events every weekend.
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I can only speak for myself, but at least some of us are making the effort to. :)
 
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steve149 said:
While you see these in jest .. the reality is the events ARE there. You won't book these events advertising on Wedding Wire or Craigslist or through a website.
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They are there, but rare.
rickryan.com said:
I thought all of them rival weddings?
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I have done a few Quinceaneras at high end hotels. One was at the Marriot, that was booked at $650. Another big Philippino Sweet 16 was booked at $775. ....Can't say I've ever been able to book a Quinceanera at a high price.

Quince clients usually book a Spanish speaking DJ they were referred to, or they seek one out. ...Most of them occur in Community Centers, and the DJ is charging them $175 - $350. In Maryland, especially near D.C. there are quite a few spanish speaking DJs who will go and do a Quince for $350 or less. I have noticed some of the more experiences ones starting to charge some serious money though. I think after a few years of deejaying some of them have raised their rates quite a bit realizing being a Spanish DJ they are serving a niche market.


I have seen one Spanish DJ's advertised rates go rom $150 to $900+ on DC Craigslist...the guy has been advertising on there since 2010. There is a Spanish speaking DJ with the agency I work with. He has done lots of clubs over the last 10+ years. He now books a lot of weddings and charges more than I do, and he stays pretty well booked between club work and DJ work. He lives in D.C. though...living there helps in booking local D.C. gigs. He had saved up his money for a number of years and last year he was able to buy a Maserati. I was impressed.
 
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Some Quinces...the more traditional ones where the parents and family REALLY, REALLY want to dance to a lot of bachatas, meringue, salsa...Those ones can last 6 to 7 hours EASILY. ....I lost a quote on one down near D.C. It was at a community center. They found a Spanish DJ considerably cheaper than my $800 price quote. I rarely book these events. I get maybe 10 - 15 Gig Masters Quinceanera gig requests a year. I might get one email inquiry for it, and the agency always seems to promote me as an option for a couple of them a year in the past, but now that the agency has more Spanish DJs, I think they push those clients on them now. ...It's not really my market anyway. I focus on weddings, corporate, and a few mitzvahs. Maybe book 3 to 5 birthday or anniversary parties each year.
 
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Ricky, events you do are no where near the high end of the market, you are probably middle of the row for the bottom tier of the Dj business as am I, it's the easiest clientele to find, to get the gigs we are talking about in this thread you need to know the right people and get into the inner circles, the work and money is there, Rick Ryan is on his way to finding it, I had a chance once with a group of "connected" Italians from the Chicagoland area I did a few gigs for them and they tipped me much more than I charged them, I had to pass on one of their gigs for family reasons and have never heard from them again. You always talk about why you can't make money, maybe you should change your thought process and figure out a way to make more
 
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tunes4046 said:
Ricky, events you do are no where near the high end of the market, you are probably middle of the row for the bottom tier of the Dj business as am I, it's the easiest clientele to find, to get the gigs we are talking about in this thread you need to know the right people and get into the inner circles, the work and money is there, Rick Ryan is on his way to finding it, I had a chance once with a group of "connected" Italians from the Chicagoland area I did a few gigs for them and they tipped me much more than I charged them, I had to pass on one of their gigs for family reasons and have never heard from them again. You always talk about why you can't make money, maybe you should change your thought process and figure out a way to make more
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I never said I'm not making money. I do want to make MORE money, however I also realize there are natural limits in our business.

In Fact I have a wedding booked today. I have to load up the SUV in a little bit, and get on the road @ 3:15. I am making more on this weekday wedding than I did working part time job for entire month!

I also have a high paying wedding booked on Friday. I just choose not to believe much of the smoke and mirrors many DJs put fourth these days.

Here we are talking about $5000 events being attainable, and readily available for DJs to grab, yet I've been told I am charging too much asking for $350 for an additional hour of music as a DJ on a all inclusive package lol.

My general thoughts are that the DJs who who book these higher end events have more labor and equipment expenses, and in the end still are only pulling $2,000 on the event. ...And they aren't booking 40+ of these $4,000+ events a year either. In the end, these same DJs either have other jobs supporting them, or really aren't earning much more money than the work horse guys like me booking $750 - $1500 events on the regular.
 
tunes4046 said:
Ricky, events you do are no where near the high end of the market, you are probably middle of the row for the bottom tier of the Dj business as am I, it's the easiest clientele to find, to get the gigs we are talking about in this thread you need to know the right people and get into the inner circles, the work and money is there, Rick Ryan is on his way to finding it, I had a chance once with a group of "connected" Italians from the Chicagoland area I did a few gigs for them and they tipped me much more than I charged them, I had to pass on one of their gigs for family reasons and have never heard from them again. You always talk about why you can't make money, maybe you should change your thought process and figure out a way to make more
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I wish. Thanks for the props but to be honest, I often feel like I'm still groping along, just trying to find a gig. I really enjoy reading Ricky and Ice's posts. They're both (my opinion) very business oriented and down to earth on their grasp of the real market and how to milk it for what you can get, and still be working consistently. In my own case, I'm frankly struggling to fill DJ dates at $750. Too many guys who will take $500-$600 and throw in a ceremony for free. Changing over to a photography with DJ added biz model is what I'm hoping will put us into bigger money territory. That $2k pkg for 2 photogs+1 DJ ends up looking like $1600, net. I'm just hoping I can pop 5-10 of those by the end of the year. By the time the wifey invests 30 hours into an event, per hour money doesn't look so hot but at least it's getting her generating revenue and it's giving us a platform to spring from when we start splitting into multiple events and adding our kids into the picture (14 & 18 currently). Thanks again for your kind props.
 
rickryan.com said:
I wish. Thanks for the props but to be honest, I often feel like I'm still groping along, just trying to find a gig. I really enjoy reading Ricky and Ice's posts. They're both (my opinion) very business oriented and down to earth on their grasp of the real market and how to milk it for what you can get, and still be working consistently. In my own case, I'm frankly struggling to fill DJ dates at $750. Too many guys who will take $500-$600 and throw in a ceremony for free. Changing over to a photography with DJ added biz model is what I'm hoping will put us into bigger money territory. That $2k pkg for 2 photogs+1 DJ ends up looking like $1600, net. I'm just hoping I can pop 5-10 of those by the end of the year. By the time the wifey invests 30 hours into an event, per hour money doesn't look so hot but at least it's getting her generating revenue and it's giving us a platform to spring from when we start splitting into multiple events and adding our kids into the picture (14 & 18 currently). Thanks again for your kind props.
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You are slowly gaining access to the Jewish community and getting larger and larger gigs in that area, you're bound attract the attention of clients further up the social ladder as you go forward and you seem to have no issues of being afraid to charge adequately
 
tunes4046 said:
You are slowly gaining access to the Jewish community and getting larger and larger gigs in that area, you're bound attract the attention of clients further up the social ladder as you go forward and you seem to have no issues of being afraid to charge adequately
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Thanks. While it's true, some doors seem to be opening with the Jewish community, that's not a basket in which I'd want all my eggs placed. Mitzvahs are a much bigger PITA than weddings, and the pressure is high to one-up yourself, constantly. I'd love it if you are correct but I guess I take a much more pessimistic view than you do. I will share this however, I'm continuing to diversify my efforts. Still passively shopping for land where I can build a venue. It may or may never happen. I'm also currently re-developing the next edition of my app-generator product. That one has some serious potential that could motivate departure from the day gig. Lots of options, just trying to juggle it all.
 
Agreed - most of us here are not the 'high end' guys. When you find them, it's a small niche. There are guys doing expensive shows. Some have a bunch of labor, some not so much. Either way, it's a niche.
 
DJ Ricky B said:
...there are natural limits in our business.
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"Ain't no sucha thing," in any business.

Business and business compensation does not operate in the natural world.

The only limits are those we impose upon ourselves or decide to submit to, but there are no "natural" limits to making money based on one's industry or craft.
 
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Ricky - You are looking at these big gigs from a "DJs" perspective .. that is NOT the perspective you need if you want more profitable gigs.

You need to come at from a "vision" perspective .. what can you do to make the client's dream happen .. and you may need to help them articulate that in the first place. The reason that Marcello and others do high end gigs, is they do a great job of making someone's vision happen .. and that resonates with people who have the means .. they want someone to OWN and DELIVER on that vision. That's where you make money .. the DJing for those events is normally an afterthought.
 
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I'll share my example this was the mid 90's I was a $500 wedding guy I got a call from a father of the bride who was recommended by Tony a client of mine I done his concrete companies Christmas party for many years, well we'll just call him Vito calls me and ask me to do his daughters wedding in Chicago i quote him $500 plus travel expenses he said he would take care of the hotel, I arrive on Friday night for a Saturday wedding, check into the 5 star hotel that Vito put me up in go to my room which is a suite, and there is a note that says please join us for dinner at 7pm there will be a car waiting in the lobby at 6:20. At 6:20 a large stretch limo pulls up driver ask for me, I am taken to Vito's lake side home, served a huge meal and treated like family, spent a few hours with the "family" and met a lot of people, Saturday the wedding is a very posh ballroom everything is very high end, ends up being a great event, at the end of the night , this was pre-contract and being paid in advance, Vito come up shakes my hand hugs me and kisses me on both cheeks thanks me for doing a great job and ask what he owes, I say $650, he hands me 30 crisp $100 bills and says this is what you deserve. I refused once but he makes it very clear he will be offended if I don't accept his gratitude, I worked about 20 shows from this one never a set price just show up because Vito said you were the guy to get. iwas paid anywhere from $2000 to $5000 for these shows, I had to tell one of them no one time due to a family event I had to attend and have never heard from them again.

sometimes it is who you know
 
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