Prospect found a $200 DJ for 5 hours with karaoke. Will the $200 DJ always exist?

steve149 · Jul 21, 2015

DJ Brian Redd is as much of an expert on pricing as we are, so I wouldn't hang my hat on that ... I think too many of you are fixating on the wrong issue.

I have no issue with someone taking a job for $200, $100 or free .. that is their prerogative and they have their reasons .. even if it may be to have a little fun. I also won't read into any pricing the abilities of the performer. I had a mechanic that routinely charged half of what other locals did .. and did better work and took care of details the others did not. He was happy with his pricing and that was good enough for me.

On the other hand, with a little business sense, if you need to make DJing your full time gig, then these are NOT the customers you should be chasing .. UNLESS, based on that business acumen, you determine the value of the opportunity lies not in that $200, but as Pro said, in the potential business it may drive later.

bestdjinfl · Jul 21, 2015

Hank Davidson said:
Okay Ray, Let's spin it like this.

I'm a seasoned DJ/MC of 20 years. I have thousands of dollars in pro gear, a legal music library and insurance all paid in full from earned profits. Now I decide to take a few jobs for $300 as gravy. Does that make me a mook?

My point is that the guy in your story is discredited by his practices and not his price.

You answered your own question dude "I have thousands of dollars in pro gear, a legal music library and insurance all paid in full from earned profits"

bestdjinfl · Jul 21, 2015

Jeff Romard said:
I have yet to find a client that really cares about what gear you use, what music you play, About insurance, or what software you use as long as they have a good time and it's within their budget.

I like to underestimate. My business plan is based on me doing 40 gigs a year. The last 15 years I've done 55+. Personally I wouldn't do a gig on a Saturday night for $200 because if I am off I would really like to do something else with my time I don't get that many Saturdays off but if I could pick up a Sunday afternoon gig for $200 I likely would simply because it's gravy

At the end of the day the inexpensive DJ will always be there..same as the inexpensive mechanic, plumber, photographer etc. They are there because there is a market for them

They care how it sounds Jeff Let's be real here my man...

Jas · Jul 21, 2015

DJ Ricky B said:
Bars essentially get discounted rates based on frequency and ease of work

I think we all know that bars pay according to how much money is coming in. DJs that have a following that spend money have more leverage and can get more. Private parties on the other hand aren't concerned with making a profit and staying in business.

Hank Davidson · Jul 21, 2015

bestdjinfl said:
They care how it sounds Jeff Let's be real here my man...

To be real man, Jeff didn't mention sound quality.

It's likely a very small percentage of "guests" that can tell or care about the difference between pro and retail gear either by appearance or sound. Even less are likely to care about copyright or insurance. That's just the way it is.

...However, that's not really the point.

A low quality DJ is a low quality DJ. I see just as many charging $2000 as I do $200. I'm sure all of us do.
So, someone provided dinner music and karaoke for $200. Maybe they sucked? Maybe they were fantastic? So what? Stomping feet and pounding sand over it isn't going to change it.

rickryan.com · Jul 21, 2015

Jas said:
I think we all know that bars pay according to how much money is coming in.

I'd differ with that statement. Bars (typically) pay based on:

1) How much money they bring in
2) How many customers does the DJ bring in
3) How much are all the other DJs willing to work for (i.e. who is cheapest)
4) Is there some kind of special relationship in play (i.e. DJ related to the owner/manager, DJ sleeping with owner/manager, etc.)

Djtee · Jul 21, 2015

DJ Ricky B said:
I responded to a Gig Masters Inquiry for a 5 hour party at a house right on the water on the Chesapeake Bay. 6pm to 11 pm this Saturday. She wants a DJ to provide 5 hours of Dinner music (Hawaiian genre, Dance Music, and also to have a large karaoke library for karaoke). I quoted $625 for 5 hours which is a discounted rate since it's last minute. I have my sister available still

I had my sister call her to follow up not even 45 minutes after my quote. The client told her that she only wanted to spend $200 on a DJ, and she just had another DJ agree to do it for $200.

Do DJs have any bottom rate bounds when it comes to last minute gigs? This is a party for 100 guests for 5 hours on a Saturday night, and there are DJs willing to take it for $200 still in 2015? Even in 2000 I wouldn't have done this for $200, and I was 18 back then.

I just can't believe that people find these guys out there willing to do so much for such low pay. I wonder what kind of service they will receive for $200.

I have been down that road many times, There are a lot of DJ`s out there that are willing to take whatever they can get, $150.00 $200.00

DJ Ricky B · Jul 21, 2015

Rick hit the nail on the head with that one!

Especially with #3. If the Bar Owners can find 30 other Hack DJs in the area willing to work for $100 - $200 on any given Friday night, they are not going to pay a guy $400 every Friday night to play in their bar.

#4 DJs who are best buddies with the owner, or knows them well, or certainly is in a relationship, or is a son, cousin, or uncle of the owner or Bar Manager will easily get special consideration over anyone else...especially if they are a cheap option, or the cheapest option available.

rickryan.com · Jul 21, 2015

DJ Ricky B said:
#4 DJs who are best buddies with the owner, or knows them well, or certainly is in a relationship, or is a son, cousin, or uncle of the owner or Bar Manager will easily get special consideration over anyone else...especially if they are a cheap option, or the cheapest option available.

"Special relationship" has always surprised me, in a bar setting. It's surprising how many times the head bar-tender gets her slot by screwing the bar owner. Likewise, the DJ or band leader often get their foot in the door because their slot because they're making the head bar-tender.

DJ Ricky B · Jul 21, 2015

Djtee said:
I have been down that road many times, There are a lot of DJ`s out there that are willing to take whatever they can get, $150.00 $200.00

And it really doesn't matter what area you are in either. In any part of the country there is an available $150 - $200 DJ willing to take on a private party gig ...even in Washington, D.C. ....Even in New York City. They might be real hard to find in some markets because they aren't easily visible, but they are there.

I just think it's ridiculous that they are still out there in 2015. I remember back in 1999 when DJs thought $200 was completely too low to do a private event for...and back then the price range was more narrow between most DJs...not as broad as it is today.

Djtee · Jul 21, 2015

DJ Ricky B said:
And it really doesn't matter what area you are in either. In any part of the country there is an available $150 - $200 DJ willing to take on a private party gig ...even in Washington, D.C. ....Even in New York City. They might be real hard to find in some markets because they aren't easily visible, but they are there.

I just think it's ridiculous that they are still out there in 2015. I remember back in 1999 when DJs thought $200 was completely too low to do a private event for...and back then the price range was more narrow between most DJs...not as broad as it is today.

You are 100% correct the $150 - $200 DJ`s are all over the country.

rickryan.com · Jul 21, 2015

Perhaps veering off subject, speaking to the guys who do DJ in bars.................how many actually spend time and energy in building their own following versus just counting on the bar owner to bring customers in? How do you do it? Gather emails/phone numbers from patrons? Seems that if you were planning to do club work on a long-term basis, you'd have a vested interest in ginning up your own crowd, even if it meant you started out by taking $100-$200 gigs (which is about what you'd be worth in my view).

Ausumm · Jul 21, 2015

DJ Ricky B said:
Is it that he has no respect for his service or his craft?

That's just it, Ricky...he has no respect for the craft.
To him, it's not a craft, a career, or a business...it's just a way to make money.
I bet you can think of plenty of people you know, who feel their job...is just a job.

Jas · Jul 21, 2015

Rick, I don't think you're differing with my post, just adding on to it. And they're good points.

Times have changed in bars that's for sure. I have a friend that had a band back in the '90s that made more money than other bands and also made more for the clubs they played at, because he had business sense along with a good, entertaining band.

With the glut of musicians, karoke jocks and DJs now days along with recent economic changes there are many bars that don't care about quality entertainment. I know places that get musicians to play for a sandwich and a beer. They just tell you to put out a tip jar. But the bottom line is these establishments still have to make money to stay in business. Brides and grooms are just investing in their special night. Big difference.

Jeff Romard · Jul 22, 2015

bestdjinfl said:
They care how it sounds Jeff Let's be real here my man...

As Hank said I didn't mention sound but since you did most clients wouldn't know good sound if they tripped over it. You will get the odd audiophile that might notice but for the most part as long as there is music playing and it's audible they can't tell the difference between you and I or a guy using Pyle speakers. Since I switched to Yorkville I get more comments like are you sure those little things will fill the room? People hear with their eyes alot of times

DJ Ricky B said:
Show me a website where Plumbers are advertising rates of $200 for $1,000 jobs!

.

Likely that plumber doesn't have a website and they are working for cash but they are there. I had a friend of mine put in a tank a couple of years ago for $125.00. I expected to pay $300-$400 but he refused more than $125. It took him 2 hours to do. Had he been doing it for a regular client it would have been in that range but he made $62.50/Hr on a Sunday afternoon and the odds are good he didn't tell Revenue Canada about it.

I had a mechanic friend change some brake pads in his home garage a few weeks ago. Took him 20 minutes and he charged me $20...A dollar a minute. I could have went to the garage where I get most of my work done and paid $70/hr minimum of an hour but why? He was happy with the $20 I was happy with the job. I do a party each year for him at full rate but throw in extra lights and fog. He's happy I'm happy

DJ Ricky B said:
As for MUSIC that a DJ plays...I have to disagree. I have worked with many clients who are active in their music selection, and want to make sure they DJ plays great music, or tailors the music to what they want for their event. I would say a solid 90% of my wedding clients want the music to be great at their party. Only about 10% are so care free that they don't care what the DJ plays much outside of their first dance, and parent dances. Those are the ones that are happy as long as the DJ shows up on time, is nice, and just gets the job done without any issues. ...That still means they want a professional to perform their job proficiently.

I am sure no clients out there want a lousy/terrible DJ at their event...the problem is that some are so cheap, or willing to risk their event to the lowest price they can find because entertainment is just on such a low expectation and result level to begin with.

I was more referring to where they get it rather than what they play. More often than not when I do get asked about music I find myself justifying why I don't download music for free. It's so commonplace now a lot of folks just assume you do it

You are assuming that cheap and low quality go hand in hand and sometimes that's the case with a product but not necessarily a service. As I mentioned before I know a couple of guys that are as good or better than me at being a DJ that charge a lot less. The guy I mentioned earlier has top notch equipment and a legal library he just chooses to make this a hobby. There are others that just have no idea what they are worth, and there are some that at $200 they are seriously overcharging.

BTW around here a high end bar DJ will garner a quick $75 for 4-5 hours

Jeff Romard · Jul 22, 2015

It also depends on what you want out of this. If you want to make this your full time job $200/gig isn't going to cut it unless you live in your parents basement and love Kraft Dinner. If you like having extra money and you don't mind your weekends being tied up you could pick up 10-15 K a year quite easy.

Just for the record I'm not advocating anyone become a $200 DJ but if you have a solid business plan in place I see nothing wrong with taking the odd undervalued booking on an off night

bombdhell89 · Jul 22, 2015

I remember a very valuable piece of advice I was once given in this situation: "Don't worry what other DJ's are doing. Worry about what YOU are doing."

I find constantly comparing myself to other DJ's is exhausting. It's one thing to care about what there doing to examine the market and adjust, but stewing on it for the sake contention I think is a waste of time and energy. This is especially true (for me) with DJ's who serve different types of clients than I do.

Hank Davidson · Jul 22, 2015

DJ Ricky B said:
Show me a website where Plumbers are advertising rates of $200 for $1,000 jobs!

There might be some variation in price among plumbers, but in all these years, I have never met a Plumber who is low balling their bids, and undercutting the competition at 1/4 - 1/2 the price.

$1000 worth of plumbing is pretty consistent across the industry. They don't do jobs for 1/4 -1/2 the price because it's not possible. There are set values in place. You have to buy materials for every job and follow a rigid set of standards and practices. $1000 worth of DJ service however, is quite subjective. If I can make a profit at $500 for a job that someone else would have gotten $1000 for, then the job doesn't have a set value.

If you think that the $200 - $300 DJ is maliciously trying to undercut the competition, I would disagree. Foolishly or otherwise, they're just trying to make a buck. They could care less about what someone else is getting.

Jas · Jul 22, 2015

There's a plumber two blocks from me that works at a much lower rate than a union plumber would charge.

Fred Wright · Jul 22, 2015

Agreed, many venues simply don't have 800.00 to drop on a DJ. This doesn't necessarily apply to weddings and private shows but it's pretty much standard for many bread & butter venues. Back in the day, I'd DJ a VFW, Moose or Legion dance for pass-the-hat money. They were good crowds and I'd usually get what I'd have quoted anyway or close to it.

There never was much money in that market and never will be. But I had the advantage of being recommended to folks who rented the house for private shows. That's where the money is.

This neck of the woods is awash in low budget venues and cheap DJs. The only way we'd see the inside of them houses was to be booked for a wedding when the hall was rented. If the house was putting on a dance for their members or residents they'd call the usual suspects; poor people who'd work for whatever the manager offered.

One of those houses we did a wedding in, a senior center, we noticed an off-brand 18" bass bin setting by the stage. The house manager said it belonged to a gal who DJed for the residents on occasion. They let her store it there because she didn't have room for it in her car. Manager also mentioned that they had a very tight budget; recently had to borrow money to get the television fixed. It was an older set, pretty much running on borrowed time but they couldn't afford a new one.

Prospect found a $200 DJ for 5 hours with karaoke. Will the $200 DJ always exist?

Shine on you crazy diamond

DJ Extraordinaire

DJ Extraordinaire

DJ Extraordinaire

Affordable, yet priceless.

DJ Extraordinaire

DJ

DJ Extraordinaire

DJ Extraordinaire

DJ Extraordinaire

DJ

DJ Extraordinaire

Gold Plated Productions

DJ Extraordinaire

Administrator

Administrator

P.S. The Name's Jason!

Affordable, yet priceless.

DJ Extraordinaire

Administrator