Here's my take on things. We don't talk enough about the level of DJ when it comes to a price. Some are just starting out and need to work on making a name for themselves. So they may do a wedding for that price to build on things. They are looking to establish themselves. Maybe once they have been doing it for a while they can increase their prices. Now obviously there are those who are way beyond that price and don't have to settle for doing a wedding for that price. That's because they have built their brand up to where they have clients who will easily pay them much more then that. They couldn't do that if they didn't have enough clients wanting to pay them much more then that. For example a DJ who consistently gets paid $1,000 or more only can stay there if they have clients who will pay them that much and not just one or two clients.
Another factor that gets talked about that has to do with a DJ charging at least $1,000 is who they are targeting their business to. Also they have to consistently deliver a great performance for clients wanting to pay them that kind of money. Now to be fair, just because a DJ can get paid that much doesn't make them a good or great DJ. That just may mean they are good at selling themselves.
Another thing that people don't think of when they say that the DJ was really good is the gear that they used. There's entry level gear, mid grade and top of the line. That can make a big difference in a DJs performance or at least the way things sound. There are events I've been to that the DJ had gear that I would use because the gear they were using was high grade gear. Yet they were not good at all. What can make or break an event is the DJ. For example it's very important to have the right music for an event and know when to play what. That can make a big difference in how well an event goes. I remember 2 DJs who had the right music to play for the event but didn't know when to play what styles of music at what time during the event. Also knowing how to read the crowd is very important and takes time to learn that part. Such things can have people bragging about how good a DJ you are and can have you charging a whole lot more then $550. That's once enough people know about you and want to book you.
Also another big part that can make a big difference in how much a DJ charges is what their setup looks like. Does their setup look like it's worth the price they are charging?
One thing that some just starting out think that this DJ business is a piece of cake and think they can make a ton of money from this. It takes hard work and dedication to get to a certain level where people will pay you a certain price. Not everybody getting into this was meant to be a DJ. Some simply put just plain suck and I'm talking about some who have been in business over 10 years.
