Assuming it wasn't a FREE / Charity gig... Cheapest you ever charged?

I always charged $100 per hour for a regular gig.
I have bartered though.


My theory was, I charge the same amount as my lawyer, since I have the same amount of education.

It always remained the same for the 30 years or so I DJ'd. Never raised or lowered my rates. My lawyer's retired, and so am I.

*Special circumstances, such as family/friends do not apply -- I do those for free, even now.

We did gigs when I first came back for $150. I was just excited to be back doing what I love to do.

MIXMASTERMACHOM said:

We did gigs when I first came back for $150. I was just excited to be back doing what I love to do.

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You made way more then than you do now,

When something becomes useless
And has no worth it can't be given away.

$25. It's what I charged for my very first event back in 1986 - a school dance. I was 13 and had just bought a DJ mixer with winnings from the local mall's back-to-school rap contest. I really really really wanted to be a DJ.

First wedding was in 2000 that my Dad booked at TJ Meadows Night Club. I used a DJ booth. I was 18, and was paid $200 for that wedding. I burnt a bunch of CDs specifically for that wedding I remember on memorex CDs and hand writing the songs in the jewel case. Did that for a few years actually.

I also filled in for a band leader to MC a Bar Mitzvah and was paid only $200 for that by the talent agency in maybe 2006.

Did a few bar nights doing karaoke for $150 in the past. My first 5 or so weddings in 2001 to 2003 were $300 for 4 hours. Then I bumped up my price to $375 for 4 hours. Then it was $425 for 4 hours. Then $475 then $500 by fall of 2004.

tunes4046 said:

You made way more then than you do now,

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Your opinion.

DJ Ricky B said:

First wedding was in 2000 that my Dad booked at TJ Meadows Night Club. I used a DJ booth. I was 18, and was paid $200 for that wedding. I burnt a bunch of CDs specifically for that wedding I remember on memorex CDs and hand writing the songs in the jewel case. Did that for a few years actually.

I also filled in for a band leader to MC a Bar Mitzvah and was paid only $200 for that by the talent agency in maybe 2006.

Did a few bar nights doing karaoke for $150 in the past. My first 5 or so weddings in 2001 to 2003 were $300 for 4 hours. Then I bumped up my price to $375 for 4 hours. Then it was $425 for 4 hours. Then $475 then $500 by fall of 2004.

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What is your starting price now?

MIXMASTERMACHOM said:

What is your starting price now?

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Minimum is $1,000/4 hours for a birthday party or any 4 hour basic event generally speaking. Now, I will go lower if the event is local. I have two firehouses in my local area, one is only 1 mile from me. I offer a 25% discount to clients having an event there. Did an event there last month.

Most weddings are booked at $1,650/6 hours on a Saturday. They save 5% if they pay me in full with a check at booking. My entire price sheet is on my website.

Wasnt the cheapest I charged, but what I got paid , it was my first gig when I started the mobile biz, $75 , Friday night dive bar, I was probably making more than the bar was. Cheapest Ive charged so far is $300.

Another thread from the dead, huh?

When I started playing nightlife events, I played gigs at a bar called The Mighty Pint for $125 a night. They had an in-house sound system, but I had to bring a player/controller or in many cases I brought turntables.

I was already well into playing weddings in those days, so I wasn't doing it for the money. But I wanted the experience playing longer nightlife sets and it gave me a safe room to play on turntables with fairly low stakes. Working there ultimately lead to several club residencies that lasted over a decade and were mostly fun and rewarding to DJ. But I am way better for taking more opportunities to play out and just get better. Even if you practice a ton at home, it's tough to get comfortable enough in front of a crowd without just doing it a bunch.