Ricky let's say you quote a client $1,500 and they agree to pay you that price. What would they get from you?
Client control vs DJ freedom
- Thread starter Rami
- Start date
You keep asking that. That's the wrong question... a price is not always about tangible "stuff"
You've always had a poor mans mentality as to how you price things and how you perceive potential clients or those you attempt to market to. When someones contracting you, they should get the best level of service possible, whether you agreed to $1000 or $3000. Just because YOU agreed to do an event for less, should not mean they get anything less in terms of dedication than your standard priced event. That's like saying, oh you want a 30% discount.. i'm gonna mix 30% slower and play 30% less songs and pay attention to 30% less details, and dress in mens warehouse off the rack rather than my custom suit. You can make an argument on the tangibles such as hours, lights, systems etc... but one's dedication, appreance, performance, attention to detail should NOT be affected bc you're working for less. They wanted you for you... you just happened to agree to work less. If your perception is how you operate, then in that case you'll always be a client that appeals on price, never on quality or referrals.
You ask this question all the time. Go to my website and you can look at my price and and what's included with it. I don't deviate from that price by massive percantages when it comes to weddings as I feel that pricing should be transparent and fair to all of my clients. Apparently, many other DJs here are willing to provide the same service for $600 and also the same service for much higher prices which I personally feel is taking advantage of the core clients who pay their much higher prices and a sneaky way of making money. I would be pretty mad if I was renting an apartment for $3,000 a month and found out someone living down the hallway from me with the same apartment was only paying $600 a month as an example.
What's your website address and as far as the apartment thing there are apartments costing $3,000 as you said. Also such buildings by law are required to make some of those apartments low income.
You are essentially saying that the difference between booking you for a wedding at $600, and booking you for a wedding at $3,000 is just hours, logistics, and GEAR. So you are selling based on gear, Venue Type, location, and your actual service quality is the exact same. I just can't see how you would ever see a $600 job as being worth while when you book plenty of 3K+ jobs. Having a 80% swing in pricing for a handful of customers once in a blue moon isn't quite fair to your core client IMO either.
That is like pricing the Ritz Carlton at $1,000 a night on average, but on an off night be willing to drop the price down to $200/night and give the exact same service and amenities to the $200/night client just because you want to work with that client on that particular date because of hunger for money.
I just don't agree with that. Sure, if I agree to do a client's wedding for far less money, they will get me on the day of, but I'm giving them a baseline level of service. I'm not going to give them the same experience I am dedicating myself to when I book my $1,900 package. Far less prep time involved. I'm not carrying out multiple conversations and spending little time with the client prior to the event. There has to be an advantageous reason for me facilitating this event to do the job at huge discount. Like the job has to be very basic, super easy. Client just wants music and is leaving it up to me, or has very limited/minimal input on songs they want played. The level of stress on doing this event has to be like non existant and perceived by me to be just a fun easy event to do. Sure, a venue 1 mile from my house I'm going to offer a bit of a lower price because working at this venue saves me a lot of time and head ache vs the wedding mansion 80 miles away or having to drive into D.C. and deal with an awful load in, and pay $65 to park my car, but I'm not willing to drop price by 80% or 50% just because of that.
To clarify and to make sure we're talking apples to apples, if my base price is $3250 (sound only), and I offer it to someone at a discounted rate of 50% (for WHATEVER reason)...they would receive the EXACT same service as the person paying full price. Same dedication, same equipment, same online planner, same mixing skill set, same number of meetings. Everything the same. I chose to accept the event at a discounted rate, but I'm going to make sure the client and guests receive the highest level of service possible. Full disclosure, I've done 3 weddings for 50% off. They were former employees who each gave me at least 5yrs of their time to me. I took care of them and made sure all my staff got paid appropriately and their weddings were amazing experiences. I doubt I made a profit once factoring in the back end expenses beyond labor/gas. I've given a past family who have booked me 7+ times 25% off when it finally came time for their kids weddings. Now those are situations where I've offered a lower rate to show my gratitude for their loyalty to me. But there are also situations where I've worked with a client who was on a budget 10-20% less than what I charge because I either a) wanted to fill in the date b) was a new circle of clientele or region that I wanted to break into c) despite it being heavily discounted, was still a decent sized package overall. NONE of them receive anything different than the full paying client. Granted these situations are a fraction of my yearly events, so yes it's not the norm... but I'm not risking my reputation by providing a subpar product because the client paid less than full, however less.
Yes, you CAN get the Ritz for a heavily discounted price on off dates or slow dates that they jsut happened to not fill or last minute cancellations. Their level of service will not change. They want you to be a repeat client or at minimum, rave to your friends about the service you experienced.
I guess the point is that you seem to always feel that price determines the level of service you're going to provide your clients (not talking about add-ons). That not everyone will get the best level of service from the person they hired if they didn't pay their full price. And for many... that sadly is true... but If that's the case, for the sake of not creating a negative perception of your brand, then you're better off just never working for less and simply saying to lower priced clients "to be able to provide the level of service your event deserves, I can't do it for less than my listed price of $xxxx"
To conclude, I'll give a first hand example... a dj I know personally has very high quality equipment. Great sound w/ external mixers, multiple high end mics etc, nice quality facade, skilled in mixing and as an mc, and offers moving heads, uplighting, etc. Around 2022/23 he had a base price of $1750 for his events and typically will include his nice facade and full range sound system, with detailed meetings, and will add lighting or effects for a decent sized package. Once in a while, he would get a client that was on a budget and would accept a gig for much less and will show up with the old school black carpet facade, 2 average speakers on sticks, and no external processing, just basic mics plugged into the controller so that he can set up and breakdown in 20 min. He would also try to steer the meetings to get the bare minimum needed, so he doesn't get overloaded with requests or strict instructions. His mindset is if their not paying full price, then he doesn't have to work as hard for them or go crazy presentation wise. Well, over the last couple of years, as he willingly accepted discounted events to continue working, but cut corners on his presentation, the level of personalization, and overall work load, he eventually got no one that wanted to book him for full price and simply attracted lower quality events. The new clientele doesn't care for lights, doesn't care for his appearance, just want whatever will get them the lowest price. He hardly does weddings now (Went from doing 20-30 to around10 or less in 2025), as brides are likely not seeing anything appealing visually, especially if he's trying to command higher than avg pricing.
You gotta put out what you want to attract.
Last edited:
Ricky what I've noticed from you over the years is a DJ only charging a certain price to do a wedding for example should be charging more. You mentioned a price in this thread of $600 and the way you said it in 2026 a DJ should be charging more than that to do a wedding.
Obviously you wouldn't do a wedding for that price. Reason being is you have built a brand that you don't need a wedding paying $600. That's fine for you. Now how do you know if that DJ is worth getting paid more than $600 to do a wedding? What about the equipment being used? That DJ might have some entry level gear they are using to do weddings with.
Now let's look at it this way. You have many years of experience at DJing. So the equipment you're using today without you telling us what you're using I'll bet isn't entry level gear. You also mentioned you have a website. That $600 DJ may not have a website at all. Also if I'm not mistaken don't you have a house that you need to maintain or else you could lose the house. So your responsibilities might be different from the DJ charging $600. So you doing a wedding for $600 you might not be able to do because it might not be enough to keep you at the lifestyle you're used to.
The other thing is this. There are those clients who might not have a lot of money to spend on a venue. They may have $1,000 or less to book a venue. A client like that I don't see them spending $1,900 to book a DJ to do their wedding and paying say $800 for the venue.
Let me say it this way. You've been doing this for a very long time and with your experience you know there's a big difference between a Behringer speaker and a QSC K12.2 speaker. Someone just starting out may not know the difference and why to choose the QSC speaker over the Behringer speaker.
What about this? That DJ charging $600 to a wedding might be better than a DJ twice as much. Price alone does not tell how good or how bad a DJ is. Also there DJs who do this full time. Meaning they don't have another source of income. That's it. So they have to command a certain price to maintain the way they are living.
Obviously you wouldn't do a wedding for that price. Reason being is you have built a brand that you don't need a wedding paying $600. That's fine for you. Now how do you know if that DJ is worth getting paid more than $600 to do a wedding? What about the equipment being used? That DJ might have some entry level gear they are using to do weddings with.
Now let's look at it this way. You have many years of experience at DJing. So the equipment you're using today without you telling us what you're using I'll bet isn't entry level gear. You also mentioned you have a website. That $600 DJ may not have a website at all. Also if I'm not mistaken don't you have a house that you need to maintain or else you could lose the house. So your responsibilities might be different from the DJ charging $600. So you doing a wedding for $600 you might not be able to do because it might not be enough to keep you at the lifestyle you're used to.
The other thing is this. There are those clients who might not have a lot of money to spend on a venue. They may have $1,000 or less to book a venue. A client like that I don't see them spending $1,900 to book a DJ to do their wedding and paying say $800 for the venue.
Let me say it this way. You've been doing this for a very long time and with your experience you know there's a big difference between a Behringer speaker and a QSC K12.2 speaker. Someone just starting out may not know the difference and why to choose the QSC speaker over the Behringer speaker.
What about this? That DJ charging $600 to a wedding might be better than a DJ twice as much. Price alone does not tell how good or how bad a DJ is. Also there DJs who do this full time. Meaning they don't have another source of income. That's it. So they have to command a certain price to maintain the way they are living.
You sell products which is the least profitable way to sell your services, most of us a selling a vision or at least the way to achieve that vision. People don’t hire DJs every day they may not know what they need you achieve what they are looking for. Your website is like shopping at Walmart
This wreaks of insecurity, and it's a frivolous diatribe.
What's so obviously missing is the business math.
I know plenty of independent DJs charging $3k and/or significantly more and they struggle to fill their calendar. Those gigs they do book, can be deceptively less lucrative than they appear because of logistical under-estimation of planning, location, load-in, travel and transportation costs.
In the end, they do no better over-all than competitors who target more modestly and diversely. It's a basic and obvious distinction akin to being a "Toll House Cookie" maker, versus a full service bakery.
When I focused primarily on weddings I would book 100-150 of them each year. There were no hard and fast "rules" about pricing because the target was not a ticket price - it was an annual gross exposure and continuity of the business. Continuity may have begun with weddings, but it wasn't necessary to be fixated on that. All kinds of other opportunities grew from the exposure, and I never let price get in the way of expanded capability.
The one most glaring point you ignored - was the reality of rooting one's self in some other full time job. If $3K is what creates wedding DJ paradise - then what's up with that? Why are all these "premium" DJs working "part time?" Why are they NOT ABLE to replicate this at scale as so many other successful agencies have done?
This "premium" narrative is now 40 years running. If it had real legs it would have long been standing on it's own by now. The truth is it's simply imitative of larger multi-op businesses that have always charged a premium price because of legitimate base-line businesses with offices, staff, and warehouses. It is foolish as a multi-op to merely piggyback this pricing without truly measuring your own best operational plan and target customers.
Last edited:
The thing that really stands out to me in Ricky's recent post is the word "should." It is used repeatedly to reinforce a desired hierarchy. It's wishful DJ thinking - but has no basis in reality.
We actually have to prove ourselves capable and then deliver services or products commensurate to the invoice. We cannot simply post a number and claim ourselves to part of some exclusive category.
We actually have to prove ourselves capable and then deliver services or products commensurate to the invoice. We cannot simply post a number and claim ourselves to part of some exclusive category.
Bob here's where it's at. 3 big things. First it's about who are you targeting your business to? It should be those who are looking for the service you provide. If your preferred type of events you are interested weddings, then you should be targeting your business to couples looking to get married.
Do you offer things that a potential client may want at their event. 3rd thing is your price can be $500 or $5,000. I know there are those on here that wouldn't even consider doing an event for $500. That's fine. Whatever your price is to do an event is not the key. It's about being able to show a potential client that you're worth the price you give the potential client.
I've used this illustration before. You can take a person with millions of dollars and can easily afford a car costing $100,000. They can easily write a check paying for it in full. Even though they can easily afford it, some can't see paying that much for said vehicle. Then there are those who would love to own that vehicle but can't afford it. Some will sacrifice everything just to have that vehicle.
So it's up to you to be able to convince a potential client that you're worth the price you charge. Dennis Edward's made a song called Don't Look Any Further. So you should be showing a potential client they need to book you end of discussion.
Since every couple is different, I don't have a set protocol to enforce.
In general, I respect their wishes as far as what TO play and what NOT to play.
But I do discuss it with them in advance to avoid disappointment. (theirs or mine)
I talk about how many of their Must Play songs I can fit into the gig, and ones that may not be ripe for dancing.
I offer the option of playing them during cocktails or dinner.
And I talk about DNP songs to see how much wiggle room I have.
Especially if I'm pretty sure I will get requests for some of them.
I do love REQUESTS, and welcome as many as they want to give. (great way to gauge the crowd)
As long as they are only suggestions.
The only issue I have is when the client wants me to ONLY play songs from their list.
And I make sure I find that out BEFORE I sign a contract.
For the record, I offer the same service regardless of the price.
In general, I respect their wishes as far as what TO play and what NOT to play.
But I do discuss it with them in advance to avoid disappointment. (theirs or mine)
I talk about how many of their Must Play songs I can fit into the gig, and ones that may not be ripe for dancing.
I offer the option of playing them during cocktails or dinner.
And I talk about DNP songs to see how much wiggle room I have.
Especially if I'm pretty sure I will get requests for some of them.
I do love REQUESTS, and welcome as many as they want to give. (great way to gauge the crowd)
As long as they are only suggestions.
The only issue I have is when the client wants me to ONLY play songs from their list.
And I make sure I find that out BEFORE I sign a contract.
For the record, I offer the same service regardless of the price.
Unfortunately, today only 47% of households in the U.S. are headed by marriage, and slightly more than 50% of the population even attempts to tie the knot. The trend is getting even worse as less and less of the population is even dating. Add in a social push to be anything other than heterosexual and marriage itself is treated like a social pariah.
Of those couples tying the knot, many are doing so much later in life and that can translate into a higher percentage of smaller more intimate gatherings as opposed to large ballroom receptions. This may not be apparent to today's younger DJs (we only know what we experience) but, when I started in this business there was a significantly higher number of large wedding and event venues.
When you leave the major cities - all of those former event venues that dotted the country are GONE - the buildings have literally been torn down and replaced with retail plazas or office parks. The event facility that I celebrated my own wedding reception in has been gone for decades. So too, are many of the ones I routinely worked in for the first decade or more of DJing. These facilities weren't replaced with newer better facilities - the real estate was entirely directed to a new social reality.
Last edited:
The biggest change in guest counts happened primarily after 2020... we got used to the idea of smaller weddings and liked it. Secondly, the majority of the budget is made up on food and bvg which is directly related to guest count. If you can save 15k by having 50 less people, it might be of value. Third, as you mentioned... couples are getting older... meaning the higher aged relatives start to pass b4 the wedding.
The only ones I see that are still big (over 200+ guests) are 2:
1) cultural, especially when both bride and groom are of the same or similar culture (italians, jewish, middle eastern, greek, etc). These can easily be 250-450 guests.
2) they have the same friend groups growing up or in college. Usually couples when they start dating, slowly start to trim down some of their friends who they see less (or of the opposite sex). When they grew up together or have same friend groups, the friend pool is usually much larger. These often are 200-300 guests, but rarely higher than that.
When it comes to venues closing it could be a lot of reasons. Owner dying and nobody wants to keep it open. Prices increase to run the venue including taxes, food, beverages. That would mean having to raise the cost for a client to have an event in the venue that if people don't feel the venue is worth it they won't book that venue. Also upgrades to a venue is important. The decor, outside grounds, bathrooms, lighting and so on. Bottom line is a venue needs to keep up with the times and some owners can't afford to spend the money. Some owners don't have what is called a prudent reserve. That's money set aside for emergencies and other things to keep the business a float.