Conversation with a DJ last night

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rickryan.com

rickryan.com

DJ Extraordinaire
ODJT Supporter
Dec 9, 2009
19,256
17,351
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Hendersonville, TN
www.rickryan.com
At last night's wedding, I had a "I used to DJ weddings" guy. Just out of college, he wasn't the usual "stump the DJ" fellow. At the end of the evening, we got to talking and he said he used to work for "Party Boys" in Knoxville. I worked a bunch of dates over that way a couple of years ago and went head-to-head with them several times. Won some, lost some.

The thing that caught me interesting was the pay rate. He said for a full day, the normal 10-12 hour day we all deal with, he was making $75-100. The client was being billed $750. He said the company was pushing the DJs hard that they should expect their gravy money from tips. Don't know why but it just floored me. I pay 1/2 the take if they're using my gear and 2/3 if they're using their own. Is this really standard fare from multi-ops?
 
I'd be delightfully happy to turn down any skinflint multi-op that offered $75-100 for the gig. In my parts, we have a operator that floods CL with generic ads and deceptive pricing. This individual offered to "bring me in" some years ago, and wasn't happy when I refused to come on board to the point where he had his fellow "cohorts" flagging my ads. I get more work from word-of-mouth, however C/L occasionally turns up gold for me.

Lately in the Boston area we have a flagging DJ who can't compete on his own using some flagging software. This software sends the flagged user a note "You have been flagged by "xxxx flagging software". I found the software site, and it appears that this piece the developer can monitor it's use and approve/disapprove the flags. Voila! Instant TOS violation due to spamming email and malicious software! A few well written emails and a chat with my attorney and this has stopped.

Best,

Paul
 
I don't know about other parts of the south, but I pay like Rick. If it is an out of town event I may pay some gas money on top of the normal pay.
 
It really depends upon the multi-op. If the owner has a lot of pride in his business, he'll train properly, and pay properly.

If the owner is more concerned with cranking out gigs, and making money, then there will be little to no training, and little money.

Perfect example: The Pros pays next to nothing, and they find their DJs by putting ads in the help wanted pages, in the teachers section. They figure that teachers are good with kids, and have weekends free...
 
As a former multi-op DJ business owner I never looked at paying entry level djs with my company (regardless of previous experience) a percentage of a gig. I set them up as an hourly employee and started them out at $8/hour (in the days min. wage was $5/hour). My goal was to double their pay within a year to $16/hour. As an employee they needed to meet certain milestones to get to $10 or $12 or $14 before they reached $16/hour. As in any work place giving good employees room to grow and incentives to stay is the key to expanding your business.

Giving excellent employees the opportunity to become a full share DJ (contractor) should be the reward for dedication and hardwork over the course of many, many months. My DJ contractors would start out at 50% of the event gross and the percentage would increase after every 10 events where they received excellent feedback. They maxed out at 80%..... At this point, I trusted my contractors so much with my business that if they were going to earn 50%-80% gross they were responsible for 100% of the work after the event was booked.

That level of compensation requires 100% commitment, and let's face it, most employees/contractors don't want to invest 100% into their clients... if they did they would be dj business owners. :)

Rick - to answer your question: Not knowing all the work/training details of the other DJ, but sending 1 or 2 employees for $75 per for a $750 sounds about right for entry level. Not knowing your business model,work,training,talent of your guys - paying 50%-66% seems like ALOT, but maybe they have been with you forever and you trust them with your business, your family, and your life.... which is really priceless in the end.
 
rickryan.com said:
At last night's wedding, I had a "I used to DJ weddings" guy. Just out of college, he wasn't the usual "stump the DJ" fellow. At the end of the evening, we got to talking and he said he used to work for "Party Boys" in Knoxville. I worked a bunch of dates over that way a couple of years ago and went head-to-head with them several times. Won some, lost some.

The thing that caught me interesting was the pay rate. He said for a full day, the normal 10-12 hour day we all deal with, he was making $75-100. The client was being billed $750. He said the company was pushing the DJs hard that they should expect their gravy money from tips. Don't know why but it just floored me. I pay 1/2 the take if they're using my gear and 2/3 if they're using their own. Is this really standard fare from multi-ops?
Click to expand...

Well, you said he was just out of college - so, there's your answer right there.
For the quick-Mickey operators weddings are just cookie-cutter events. (Sure, every DJ claims they customize things - but, what are you actually going to do other than re-arrange formalities or drag them out with some W.E.D. drama? It's not like you can do a way with the first dance, or parent dances etc. and there's no escaping that conspicuous cake now is there?) Weddings can be (and often are in that price range) a rather stagnant template style event.

Good Multi-ops actually cost significantly more than most single-ops because they employ real talent not students and part-timers. They also assign events to a team, not an individual which prevents horror stories that result from the carelessness of a single person. The multi-ops I sub for on occasion will charge from $1800+ for a single DJ - with $1k going to the brand and $800 to me for fulfillment. I may meet with the client once - but, all future planning and details are managed by their staff leaving me free to focus on the actual event and not a lot of peripheral planning questions. I make more money by providing more event services like lighting, video, or extended audio - rather than trying to "puff up" some intangible value of consultations and meetings.

It doesn't take a DJ to make an effective itinerary, timeline, manage style calls, or solicit requests - but, it does take a true professional DJ too flesh out the script at an actual event in precisely the way it was conceived. A cohesive team of people who can both give and accept direction, communicate and delegate effectively; can do this.

Cheap wedding multi-ops claim that this is what they do yet, they are really just order takers. Then they send a bus-boy to deliver take-out. Imagine what Disney World would be like if all the entertainments were handled by either cheap multi-ops or one-man (control freak) single-ops? :)
 
Proformance said:
Well, you said he was just out of college - so, there's your answer right there.
For the quick-Mickey operators weddings are just cookie-cutter events. (Sure, every DJ claims they customize things - but, what are you actually going to do other than re-arrange formalities or drag them out with some W.E.D. drama? It's not like you can do a way with the first dance, or parent dances etc. and there's no escaping that conspicuous cake now is there?) Weddings can be (and often are in that price range) a rather stagnant template style event.

Good Multi-ops actually cost significantly more than most single-ops because they employ real talent not students and part-timers. They also assign events to a team, not an individual which prevents horror stories that result from the carelessness of a single person. The multi-ops I sub for on occasion will charge from $1800+ for a single DJ - with $1k going to the brand and $800 to me for fulfillment. I may meet with the client once - but, all future planning and details are managed by their staff leaving me free to focus on the actual event and not a lot of peripheral planning questions. I make more money by providing more event services like lighting, video, or extended audio - rather than trying to "puff up" some intangible value of consultations and meetings.

It doesn't take a DJ to make an effective itinerary, timeline, manage style calls, or solicit requests - but, it does take a true professional DJ too flesh out the script at an actual event in precisely the way it was conceived. A cohesive team of people who can both give and accept direction, communicate and delegate effectively; can do this.

Cheap wedding multi-ops claim that this is what they do yet, they are really just order takers. Then they send a bus-boy to deliver take-out. Imagine what Disney World would be like if all the entertainments were handled by either cheap multi-ops or one-man (control freak) single-ops? :)
Click to expand...

What he said! I find it laughable that anyone with any modicum of talent would even consider working for minimum wage to do a wedding. I do gigs for a multi op occasionally and am paid very well. Seriously, anyone who would do a wedding for less than $100 an hour through a multi op is either a beginner looking for experience or a sucka :)
 
I play alone, yeah
With nobody else
I play alone, yeah
With nobody else
You know when I play alone
I prefer to be by myself ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ That way I make all the money!!!:tribiggrin:
 
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