What is the next gig you have to do?

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So a wedding if you charge 2000 cash to do 4 hour set say 500 people attend .well 498 people at the wedding are getting a free DJ .the only ones that know the value are the bride n groom and possibly a wedding planner . so when you talking to the audience do you tell them by the way I cost the newlyweds 2000 cash so please show me respect and value .
For full disclosure... the fact that you're free doesn't personally bother me one bit from a business perspective... if I'm losing money to a free dj, the issue is me, not the free dj. There's something to be said about being a free dj though... the reality is a free product can be mediocre at best. I say this from experience (you can research my work), simply because the amount of money necessary to develop a business that can charge $2000 for an event is going to run you tens of thousands in expenses each year. In 2018 my expenses were nearly $100k, but were 100% necessary to grow my business to one that currently averages $3.5k an event. Of course even at sound only productions with minimal equipment, you still need a decent budget if you're doing this more than just a handful of times a year... specifically for insurances, an assistant (presumably on payroll with workmens comp to avoid legal issues), a website, vehicle maintenance, gas, etc. If you do it just a couple of times a year, it's easy to eat the costs... but then again you're not really taking much business away anyways.
 
Ok so How am I supposed to fix this if I charge then my love for music hobby will then lose its value in my sole then its just a job and if I'm payed then I'm bound by rules and I lose my artistic touch. I could try n tell myself its ok but that wont help

There's nothing you need to fix. Do what you love, the way you want to do it.

DJs who criticize hobbyists are themselves the real frauds. They feel threatened and their critical responses reflect the thin veneer of their own minimally established practice.

I do a lot of free stuff. I've been fortunate enough to do this for a living and have the resources to help organizations and individuals by volunteering when and where I feel good about doing so.
 
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I live n a town of less than 2500 people, they make things called vehicles so you can travel to events that pay better
There's also a thing called internet where you can get out what you do to more than where you live.
 
There's also a thing called internet where you can get out what you do to more than where you live.
"Getting out" what you do (also called marketing) only helps if you convert that to gigs you CAN do.
 
Ok so How am I supposed to fix this if I charge then my love for music hobby will then lose its value in my sole then its just a job and if I'm payed then I'm bound by rules and I lose my artistic touch. I could try n tell myself its ok but that wont help
Remember this please. There are those who charge for what they do. That doesn't mean they are any good at what they do. I will say this. When I came back I was determined to be really good at what I do. Now don't confuse this with ego. I just wanted to present to people a good product that people would enjoy. I had to work hard to get to where I'm at today in terms of my performance. The hard work and dedication has paid off in terms of my performance.

Now you can charge clients money to do an event for them and still keep the love for what you're doing. It's just a matter of how much are you willing to sacrifice to become really good and successful at what you do. Some simply don't have talent at all. Some just need to study and polish up what they are doing.

I was at a surprise 50th birthday celebration where the DJ had some great gear and the right music for the event. He just didn't know what music to play at what time which made his performance terrible. If he played the right music at the right time he would have rocked the event. He had a bunch of people leaving the event early because of this.
 
I agree with you totally. I must say I know it take skill and hard work to be a really good DJ. I have done events that I was told I rocked it. and I've had events fail. I was playing dance music then one after another the crowd started requesting classic rock n hard rock. One guy even asked me to turn it down. I'm still a student in my mind .
 
I agree with you totally. I must say I know it take skill and hard work to be a really good DJ. I have done events that I was told I rocked it. and I've had events fail. I was playing dance music then one after another the crowd started requesting classic rock n hard rock. One guy even asked me to turn it down. I'm still a student in my mind .
Just a tip. When agreeing to do an event find out the kind of music the client wants for their event upfront before doing the event to avoid that from happening. Unfortunately sometimes a client won't give you such a thing. For me that sucks. I don't like going to go to do an event having to guess what music to play.
 
Yes it sucks to have no info before the event .So my events are mostly Off road group events .the one that really failed was mostly men . I did an all female off road event. about 50 lady's n 5 guys . that event was good I was asked to do all their events and they offered to pay . not sure if that says allot since my wife is the founder of the event .the lady's loved the female vocal EDM set one guy who is now a close friend came and asked me to play classic rock instead . I played a few for him and was quickly told by the lady's to go back to EDM . so lady's vs men huge difference in song choices
 
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When agreeing to do an event find out the kind of music the client wants for their event upfront before doing the event to avoid that from happening. Unfortunately sometimes a client won't give you such a thing. For me that sucks. I don't like going to go to do an event having to guess what music to play.

I think you mean "before ACCEPTING" the event.

Just wondering, Mix....
what if the client just wants a "party" atmosphere...
and tells you to play whatever music gets people to dance?
Do you agree to do the event,
without having ANY idea what kind of music the guests will request?
 
There's also a thing called internet where you can get out what you do to more than where you live.
Web page with front page rankings for you area works well
 
well I'm not sure about how copy rights works but I think when mixing music and not playing the original content in full not much can be done about using a song as long as it differs from its original form. ????
 
Yes it sucks to have no info before the event .So my events are mostly Off road group events .the one that really failed was mostly men . I did an all female off road event. about 50 lady's n 5 guys . that event was good I was asked to do all their events and they offered to pay . not sure if that says allot since my wife is the founder of the event .the lady's loved the female vocal EDM set one guy who is now a close friend came and asked me to play classic rock instead . I played a few for him and was quickly told by the lady's to go back to EDM . so lady's vs men huge difference in song choices
[/QUOT ]No it's called knowing when to say no to a request because it will kill the mood of the event. It's not about pleasing one person unless it's the client paying you to do the event. Take the compliment and their money. Your wife because she's a member wouldn't have recommended you if she thought you would have done a poor job. Just add that money to the rest of your money. Maybe at the next event you do for them your wife can take pictures of the event, you and your setup to post here please.

Now sometimes I have lied and said I didn't have a certain song because it's not right for for that kind of event you're doing.
 
well I'm not sure about how copy rights works but I think when mixing music and not playing the original content in full not much can be done about using a song as long as it differs from its original form. ????
The issues become evident if you post videos on social media. If song parts are recognizable and run longer than the 15 or 20 sec fair use limits, Facebook and YouTube will pull the audio completely from the video.
 
Then I will need to make sure to download some free no copyright music then hopefully get a good set out of it. might not be best n latest but could work out.
 
Then I will need to make sure to download some free no copyright music then hopefully get a good set out of it. might not be best n latest but could work out.
Or have someone edit the performances down to snippets. Another option is using a different broadcasting medium like Twitch or Mixcloud.
 
I AGREE WITH YOUR ADVICE . I am tying to evolve and grow a better way to DJ . I'm learning every day From listing to other DJ advice. I do part time work for Lance Curtis He is a record producer from the 70s out of Hollywood Cal . I am helping him with his studio . I am meeting some cool old musician's and getting good advice . lance has mentioned me doing some recording for his band . they are old school and I just told them about Ableton.
 
For full disclosure... the fact that you're free doesn't personally bother me one bit from a business perspective... if I'm losing money to a free dj, the issue is me, not the free dj. There's something to be said about being a free dj though... the reality is a free product can be mediocre at best. I say this from experience (you can research my work), simply because the amount of money necessary to develop a business that can charge $2000 for an event is going to run you tens of thousands in expenses each year. In 2018 my expenses were nearly $100k, but were 100% necessary to grow my business to one that currently averages $3.5k an event. Of course even at sound only productions with minimal equipment, you still need a decent budget if you're doing this more than just a handful of times a year... specifically for insurances, an assistant (presumably on payroll with workmens comp to avoid legal issues), a website, vehicle maintenance, gas, etc. If you do it just a couple of times a year, it's easy to eat the costs... but then again you're not really taking much business away anyways.
Yes this is true and I'm sure my setup is pretty weak compared to payed DJs . and I must say I spend 500 and up just to go do the free event . I have over five grand just in software n music . tons of budget lighting and low end speakers. I try not to have high dollar setup since I am mostly outdoors . if I wanted to I could dump a ton of cash and build a custom trailer to be dry and dust free . I do have a custom 67 Chevy c30 Rv that is my winter dj booth .I don't use it much since the truck is only 1 of 4000 made by Chevy . So yes payed events deserve hi end product .and cost are high so I will keep mine mostly ghetto . for now.