"Can you redo our first dance?" - Grrrr

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New DJ
Oct 14, 2007
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Lansdale, PA
www.jbsentertainment.com
As one who's been asked to do a "First Dance" medley - I thought I delivered everything that the B2B had asked for.

Not so, apparently.

A B2B, who's had this medley since June (for her December wedding) sent an e-mail today saying "I have had a hard time choreographing three parts of the dance medley and was wondering if you could do a little rearranging for us on the cd. "

She's asking me to redo the CD - replacing 3 songs on an already-done mix that I did for them.

Grrrr.

So, if you had this client, do you go back & say, "Sure, we can do this, but it will cost you $xxx.xx" - what would you charge to redo something like this?

It's not a matter of adding 3 songs to the end of a mix, it's a matter of taking the whole mix apart & replacing some pieces with others. Basically, I have to start from scratch.

Thanks for your input.

Cheers,

Joe
 
I would charge them,,, how much? I dunno, it would depend on your whole pricing.

If you are charging $400.00 for a wedding, it seems outa line to charge $150.00 for it.... If you are in the $1000.00 range for a wedding then $150 - $200 would seem okay...

Make it worth your while and make it enough to make them think again, before asking you to re-do it again...
 
I'd be inclined to redo it for them at no charge as for us it's just part of doing business.

Did you originally charge and what does your contract with the client state?

YMMV
 
I would fix it but make sure that you know exactly what she wants before you start from scratch. That way there isn't a version 3, lol

To show that your a good guy and want her day to be as special as your promised her do this revision for free. Anymore after this, charge her!
 
If you were to charge I wouldn't make it anymore than $20. If you give her a number like 50, 100 or 200 she is going to think you are trying to rip her off. In thier eyes, were dj's, this is what we do. So you can't make mixing 3 songs out to be some extremely tough process to do. If you told her $50 to redo it, she would end up just saying screw it or buying a wedding cd with a nice medley on it and just have you play the cd. Play it safe and only charge her $20 per edit. Thats my honest opinion.

I still would do the 2nd version for free. Maybe you can let her know there is a fee of $20 for doing this but that you are going to waive the fee ONLY this time. That way if she isn't happy with your new version she is already aware of how much you charge.

Her wedding is in Dec, she probly just started rehearsing the dances now. Cut her some slack! It's not like its the end of November and she is making changes. Give her a break, you'll earn some cool points with her.
 
Some know my feelings on the whole medley idea to begin with; basically, this is your first dance as a married couple and do you want to remember it as a comedy routine?

Now that I have said that, I have been asked to do this on occasion and the first few were free until I ran into the couple from hell that couldn't settle on songs and I changed the edit every few days or so. It got very confusing.

Now I charge $300 for it up front and I give them two shots at changes and after that no more changes. I also keep a library of past ones and if the couple cannot pay the $300 for an original or they balk at the price I offer the library and they can pick one as is for free. I am thinking of charging maybe $100 for a choice from the library.

Yes, my object is to discourage this practice. I know it is their day and they have the right to have it any way they want it but if they want me to do the extra work then I'm going to make some money off it.
 
TommyO said:
....

Yes, my object is to discourage this practice. I know it is their day and they have the right to have it any way they want it but if they want me to do the extra work then I'm going to make some money off it.
Click to expand...

Yep. I totally agree. But more along the lines of it isn't something I enjoy doing. If they want to joke around, that's on them.
 
Actually, I enjoy the editing part. I use Sony Vegas to do it, although any decent audio editing program will work.

I get pretty creative with the cuts between songs and use needle scratches, back spins, and have gone as far as to use John Cleese saying "An now for something completely different."

My reasoning for the charge is to ensure that the couple really wants to do this. If they are willing to pay $300 for it then they really want to do it. Plus, it is $300 I didn't have before.
 
As a studio owner as well, I'll have to agree with Kevin, If I have to go back into the studio for another "Take" with new content, then it has to be paid for. Studio time is not free, regardless of what we charged for the reception. This is more work therefore worth more.
As to whether the hired entertainment feels it's a comedy routine is completely irrelevant as it is ALL about what the client wants and is paying you to provide.
If I meet with a client and they want my services and mention I will be performing in a chicken suit all night, I'll decide first if I want to take the event. If I choose to take the event and the client pays my price.....I will perform in a chicken suit no matter how STUPID I may feel. I gave a price as to what such an event was worth to me to perform and if we both agree, the chicken suit it is.
It is NEVER my place to tell a client what is tacky, cheesy or anything else at THEIR wedding. It is THEIRS and THEIRS alone. My job is to take the information and provide the event they want and are paying for.
If what they want is beyond what I am willing to do (both monetarily or morally) then I will tell them that I am not the right company for them and move on.
 
Same here.
I guess it depends on what you originally promised them & what you are being paid.
If you are getting an average rate, then they get an "average" DJ".

It's a personal decision.
But if it's taking you away from other business, charge 'em. (studio time is different from DJing time)

Think about hiring a plumber to fix the sink in the kitchen & thinking since he's here, I'll have him also the toilet, or the sink in the bathroom for the same fee.
 
Time is money ;)

I love doing studio stuff, and if I was doing it as business for somebody's event I would charge for the time.
 
I got a guy that has a wedding in November. He wants a "special first dance" with ten songs cut at specific spots. I quoted him $500. I offered up one of the free ones. He told me that $500 was too much.

Now he's asking for the Evolution of Dance mix, which I don't think has come out as a specific mix. I told him that it would cost more because I have to analyze where the breaks are.

I explained about the analysis and the "studio" time to put it together but he just doesn't seem to get the fact that if I'm doing the time then he's paying.
 
TommyO said:
I got a guy that has a wedding in November. He wants a "special first dance" with ten songs cut at specific spots. I quoted him $500. I offered up one of the free ones. He told me that $500 was too much.

Now he's asking for the Evolution of Dance mix, which I don't think has come out as a specific mix. I told him that it would cost more because I have to analyze where the breaks are.

I explained about the analysis and the "studio" time to put it together but he just doesn't seem to get the fact that if I'm doing the time then he's paying.
Click to expand...
$500 is to much. And since he's not willing to pay for it that proves it. The cost of editing shouldn't exceed the cost of the event. Send him to me. I'll do it for $100.
 
please do not take offense to any of this......

When did the memo get passed that dj's charge hundreds of dollars just to make a 3-5 minute mix.

I guess I am the only one who figured thats what dj's do, mix!

Whats so hard about COPYING a mix someone else has already done? Its not like you are taking 10 songs and actually creating the mix, you are just duplicating someone elses work.

I can see charging $500 if you did an incredible CUSTOM/ORIGINAL 5 minute mix($100 per minute), but to duplicate whats already been done (way too many times) its a bit much.
 
I guess I just feel my time is worth more than others feel theirs is.

Sure, I am duplicating another person's work; however, I am going to spend time analyzing the song to determine where the breaks are and then time cutting the songs. Not being the mixologist I do most of these with Vegas and that does take some time. I would prefer that the job be done to my standards and correctly or not at all.

His options are to take one of the songs I have already mixed from the library for free, pay me my price to build what he wants, not do it at all, or seek another DJ to do his wedding.

No Ron, I will not send him to you.

At this point the situation is moot anyway as we have struck a happy medium.
 
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