Just spent the night making custom first dance songs for weddings
- Thread starter DJ Ricky B
- Start date
I think Taso nailed it. You clearly communicate what your service offering includes, up front. Now in this case, we have a client who is really asking for more than they bought. Taso charges them an overage fee. I bite my lip, eat the fee, realizing that this is a rare happening. If it happened more, believe me, I'd be charging for it as well. As is in my case, I think it's more profitable to eat it. In reality, those clients know they I did extra and they generally sing my praises for it. That has much more tangible value than the little bit of money I'd get for the overage. Bear in mind also that in markets like Taso's, I think it's more expected to pay extra. In my market, people see it as nickel and dime stuff. Different areas, different expectations.
I have had a couple of these. Editing out content, making it shorter, making the intro longer, you name it.
Considering that my day job requires me to edit audio 40-hours a week....
I can spit them out in moments without blinking....so I never charge extra for edits.
It helps to LOVE what you do for a living.
A lot of DJ's charge extra for lighting. I don't.
Also, I feel that digitally editing a song medley is the same as mixing it live as it happens.
And you wouldn't charge extra for THAT!
If you have a song medley where you are playing just snippets and timing is crucial .. I WOULDN'T do that live (I don't have anywhere that level of talent), so yes, I'd charge. Playing and mixing .. no.
Shortening or lengthening something is not hard to do - and can happen live. Building a custom set within multiple in/out timepoints most likely will not happen live, especially if you only have a short amount of time to get to that break. This means you are editing / building beforehand. In addition, the customer needed to practice to 'the set' - and would need to hear and approve of the specific cut points that they wanted - and this should be the same thing they practiced to.
Within reason, I include a very small amount. If you want specific fixtures, you're paying for them.
I have done it live before a number of times, and it went GREAT.
However, we were not talking multiple song tansitions with sound effects...the times I did it live were maybe mixing 3 to 4 songs together, and those couples were pretty chill
I had one sprung on me one night and they asked if I would try it. They were happy with it but it would have been so much better done before hand. There were 7 or 8 songs in the mix the first being 45 seconds the rest 20-30 except the last that was closer to a minute
Most people want to rehearse to the mix before dancing to it live at the event. That means you pretty much have to record it in advance.[emoji4]
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I love what I do, too. I can hear a song and immediately play it on a piano without having seen the sheet music. Strange enough, if there's a piano in the room, people pay me to play it. Go figure.
Oh I agree wholeheartedly and it's a much better way but I'm just saying it can be done live. The chance for error is MUCH higher but it can be done
In the case I explained it was 10% skill and 90% luck
LOL. I'm a real DJ 
so if I can do the edits/mix live then that's what I do, and don't bother with an edit. This is often the case when people just want a particular segment removed and the song shortened or rearranged. It's pretty simple in the PC age because you can load multiple instances of the same song and mix it up however you want.
If it's a recurring song request (like removing the reference to Jesus or a sexually charged line during a popular Bar Mitzvah daddy/daughter dance choice) then I permanently add a remixed version of the song to my library.
A custom medley with sound effects as described? If it was a layout I could do live I would but, only if I was also working with a separate emcee to eliminate potential distractions. I don't mind people watching, but it never fails that when you're right in the middle of something like that there's at least one clueless person who thinks they need to talk to you right now.
One song or dance? I'm not likely to charge for editing. It's what I do as a DJ. But, if you've got a list of songs that have to be edited or choreographed in some way prior to the event then yeah - we're now working on an additional project that was not part of your invoice.
so if I can do the edits/mix live then that's what I do, and don't bother with an edit. This is often the case when people just want a particular segment removed and the song shortened or rearranged. It's pretty simple in the PC age because you can load multiple instances of the same song and mix it up however you want.If it's a recurring song request (like removing the reference to Jesus or a sexually charged line during a popular Bar Mitzvah daddy/daughter dance choice) then I permanently add a remixed version of the song to my library.
A custom medley with sound effects as described? If it was a layout I could do live I would but, only if I was also working with a separate emcee to eliminate potential distractions. I don't mind people watching, but it never fails that when you're right in the middle of something like that there's at least one clueless person who thinks they need to talk to you right now.
One song or dance? I'm not likely to charge for editing. It's what I do as a DJ. But, if you've got a list of songs that have to be edited or choreographed in some way prior to the event then yeah - we're now working on an additional project that was not part of your invoice.
With vinyl and CDs, I agree - it takes an outboard sampler to pull that off. However, with software you need only mark the cue points to have instant access and the beat grid assures the sync.
...and neither are they.
If they can dance to it then it has enough measure to be mixed live. The two skills are not that different.
I've done enough choreographed work to know how much of a measure is required even for a professional dancer.
No, you won't be mixing this with your mouse and keyboard. It takes real tools.
...and neither are they.
If they can dance to it then it has enough measure to be mixed live. The two skills are not that different.
I've done enough choreographed work to know how much of a measure is required even for a professional dancer.
No, you won't be mixing this with your mouse and keyboard. It takes real tools.
I've seen and done it from both sides, so I know it as well. Is it possible? Sure. Will it be successful? Most likely not unless its recorded and rehearsed.
...and neither are they.
If they can dance to it then it has enough measure to be mixed live. The two skills are not that different.
I've done enough choreographed work to know how much of a measure is required even for a professional dancer.
No, you won't be mixing this with your mouse and keyboard. It takes real tools.
Why would you want to do it live, aside from a fragile ego that needs stroking, when the option is there to make it perfect