Are You Happy With Your Rate?

[Gary 0]

I hate to repeat myself but until people start listening I guess I'll keep on doing it:

 

There are DJs out there who are totally legal, have equipment as good as (or better than) yours, and are as good (or better) at the job than you, yet will still charge (significantly) less than you. This may be for any of a number of reasons.

 

Get over it.

 

 

If I didn't say it the first time that you said it, I say unto you, WELL SAID !!!

 

[llcoolray 0]

The average for my next 15 weddings (which are confirmed and deposits paid) translates at today's exchange rate to £835 and I've just confirmed a wedding for October at £1430 (NZ$3600).

 

In spite of this, I've voted for "not happy with my price" because I can see that there's still a lot more room for development and movement in the market. Public perception is finally starting to change here and brides are budgeting a lot more than they used to, but it's hard work when so many DJs in my market seem dead set on keeping their rates (and level of service and professionalism) so painfully low. I can't understand the mentality and it causes me much grief.

living on the outskirts of north wales, people here still seem to want me to work for £80 , i am not prepared to do that anymore, weddings I have upped my price to 140 and the amount of weddings i have received has nose dived this year compared to previous years

[Gary (GDK) 0]

well ive just booked a 3hr kids party for £185.

1hr30mins Disco and games

45min Magic show

 

i dont usually do 3hr ones, but made an exception for this. My typical charge is £125ish now for 2hours!

[Dynamicdiscos 0]

I'm not 100% Happy. What with increases in cost of living, petrol prices rocketing and the looming possibility of a recession it's difficult to get enough work in at the right prices.

 

With childrens discos it's very difficult not to frighten parents off with big figures and it's so difficult to get an idea of average charges as so few people will actually take on childrens discos.

[Neil of the Roadshow 0]

Some good points being made here.

 

I know someone who works as an entertainer and charges half the average rate. The guy earnes £70k a year in his main job and goes out about once a month as a hobby and this covers his usual outgoings. He does not wish to do 100 functions a year as it is not worthwhile as he profits are taxed at 40%. He simply enjoys what he does and has been in the business for 42 years. I can't argue with that!

 

I have been in the business for 10 years on and off and I also have a well paid day job that sticks me in top tier tax by a long margin.

 

That doesn't mean I would work for £75.00 on one gig a month.

 

However you do get two us for £200, which is £100 pound each. Actually some agency work is only £150, so £75 each! However, that £150 is usually with an artiste and we got £150 for 1 hours work on Saturday by the time they had their meal and Elvis had been on.

 

Hmm - I feel I may be countering my own arguement.

 

The point I am making really badly is for me its a hobby, but we are professional at it. So we charge the going rate for our area of around £200 for a wedding DJ. It will increase next year as we are good enough to charge more as the tips we get seem to indicated.

 

As for £75.00 DJ's - Its up to them what they charge.

 

FREE MARKET ECONOMY FOLKS. THE PUBLIC HAVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE THEIR OWN CHOICE.

 

I think one of the points I made on another thread is if you get the call for a no show, don't go. Word soon gets round to book someone reliably (and I am not implying £75.00 DJ's are not reliably, illegal, doing drugs, eyeing up your daughter, or doing naughty things to your donkey)

[vokf 0]

Good post Neil!

I've also got a good day job, and other act ivies bring up my earnings to a pretty good level.

DJ'ing is also part-time, but I also wouldn't want to work for too low a rate - I'd prefer a night off/out than to charge < £100, the same applies to gigs I don't think I'd be able to do (18ths etc)

 

However, the guys that can do that, and also work weekends on higher paying jobs, deserve some respect, and they are probably earning more than me. :damn:

 

"FREE MARKET ECONOMY FOLKS. THE PUBLIC HAVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE THEIR OWN CHOICE."

 

Yep!

 

If everyone shopped by price, M&S, would be out of business, and Tesco would only sell Value Blue & White gear.

 

Those that do this full time do have a harder time - if us "part timers" don't have a gig for a few weeks, its only a minor loss (minimum outgoings).

 

 

Jason

[Liscio 0]

I am happy with my prices, for local gigs I have 2 rates, roughly £250 for a normaly night but 25% off mates rates (most of my gigs)

 

I try and find a happy medium that people can afford and my friends dont think I am ripping them off but is still enough to make it worth my while:)

[davemoody 0]

its always funny when price is mentioned how many people post!!

 

The truth is that we are never going to be able to stop the cowboy DJ. The ones that chrage very little and the ones that haven't updated their rig in years.

 

In reality they don't get very good gigs and very little repeat business.

 

Whatever anyone says they are ruining the industry though. Because on the other hand it ruins peoples opinions of mobile DJ's. It is getting harder to get gigs these days as everyone is finding it a bit tougher and what they don't need is an unprofessional DJ ruining their day.

 

Also we all have personal circumstances that somewhat dictate our going rate. Personally I am a student(even though I am 41 !!) but my wife works full time and I don't need to earn a great deal from it.

 

BUT.......There is no way I would go out for say £80 because I have a lot more pride in myself! The price we quote to a client sends out a certain message. If they have been getting cheap quotes and you suddenly charge more than double, if you explain yourself and the differences in booking you instead, i find they will book you because they don't want their event ruined.

 

They actually want a professional who is suitably dressed, has modern clean up to date equipment and can talk confidently on the mic.

 

I still see other DJ's dressed in jeans and t shirts at gigs. It's just not good enough no matter how much you charge.

 

Another comment I have made time and time again is that if you are happy with the ammount of gigs you are getting and your clients are happy, don't waste time moaning about the dodgy ones.

 

The only time I have gone out of my way to have a go back is there was one local DJ who actually had the balls to slag me off because he was after a gig. He didn't know me, never heard me, just saw my advert and that I was local, so when the client phoned him he tried to persuade them that I was rubbish and wouldnt turn up etc etc etc, so I paid him a personal visit at his home.

 

To say he was a bit shocked was an understatement. He was extremely apologetic in the end when I explained that I didn't appreciate people tarnishing my hard earned image just because they couldn't get gigs. As it happened I had had a local pub after a DJ (something I don't do anymore) so I managed to get him a residency there for £70 a night under the provision that if he got an enquiry that he couldnt do or hadnt got the experience to do, he passed it on to me.

 

Been working fine for the last 3 years now!!!

 

So there may be other solutions.

[Raymilkybarkid 0]

 

The rate should be what your client is happy to pay for your service.

 

with regards to and the ones that haven't updated their rig in years.

 

If it isn't broke don't try and fix it. If it still works and does the job why spend ££££'s on new equipment. Maybe DJ X gets 80 bookings a year at £250 per booking and hasn't updated his equipment in years

where DJ Y gets 80 bookings a year at £250 per booking but updates his gear every year, now who is better off ?

I still sell the Classic Disco most of the equipment is over 25 years old, It has been serviced annually and has never let us down so why should I update it ?

 

Yes Disco's aren't my main business productions are....Our staging is 20 years old so why should I update that at a cost of £20,000 when my steeldeck still does the same job.

 

I can sympathize with todays lifestyle with hey look at me I've got the latest gear but at the end of the day we all in it to earn money and maybe have a good time.

 

At the end of the day you have the choice to charge what you feel is reasonable for your service and your clients also have the choice to use your services or not.

Also remember that there will always be someone charging less that you.

 

So what makes a Cowboy DJ then ?

Could be the starting of a new topic

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[biggav 0]

I'm on £250 a gig now, (£200 mates rates) 8 till midnight. but charge £30 per hour earlier and £50 per hour after midnight, extra £50 for Karaoke, Live 4 piece rock band =£300 extra (£100 each as i'm already being paid to be there!!)

 

I'm looking at buying some more lighting, extra AMP and a new guitar so i'm looking at putting the basic rate up to £300 (everyone round here charging £280 anyway).

 

That said, i'm relativley happy with the workload.

[gadget 0]

Where my wife's office is, I was asked what my rate was, obviously I said it depends on various factors, one person thought I was expensive and one thought I was on the cheap side!

 

You just can't really win I guess..!

[DJ Mike 0]

I'm not at all happy with my rate, can't get it above about £35 p/h without losing custom which when you take into account all costs - advertising, insurance, music and equipment costs, time spent preparing for gig, time spent setting up and taking down etc. does not equate to a great hourly rate especially when you take into account the risks involved in owning your own business.

 

To be happy I would need to charge about £45 p/h.

[gadget 0]

I'm not at all happy with my rate, can't get it above about £35 p/h without losing custom which when you take into account all costs - advertising, insurance, music and equipment costs, time spent preparing for gig, time spent setting up and taking down etc. does not equate to a great hourly rate especially when you take into account the risks involved in owning your own business.

 

To be happy I would need to charge about £45 p/h.

 

Is your 35 p/h rate just for the gig itself or does it include setup/takedown times + other times as well?

[DJ Mike 0]

My rate just applies to the gig playing time.

 

Don't get me wrong that's not a hard and fast rule it's just what i've found works in terms of winning a bit of business, i'm not out to undercut anyone and don't want to undervalue my service but if I'm not getting bookings then I won't exist as a business!

 

It seems that most people who phone me are pretty much just looking for the cheapest DJ they can find but perhaps this will improve when i'm more established and have made a name for myself and therefore people will book me based on my service rather than the cost.