My 19-year-old son has been a bedroom DJ buying equipment over the last 3 years. Now he has finished collage he wants to become a mobile DJ, reading this forum has helped with a lot of information.
He wants to keep everything legal and above board, the last thing he wants is to take chances & become a fly by night.
He has been to the tax office & had a chat with a very helpful person there, (yes they do exist) who talked him through keeping his records, national insurance etc.
The next step was to look at what else was required (insurance on equipment, PLI, PAT, PPL, PRS) etc.
After talking with someone at TVDJA, I contacted Music Guard they could sort out equipment & Public liability Insurance (PLI) for about £200.
Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) will cost about £40.
That’s the easy part now comes the part where we could use someone’s help.
Reading this forum, we are still not sure about PPL. Are we right in thinking it’s not required for private bookings & most pubs & clubs are already covered?
(PRS) Performing Rights Society, this would appear to be the biggest minefield.
All CD’s now have “for personal use only, not to be used for public performance” stamped on them. I know radio stations have to pay for every track they use; do mobile DJ’s have to pay for every track used at private functions?
And now the one thing he needs most help with, and may stop him from doing what he really wants. Car or van insurance “ CAN ANYONE HELP?” so far, as soon as he says he wants insurance on anything for business use as a mobile DJ, its going to cost him about £3800 for third party only. It would only cost him £1000 for the same vehicle as a student. Baring in mind he will be just starting out, and if he’s lucky he may get 2 or 3 bookings a month all he earns will be going just to pay for car insurance. I know this is probably imposable task but can anyone suggest an insurance company that doesn’t try to rip you off.