Ok, I am a new DJ distributing demos
If a club asks me how much i want to play their place what do i say
I live in NYC
whats a reasonable price? i hear some people get a few hundred an hour. I have NO IDEA what the ballpark is
please help!
thanks
-Scott

well, if they even asked me to play for free, id jump at the chance!

___________________
ID 1ID 2ID 3

quote:

Originally posted by Scolomon Ok, I am a new DJ distributing demos If a club asks me how much i want to play their place what do i say I live in NYC whats a reasonable price? i hear some people get a few hundred an hour. I have NO IDEA what the ballpark is please help! thanks -Scott

It all depends...I play in NYC and what I have been paid ranges from $0 to about $100 an hour... but most the places I play are my own parties, so I make what the night makes, either by collecting at the door or a % of the bar. If you're a new dj and no one knows who you are, expect to play a lot of nights for free or for very very little. I can tell you as a promoter, if on a given night I have 4 djs playing, only one of them (the headlinder) is getting paid, everyone else is doing it for free.

___________________
www.facebook.com/zackrothmusic

quote:

Originally posted by Scolomon Ok, I am a new DJ distributing demos If a club asks me how much i want to play their place what do i say I live in NYC whats a reasonable price? i hear some people get a few hundred an hour. I have NO IDEA what the ballpark is please help! thanks -Scott

As a new comer, if you are lucky enough to land a gig, they will most likely tell you what you are getting paid.

Build your rep before you start thinking about the money. It's better to get shafted a couple of times but get the chance to spin rather than lay it on thick with the demands even if they are reasonable.

When I was doing it as my full time job I was getting about £200 to £300 a night with the exceptions of New Years Eve gigs when I have been paid a couple of thousand, but those times have passed and now I sometimes look at much much less.

Clubs these days wont pay you that much because they know that they can get any noname DJ for less.

But if you do get asked, it's always a good idea to ask some of the DJs that work at the club or in the area, although a lot of DJs don't like to talk about it.

But I'm sure that the club will tell you what you are going to get paid before you even think about asking.

Cheers
Nem

___________________
https://www.mixcloud.com/Calvin_Karass/

How about if a DJ starts a new night in a non-traditional setting?

I'm thinking about approaching a local golf course & driving range. They have a dining room about 40x40 feet that actually has a small dance floor that's not been used for dancing recently. They shut down the place about 7 pm every night so if I could get them to let me come in and DJ Friday or Saturday nights the drinks/snacks revenue would be all new money for them.

So I'm thinking I will offer to come in free for a month to see how it goes, then ask for a percentage (25% ?) of their room revenue after that. Maybe a small cover charge eventually. All they need to do is keep a bartender & server there, push the tables out of the way and maybe add some club lighting. I have some speakers that will be OK to start.

I live in small city with 2 clubs but they're really poorly managed and resistant to any other music besides country & old top-40. If I start my own night I probably have much more control of the music. The last thing I want to happen is to have someone steer me to playing the usual crappy music that is everywhere else.

quote:

Originally posted by shades_of_gray well, if they even asked me to play for free, id jump at the chance!

I'd DJ for free all the time, if I could. Oh, and as was previously mentioned, if it's your first time they will most likely tell you what you're getting; it's not like you're a star yet, and as of know you're the equivalent, to them, of any other bedroom DJ. You need to prove yourself before you can ask anything.

Think of it this way...

For every 1 DJ that expects to be paid, there are 4 DJ's that are willing do it for free. Until you are a reputable DJ (I'm not talking superstar, but a familiar name in your city), you shouldn't expect any pay, and anything you do get is just a bonus. When you have started to make your name, then you can think about the money side.

quote:

Originally posted by EricR. Think of it this way... For every 1 DJ that expects to be paid, there are 4 DJ's that are willing do it for free. Until you are a reputable DJ (I'm not talking superstar, but a familiar name in your city), you shouldn't expect any pay, and anything you do get is just a bonus. When you have started to make your name, then you can think about the money side.

but at the same time, that's exactly what's hurting us working djs
i'll get shafted on a gig cause there's some kid that's been playing for 3 months who'll play for free

so to save a couple bucks the promoter is going to book some kid who can barely mix vs giving their crowd a good show with a talented dj

so whether or not you're good, every dj that plays out should be paid
expect it, ask for it
if you're not good enough to expect to be compensated properly for your effort and time invested in your craft, you shouldn't be playing out
because hey, we all do it for the love, but music isn't free

and more often than not, the person paying you is making more money than you think

i hate to be so blunt, but it's the truth of the industry
if you're not fighting to be ahead, you're falling behind

___________________
Tony Morello Dot Com
Soundcloud
Facebook
Twitter
The Drunken Monkey Podcast
The Mixdown Podcast presented by Tony Morello

Last edited by Tony Morello on Nov-04-2005 at 02:16

I always went by the rule if they're making money of me I should get paid, at least $100 to $150 bucks an hour (usually I play 10 to 15 records an hour - $10 a record you get the picture). But if its like a house party or anywhere that people are not paying to get in then I'll just play to get my name out

___________________
www.djAlexZ.com

quote:

Originally posted by Nou Quoting the bible here... "And then God said let there be stupidity, and down from the heavens came the iPod, and along with it every man women bore sweaters upon their chests and dark rimmed glasses upon their eyes and they all began to chant: I AM THE DJ"

quote:

Originally posted by dj spunk I always went by the rule if they're making money of me I should get paid, at least $100 to $150 bucks an hour (usually I play 10 to 15 records an hour - $10 a record you get the picture). But if its like a house party or anywhere that people are not paying to get in then I'll just play to get my name out

$100-$150 an hour?

I can tell you, as a promoter I have paid big, well-known djs that much to play at parties...

My rule of thumb as a promoter is there are hundreds of talented djs out there that are willing to play for free because they love what they do. You have to look at how popular the dj is...if he has a following and will draw a crowd, then maybe I can find money for him. But I don't see it as myself making money of a dj who is just opening or closing for a big name dj. I'm making money of the name dj, and that is why they get paid versus the unknown guy.

___________________
www.facebook.com/zackrothmusic

My first major gig will be opening for Gabriel & Dresden in December and I'm getting $150.

quote:

Originally posted by Scottaculous My first major gig will be opening for Gabriel & Dresden in December and I'm getting $150.

Nice!

___________________
Click the link below to stream all of my mixes past and present. New mixes go up about once a month. Enjoy!

www.mixcloud.com/jluger