Perspective on Price

Often times when I’m approached by a prospective client the first question is, “how much do you cost?” That’s a fair question, and it ought to be asked, but that must be taken into account with other factors. In the same vain that we look at tailor’s craftsmanship, caterer’s ability, and a florist’s presentation before pursing our lips to ask about cost, it’s important to consider all the factors that can make a DJ the best investment of your event.

Advantage of Hiring a Professional DJ
A Pro…A Hobbyist…
SHOWS UP…EARLYHas no reputation to protect, and are notorious for showing up late or not at all
Will have invested deeply in road-tested, high-quality equipment that delivers solid, reliable performanceWill have inadequate, performance-limiting  equipment that was scraped together over the last couple gigs
Has a rich library of 50,000+ that draws on music from numerous generations, genres, nationalities, and ethnicities; the DJ will also be current and comfortable playing any of itHas a couple thousand songs, only has a few specific genres that he/she personally listens to, and is content playing a narrow selection of songs
Uses high quality audio and has vetted his tracks to be free of skips, tags, etcUses inconsistent audio quality from questionable sources, and may be hearing tracks for the first time as it’s playing live
Knows the event is not about him, and conducts himself in a professional manner on the microphone, and knows how not to overdo it.Is loud and obnoxious on the microphone
Exercises tact and discretion in song selection and plays tunes appropriate for the audiencePlays anything with no regard for the appropriateness given the audience; swears and innuendos are fair game
Never drinks alcohol when playing, as that affects performanceMay drink on the job, which can lead to unsavory situations
Has good judgment and diplomacy in dealing with unpleasant guests and situationsCan behave unprofessionally under stress and behave aggressively towards guests; shutting of music, swearing, etc
Is adept at rolling with changes in the scheduleGets confused by changes in the schedule, possibly leading to improper cues, songs, etc
Is an effective communicator, responds to calls and emails in a timely mannerIs hard to get a hold of, and often replies in confusing shorthand

 

There are many more dimensions with such stark differences between professionals and amateurs, but I think the above paint a clear picture.

By no means  do I advocate hiring the most expensive DJ, but if the price is suspiciously low, you should keep shopping around. Just as you’d find a $2 bottle of wine suspicious, take the same approach with DJ pricing. Nobody worth hiring can put the time, music research, equipment, effort, into a career paying an amateur’s wage.

In a field that has ample bad-actors, it’s hard to overlook these factors. Like so many things in life, you get what you pay for; if you pay an amateur’s price, most times that’s what you’ll get. So when booking a DJ, consider the whole value of your investment in a DJ; go with a pro!

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