As professional mobile disc jockeys we are also Emcee’s, Interactive Party Hosts, Event Coordinators, Music Programmers and Audio and Lighting Technicians. What’s more, we can teach participation dances, and host contests and games. Do we warrant a premium fee? You bet we do. Just remember to always be worth your asking fee, and always give your customers even more than you have promised.
1. Set your primary fee
You need to have a set base fee on which to operate so that you have a good starting point for all events.
$100-$300 is the average hourly rate in the industry. Check out the competition in your market and decide what you think is a good starting point for your level of service.
2. Determine all the “extras”
The price of your service should vary depending on the type of occasion, the time of year, the location of the event, whether it’s a day or night event.
In addition, you can add things to your service that provide that extra level of service such as lighting effects, dancers, party props, Karaoke, etc… Each of these needs to have a set fee so that it’s easy to determine the total once you add it to your primary fee.
3. Set your minimum hours
It’s very wise to base your prices on a three-hour minimum. Even if the event is only an hour long, you still have to setup and break down. Make sure this is accounted for.
4. Determine your Special Event Rate
Events such as weddings, Bar Mitzvahs and some corporate events are typically booked at a higher rate than other types of events. You will have dual responsibility of being both the DJ and emcee, and should be compensated.
5. Set any discounts
Sometimes a good incentive for people to hire your DJ service is to offer them a discount. Build this consideration into your pricing structure and consider offering discounts to non-profit organizations, customers willing to prepay and corporate clients who book your services several times a year.
6. Set overtime rates
Clients will often ask you to extend your services past the original end time. Make sure you have a rate set so that you can offer to do so immediately. Typically you would charge 50% of the hourly rate you have quoted for each thirty minutes of overtime you play.
