How much should I charge

karlbreen

Hello Karl here (Dj Breener),

So at the end of this month I'll be doings first paid gig. It's for my local primary school in the GAA club. It's starts around 8 and finishes at 12. All the schools 6th class students will be attending this event. The organiser has said for me to let her know how much she has to pay me. But I wouldn't know where to start. Any suggestions?

Naked Lepper

see if he will pay for your drinks and a bag of charlie, things may be tight with the recession so you might have to settle of a few scoops and a couple of yokes

Quebec Delta Mike

So it's your very first gig then...awwww!!!!:)

Whatever happens, enjoy yourself, and don't take yourself too seriously.:P

What to charge....well if you are using someone else's PA, just plugging in to it, with only your own CDs/ midi controller to bring, then you have to ask yourself what are your efforts worth? Just turning up and plugging in is usually getting between €100 - €170 for four hours, depending on how tight the manager is. (They are all tight gits, who will expect you to play for nothing if possible) With your inexperience, you should be happy with €100. Remember, you want the client to use you again, so price is important with a new client.

If you have to bring a PA/lights, then add the hire cost to your price.(Check out what it costs to hire a rig) However, don't expect more than €200 for a full size mobile gig, as a novice.

If you have already paid for your music/cds,sound system, lighting, you will soon find out that your pre-gig expenses mean nothing to a client, they just want the best price for the night.

Good luck and have fun....

QDM

karlbreen

Thanks for the reply

Yeah I'm renting PA and getting a loan of lights from the friend so I wont charge too much for it. The only equipment that is mine is the mac and the midi controller.

ironclaw

karlbreen wrote: »

Thanks for the reply

Yeah I'm renting PA and getting a loan of lights from the friend so I wont charge too much for it. The only equipment that is mine is the mac and the midi controller.

Cover your costs and add €100 would be my figure.

djgarvey123

karlbreen wrote: »

Hello Karl here (Dj Breener),

So at the end of this month I'll be doings first paid gig. It's for my local primary school in the GAA club. It's starts around 8 and finishes at 12. All the schools 6th class students will be attending this event. The organiser has said for me to let her know how much she has to pay me. But I wouldn't know where to start. Any suggestions?

Ask her for a size 4 football and an o neills tracksuit pants.

karlbreen

Thanks for all the posts guys

I hired out speakers from Sound Works in the end. Good guys very helpful with no messing around. After all that it turned out that the event organisers had a set amount for the dj so they just gave me it at the end of the night without my saying how much i wanted.

Quebec Delta Mike

Hi,

Well, that seems like a "fast one" to me. They saw you were a novice, and gave you what they expected you to take. After a while, you will learn to find out from venues/clients what they pay, before, not after you do the gig.

How did you get on anyway? Was it fun?

QDM