DJ-ing For Free: Accept or Reject?

Gratis optreden als DJ... doen of afwijzen?

Play for free? Is it just something you have to do or can you refuse? Our resident DJ specialist Marc den Hurk is regularly asked if he can play for free and understands that it’s a bit of a dilemma. If you say no, you risk rejection and if you say yes, you’re essentially going to be paying out of your own pocket to play. If DJ-ing is just a hobby, giving your services for free can get very expensive very quickly. Here, Marc lends any conflicted DJs some friendly advice.

Costs & Profit

It’s a double-edged sword because, ultimately, every DJ wants to be able to play their sets in front of a crowd, and being in front of a crowd means that you’re seen and that you might get booked for future gigs. I’ll make it clear right now that, in my opinion, you should always be getting paid – at least a reasonable amount – no matter what level you’re at, so I’m talking about hobby-DJs and semi-pros rather than the pros, who are already getting paid. The fact is that, when you turn up to play, you’re delivering a service – just like the bar staff – so in the very least, your expenses should be covered.

Expenses

Your expenses stretch a little further beyond a couple of drinks tickets:

Your DJ Gear

It also matters if you need to provide your own equipment or use the venue’s equipment. If you do have to bring your entire setup, then you need to include this in your costs as ‘depreciation of your equipment’. This is a valid cost because, if you’re carrying around your equipment a lot, then it will inevitably suffer from wear and tear.

The Hours of Preparation

Think about the hours you’ve stacked up researching the music, studying the music and building the set. Think about the money you’ve spent on acquiring the tracks you play. Think about the hours you put into learning and honing your DJ skills in the first place, and then all of the gear you had to invest in to be able to do it. It’s all of the above that goes into being a good DJ, which will only benefit the people who are booking you to play.

There’s More

You also take the time to pick out your clothes, your shoes – and pay for them – so you look the part on the night. Maybe you need to drive or use public transport to get to the venue, all of which costs money. Add it all up and your expenses are actually pretty high and, while you won’t earn all of it back in the space of four paid gigs, every little helps.

Gratis optreden als DJ... doen of afwijzen?

You Earn Your Money

Another big point is that, if you are paid fairly for any work, you tend to do it more professionally. And, if you make your fee for a booking clear from the outset, then you immediately give a more professional impression and the person booking you knows exactly where they stand. It also sets expectations. Say you play a gig for free and part way through the set the booker thinks they can do better – that’s tough. You get what you (don’t) pay for. I’m not saying that, if you do play a gig for free, you should do it badly but more, if you’re actually paid for your service then it’s likely to boost the quality of your performance. Even if it only gives you more assurance that you’ll be asked to come back again.

Be Consistent

What’s the best way to go about respecting your skills and becoming a paid DJ? Being consistent. Don’t ask for payment for one gig and then do a free one the following week. Getting paid for your work is what our economy rests on and it’s what yours should too. By being consistent, you’ll increase your chances of getting booked in better clubs or at festivals organised by people who are used to paying for DJs (as in, they would never book a DJ who’s willing to play for free) and all of that looks good on your CV. Put simply: more paid gigs leads to more paid gigs.

Gratis optreden als DJ... doen of afwijzen?

Good Exposure?

If someone asks you to play for free because it’s ‘good exposure’ or ‘promotion’, then you should only accept the booking if that exposure is going to be directly proportional to the fee you would usually ask for. I mean, if someone from Tomorrowland approaches you and asks if you want to come and play for free, then the answer will obviously be ‘Yes!’, because the reach of that festival is enormous both nationally, internationally and on social media. At the other end of the scale, there’s the small night or event that your mate is putting on in your home town – of course you’ll do it for free, and maybe you’ll agree to play at a benefit or charity event for nothing. The context matters when it comes to the kind of ‘exposure’ you’re getting in exchange for a free show.

It’s Up To You

Ultimately, it’s up to you. You can either play a lot of shows for free or play every now and then and get paid. Just remember, you don’t want to be the DJ that’s known for playing for beer, because when you start asking to be paid, you’re unlikely to get booked.

Got any stories about playing free or paid gigs? Let us know in the comments!