Hiring A DJ
This section is intended to assist you in choosing the entertainment for your coming event. It is made up of questions that our customers have asked us in the past, pieces from articles, and the knowledge our staff have after being involved in thousands of successful events! If you have additional questions, you are always welcome to Contact our staff. Getting/staying in touch Pricing Experience Music Equipment Written Agreements Backups Bands vs. DJs In House vs. Mobile DJs Getting/staying in touch Whether it is when you first get in touch, when you are looking to book an appointment, or even after you have decided on which company to use, you should always be able to get a return phone call or e-mail within 24-48 hours. Bear in mind, your DJ may be working at an event, and especially over weekend periods the majority of time is dedicated to that weekends' events, so hearing back within an hour is not always possible. Pricing Unfortunately, DJs tend to be one of the last things shopped for, once the venue, food, invitations, and everything else has been decided. As a result, many people shop for the 'lowest price' available. Keep in mind, that when people look back at your party, one of the biggest things that they will remember is if they danced and had a good time...NOT how the vegetable dip looked! Many bottom-price DJs are 'hobby' players, looking to supplement their income with what they consider an easy job. They will not be able to offer you the selection, quality of equipment and service, and dedication that a reputable company will have. Experience '5 years experience' really does nothing to tell you what kind of DJ you are getting. A DJ who has worked bars and clubs for 15 years and coming out to work their first wedding will have little idea of what to expect. Your DJ should be experienced in the kind of event you are hosting, be it a pub party, wedding, corporate event, birthday, or school event! Music Professional DJs generally carry a library of 15,000 songs and up in order to accommodate the wide variety of popular music available. This allows them to satisfy the requests you and your guests make, as well as call on their experience to fill out further songs to keep to flow of the party going. Equipment Your DJ should be using top of the line, well maintained professional equipment. If their equipment looks like something out of a college dorm, warning flags should be going up! If you're not sure, ask for an equipment list and check with a local music equipment store. Written Agreement Make sure that your event is confirmed in writing, especially for any specific requirements or service requests you have asked for. Backups Your DJ should have backup equipment available in case anything fails, so that your event is not missing out on anything. Backup staff is a great feature if available, but in the case of independant operators may be difficult. Bands vs. DJs DJs and Bands offer very different kinds of entertainment. Some of things to keep in mind when considering what kind of entertainment you would like to have: DJs are much less expensive than bands, sometimes by thousands of dollars! DJs will have a much wider music repertoire. You don?t have to worry if we know a special song, because we can always get it! DJs can take (and mix in) requests on the fly DJs continue to keep the energy level up throughout your dancing - we don?t need to take a break DJs can offer a variety of additional services, including customized lighting, interactive shows, and can even step down and lead your group in a dance. DJs are much more flexible in their play list, and can orient the entire evening over specific styles of music that you like. In House vs. mobile DJs Many venues have their own ?in house? DJs. There are a few advantages to using an in house DJ, such as having all the gear neatly mounted, often painted to match the d?cor, and sometimes costing less than an outside DJ. That being said, there are MANY more advantages to using your own DJ: In house DJs are never ?included?, like venues may tell you. It?s simply charged for, but not itemized on your bill. Ask how much a discount you receive if you already have a DJ. The venue will always recommend their in house DJ, usually because they get a percentage of the booking fee charged. In house DJs will often send their newest, less experienced DJs to in house bookings - they are making less money, so they are looking to send the least expensive staff available. In house DJs are often assigned last minute, leaving it impossible for you to talk to or meet your DJ ahead of time. In house DJs are frequently set up in a special booth, making it very difficult for them to interact with your guests, be it as an MC, or even to just take requests. Some of these booths are on an entirely different floor! In house audio systems are difficult and inconvenient to inspect and maintain. This means that equipment rarely goes through preventative maintenance - they only get fixed when they completely stop working, and sometimes not even then. In many cases, in house speakers are spaced throughout the room equally for speeches and announcements. Unfortunately, this means the dancing music will also be the same volume throughout the room, making it hard to talk. When ceiling mounted, the tweeters on speakers are also directed at your ears, often distorting sound, and making guests uncomfortable. Having the woofers or subwoofers so high diminish their effect as well, so if you want a real bass pumping party, you need something at floor level. Upgrading your lighting can be very limited - you generally can choose from fitures already installed. With mobile, you can choose what, how many, and where you'd like your lighting to be The bottom line is, if you have a question, make sure to ASK YOUR DJ. You are looking to hire them for an event that you have put considerable time, money, and effort into coordinating, and you don't want any unpleasant surprises! If they are really a professional company who want to earn your business, they should have no problem answering any of your questions.