HOW TO HIRE A DJ
Updated: Aug 7, 2022
People, too often, underestimate the importance of hiring a good DJ. The DJ is usually the center of the wedding or party. Music sets the tone and the DJ develops an arch and peak of music to build the vibe and develop a feeling.
Hiring a DJ can be a challenging task and should be based on the importance of your event. If you're just throwing a backyard birthday party and want to spend as little as possible, you can probably find A DJ with a bluetooth speaker for $300 who just plays songs. If you want a memorable party with a DJ that blends the beats and knows how to build an arch for the party, then you may want to consider a pro. Pro DJs don't charge $300. Their starting price will likely be around $500-$750 if its within a city with easy access and parking.. If you're looking for a wedding DJ the starting price is gonna be $1000 for anyone decent who is going to devote the right amount of time and resources to making your night amazing. For a wedding, you need to consider ceremony speakers, lapel mics, wireless handheld mics, and a large enough sound system for over 100 people. These kinds of DJs can run well over $2000 for a pro setup.
If you Hire a DJ for a wedding or anniversary or a really important occasion, you want someone who spends the time collecting and arranging your favorites into one cohesive opus to help you have one of the greatest nights of your life, while recalling the songs that re-vive your best memories.
So why is all this information important? Because you have to define what is important to you.
Do you want a DJ who is mixing and beat-matching? Smooth transitions and cool remixes are some of the benefits of having a DJ. Smooth transitions make one song blend seamlessly into another to keep people on the dance floor engaged in "what's next" excitement. Its fun to hear your favorites in a slightly different format and environment. However, "beat matching is only part of being a DJ. Track selection and the ability to read the crowd are just as, if not more, important. The best DJs in the world have the complete package, they can beat match, their track selection is brilliant and they know how to build and release tension to get the crowd engaged. Some skills can be learned, but track selection seems to be one that’s refined and unique to an individual, it reveals who an artist truly is." *Mixmag. Othaside DJs and our Los Angeles DJs and Las Vegas DJs have this ability.
Can they take requests? In todays streaming environment you might be surprised to know that a small percentage of DJs can stream a request directly onto their mixing equipment to keep that non-stop vibe. Most will have to use their phones plugged into the mixer. Othaside DJs use the latest tech to stream 99.9% of requests. In the last year (2021) our DJs only clocked one request that couldn't be found..
Do you want a reliable DJ? Do you want a DJ who does his homework before he arrives? Does your DJ take measures to ensure backups and workarounds for your event? Weddings are the most mission critical events. Everything is within a timeline and schedule. The cost of a wedding can be well over $15,000 with the average cost of a wedding around $26,000. Make sure you hire a DJ that understands the importance of their role in your wedding and has an understanding of what can go wrong, and a backup plan for when they do.
Does your DJ take your playlists and use them as your template to build on? Othaside will take your Spotify playlists and upload them, free of charge, and build the vibe based on your favorites.
Do you want an MC / DJ who does announcements for you? Make sure you ask and think about this and even ask your DJ for an example of their microphone voice.
Does your DJ provide a contract with cancellation terms? When you are spending $1000 or more its a good idea to make sure your DJ has everything laid out in writing. Othaside will provide a contract with all the details of the services to be provided and an easy to understand cancellation period. We send it through for a quick digital signature and you are booked.
Does your DJ provide you with Credit Card Payment options so your purchase is protected if they don't show up? Othaside has an easy online invoice system. where you can pay by credit or debit.
Do you need simple lighting or lighting design and atmosphere lighting? Othaside DJs can bring simple great looking setups for the perfect house party and we work with larger lighting and sound design companies that can power concerts. (well... you might not need that, but the point is; we can do it all.)
