Quick question about amount paid

[Spife]

I have a monthly gig about 2 hours away, and I need to pay for parking (gas and parking is $45ish and I have no more gas in my tank when I get home compared to when I first left). Now, this gig is a 4 hour set in the downstairs part of a club that's pretty packed on the day I play there. I've heard no complaints about my mixing/sets, and really have only heard good things. Hell the club owner likes what I play and he likes NOTHING that's played down there.


I'm being payed $125 for the whole 4 hours.


I think I'm getting underpaid, but it covers my travel expenses, and I didn't get into this for money anyway, but I'm wondering what I could/should in the future. (I'm moving away very soon so I'll only be playing there once or twice more and don't feel like getting into an argument with ANYONE over how much I'm being paid there).
How do I know what I'm worth? What do I do/say to a promoter (or club owner?) when I think I deserve more? Is the problem that I was willing to take a gig at such low pay? Am I even being underpaid for the gig?

Again, I didn't get into this for money but pocket change is pocket change :freak: And I don't plan on talking to anyone about what I'm being paid at that spot, I just want to know what I could/should do for future gigs. Quick question about amount paid

[RDRCK]

Honestly, because of the absolute deluge of "DJs" who will do gigs for free drinks and "promotion", the amount that a DJ with a day job can expect from a club gig has gone way, way down (especially in smaller cities/towns, but even in places like LA and NYC).

I'm lucky to get more than 150 bucks at a four hour gig (and I am honestly one of the highest paid around here, not because I'm better, or more in demand than anyone else, but simply because I absolutely, positively refuse to settle for less; there are plenty of other jocks who have been doing it longer than I have around these parts, but will play for less than me, because DJing is a major source of income for them)

Most jocks around here will play a full night for 40 to 80 bucks, or worse, for the aforementioned bar tab and "great promotion/exposure". Just bad all around.

I've given a lot of honest thought to starting a ragtag DJ coop, where we would set a bare minimum price for a Thurs-Sat night, and everyone within the coop would stick to that price, no matter what.

Pipe dreams, but it could work, if enough jocks signed on, and stuck to their guns.

[Spife]

That's honestly another reason I wasn't gonna try and up what I'm paid. Looking back on my 2+ years, this gig is the only one with contacts (the rest were house parties or cally bars) I can use for future endeavors. It was more for exposure/experience then anything else.

But, so what you're saying is, as long as the cost of getting there is covered I should count myself lucky?

Also when you say "here" you mean your location right? Or did you mean djforums? I wonder what other people are making hmm
And thanks for the speedy response!

[Defiance]

I won't leave the house for less than $150 for a club gig. With that said I travel 2 hours round trip for a 9-2 gig. I am usually outta there right at 2am which is nice but still. After all expenses are paid, $150 is very very little. For this particular gig $250 would be more reasonable.

In your case, even if you are the worse DJ in the world, I still wouldn't do it for less than $150, but like you said don't make a big deal out of it since you are leaving soon.

What I am planning on doing is grabbing consecutive night at the same place and have them cut me one check a week.

Instead of beating DJs on price, beat them on quality. Whether that is just mixing or doing something special or anything to make yourself outshine the other DJs is what you should try and do.

[Molbster]

When you say the "downstairs part of the club", is that considered a side room and not a main room? Side room acts shouldn't expect the same pay as main room acts. Have you found out what all the other DJs that play there usually make?

I agree with your idea of not biting the hand that feeds you, esp if you're not going to be playing there for that much longer. Although generally, successful bids for higher salary are similar to moves you'd make in your day job. You show your previous work performance, show that you've exceeded expectations, show that you being there has brought in a crowd (ie days you've missed, you heard it wasn't as good), show you're not paid the same as your peers (risky move though bc p2p comparisons are usually not based on skill but popularity and rappore), and throw a bit in there about how it's not covering your expenses (if that's the case).

[RDRCK]

That's honestly another reason I wasn't gonna try and up what I'm paid. Looking back on my 2+ years, this gig is the only one with contacts (the rest were house parties or cally bars) I can use for future endeavors. It was more for exposure/experience then anything else.

But, so what you're saying is, as long as the cost of getting there is covered I should count myself lucky?

Also when you say "here" you mean your location right? Or did you mean djforums? I wonder what other people are making hmm
And thanks for the speedy response!

No, you shouldn't count yourself lucky. Work for what you expect to get paid. Your time is worth it!

At the same time, you have so little time left at your current regular gig, I don't think it would be worth it to bring up a raise.

Yes, by here I mean my location: a small college city in Southern Oregon.

[Spife]

Instead of beating DJs on price, beat them on quality. Whether that is just mixing or doing something special or anything to make yourself outshine the other DJs is what you should try and do.
I actually stand out a bit already. I've gotten numerous compliments about how I know how to open for a dj (or my self, in this case) and how a lot of younger dj's they got in that spot play bangers way way WAY to early. They've been screening people for the spot and I'm one of the two DJ's to play it



When you say the "downstairs part of the club", is that considered a side room and not a main room? Side room acts shouldn't expect the same pay as main room acts. Have you found out what all the other DJs that play there usually make?
No I mean downstairs. It's called the lounge and has a more chill atmosphere. I don't expect to make as much as what ever people do upstairs, I'm just wondering if I should be paid more. Also, I've been told flat rate for that spot is $125 a night.
The rest of this post was extremely helpful, +1.




No, you shouldn't count yourself lucky. Work for what you expect to get paid. Your time is worth it!

At the same time, you have so little time left at your current regular gig, I don't think it would be worth it to bring up a raise.

Yes, by here I mean my location: a small college city in Southern Oregon.

I'm still not sure how to determine what I'm worth :lol:


Oh well, I'm moving to a city so I don't have to drive 2 hours for gigs so travel costs will go way down :D Thanks for the replies guys, topics def still open if anyone else wants to weigh in.

[sss18734]

Where are you moving to?

[Spife]

Chicagoland :D

[CC Ricers]

Chicagoland

Can't say much other than bump your prices up quick, man. Gas is real pricey around here even when prices as a whole are falling.

[Spife]

Can't say much other than bump your prices up quick, man. Gas is real pricey around here even when prices as a whole are falling.

Psh I'm not moving to a city to drive around.

[Ignotus]

I won't leave the house for less than $150 for a club gig. With that said I travel 2 hours round trip for a 9-2 gig. I am usually outta there right at 2am which is nice but still. After all expenses are paid, $150 is very very little. For this particular gig $250 would be more reasonable.

In your case, even if you are the worse DJ in the world, I still wouldn't do it for less than $150, but like you said don't make a big deal out of it since you are leaving soon.

What I am planning on doing is grabbing consecutive night at the same place and have them cut me one check a week.

Instead of beating DJs on price, beat them on quality. Whether that is just mixing or doing something special or anything to make yourself outshine the other DJs is what you should try and do.

So YOU PLAN on doing all this, but your giving HIM on something you havnt even accomplished yet?


My advice, if you don't like it, and it becomes not worth your time, then why keep doing it? If your questionng the money before, "I need a place that likes my kind of music"... sounds to me like you got a fun thing going...

[DJArmani]

this should end this thread right here ;) https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=407303839295682&set=a.219528178073250.73133.217975338228534&type=3&theater

pretty good chart.. just follow along with this! btw don't worry about the 'scratch' part not all djs scratch..