I think think anyone should take payment for very early days when they are learning DJ:ing, selection of tracks, crowd control et rest…
That is beautiful.
If anyone here has some wallpaper making skills, please, by all means, knock yourself out and share.
But to answer the question:
I usually ask €50.
But I’m okay with free drinks.
But I’m also okay with limited free drinks.
But I’m also okay with just compensation for the gas.
But I’m also okay with nothing else but the pure joy from spinning marvelous music to make myself and as much people as possible ecstatic.
I think everyone should ask money for dj’ing, otherwise you’ll ruin it for the guy’s who must pay the bills with there dj gigs
hopefully the guys paying the bills with it are worth the money. I think everyone should spin once and awhile for free. If thats too much to ask, then you’re probably not doing it for the right reasons
What about if I present a made up scenario?
You’re a beginner, you’re competent but never played out before. A promoter gives you a chance to play at his small night, all the DJ’s are amateur but competent. It’s a small club, £3 to get in on the door. 100-150 people are expected. Who should get paid?
Here’s another:
A promoter (who is also one of the DJ’s) from another town is running a slightly bigger night. It’s £5 on the door but 400 people are expected. They said you can have a spot, you’re a beginner but with a few gigs under your belt and you’re very competent. You ask about payment before you accept and they say no pay, they’re the ones giving YOU the chance after all. You ask to get the cost of travel covered. They say no, they could just get a local DJ in instead. Where do you stand? Who should get paid?
These are made up but something I could expect to happen. You have to bear in mind that people (promoters) are making money here, however small.
oh dayum
8 posts all saying the same thing with blocked (the mods are really doing their jobs) IMG links.
FAIL. 
imho it really depends on the venue, the kind of party, are these your friends or is it an official booking etc.
if a friend of mine asks me to play at his club i sure don´t ask him for my normal payment. i let him know that as long as my travel costs are payed, i have a place to sleep and something to drink/eat, i´m fine. we mostly agree on waiting how the party turns out. if it turns out good he´ll gladly give me 100€-300€. if it doesn´t he pays for my expenses and that´s it. sometimes you win and sometimes not. it´s a give and take.
bookings: i awlways have a look at what kind of party it is, how long i have to spin and how far it is from my town. payment: my own expenses as usual. if it´s a gig where i´m only playing one or two hours i ask for an aditional 150€-200€. if i have one floor let´s say from 11pm till 6-7am i ask for 50€-75€.
i guess that is all. but as a beginner i didn´t ask for any money and i drove big distances to play gigs for free, just to get into the scene, get my name out there etc.
also i have a fulltime job, so i don´t really care if i get payed or not. i always got payed and that´s good.
my advise:
if you´re a beginner and haven´t played out yet, be careful with what you ask and be grateful with any kind of gig you get offered. GET YOUR NAME OUT, PLAY SOME PARTIES FOR FREE AND GET CONNECTED!
7 years of producing and 4 years of DJing before i got paid for my gigs, and that was a whopping 60 bucks for a 1 hour set…
its never about the money, but at the same time no one wants a real job and if Djing puts food on the table then sweet 
at first be prepared to do it for free, after wards at least till you are older, maybe 300 a night
1000000000++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
All this talk of pay is getting me down.
It’s not worth worrying about when you’re starting out.
TRUST ME - you’re gonna get robbed more than once. Promoters will bail out before you finish up, you’ll get a bill from the bar for your “free” drinks, your cut from the door will be held back because the door “didn’t cover the cost of the gear hire”… The list goes on.
Go into it with your eyes open - but don’t think you’ll turn up, play records and walk out with a pocket full of cash.
OP,
To answer your question, for local events: $100 max, significantly more if you’re a “brand” or a bigger DJ in the area; but expect to do shows for free if you’re an unknown and/or smaller DJ.
For travel events: Gas cost + plus hotel cost (if applicable) + food cost + (maybe) some extra (for a profit); ex: I’m a resident at a bigger place about 4 hours from my home; I charge $150 because that’s what it cost’s to get up there and back home, and I decide not to (ask for more and) take a profit because they helped me break into the scene and build my “brand”
For “Special” events: Travel costs (if any) + how ever much you think is fair/what you can get. Ex: DJing a wedding won’t cost you $1000 to DJ, but people are willing to pay that for a wedding DJ, because it’s an expected industry standard. Also, I’m going to put on a “rave” for a frat in another city and school; the travel cost will be about $100, but I’ll make $250, because I’ve done an event with them before and I know they’ll pay that.
very true. its important to take these experiences and learn from them though. when dealing with clubs/promoters, be sure the terms are clearly set out. also, always always always always always have a close friend doing cash at the door if your hosting your own event
a little high? someone needs to catch their self on! £150-£350 a night is pretty standard here depending on venue for a gig of about 4 hours…theres a reccession on ya know…
Rates are very geographically diverse. It seems that club DJ’s in Europe/Australia/NewZealand command substantially better rates than most club DJ’s in the US. That chart is certainly wrong for most cities in our market. Local Radio/Pro DJ’s do not make more than #2 on that chart.
Here in the midwest, a top local DJ is only bringing home $250-$400 per night, with the high end of that figure being a rarity and during holiday parties. The rest of the mediocre guys average $100-$200.
Are we strictly talking club DJ’s here? The game is totally different with mobile DJ’s.
$50/hour for starting out
I get about 200-300 a night if I’m playing a club where I’m established. I just moved to SF so I am playing for free now, I have to, but as I get more known and playing less shitty gigs, I up the charge and up reduce where I say I will play.
I don’t play where ever anymore. I play where my music fits and where they need me. I want it to be mutual and grow with the club.
I do not play for free. I may reduce my fee but my time is valuable to me. If you get nothing now, you will get next to nothing later.
