TL;DR
A DJ's price is built on three things: the gear to bring, the distance, and the duration together with the day of the week. I don't publish a rate card because every event is its own case, but I can explain what pushes a quote up or down. You're also paying for an artist with an identity and a real show, in open format (house, afro house, amapiano, urban, pop, the big tracks flipped my own way), and that's what sets them apart from offers that look too good to be true.
"Is a DJ expensive?" I get the question every week, often with a hint of embarrassment. I'm not going to give you my rates here: they're discussed over the phone because they depend on your event. What I can do is show you how a DJ quote is built, so you know how to read the one you get, mine or anyone else's, and why an artist who stands behind a sound and a show gets paid differently from a provider who plays a bit of everything and stands for nothing.
The gear: the line that weighs the most
This is the line that moves a quote the most. Two extremes: if your venue already has a booth and a sound system, I show up with my decks and my laptop, and the quote breathes. If the gig happens in an empty estate, I bring everything: decks, booth, a sound system sized for the headcount, lighting, sometimes stage effects.
That gear is expensive to buy, it needs maintenance, it travels and it takes time to set up. When a quote looks high, start by looking at what's in the van.
Distance: Paris or 500 kilometres
I'm based in Paris. For a party in Paris, travel is a simple flat fee. A gig 500 kilometres away means per-kilometre billing, road time, sometimes a night on site. Nothing exotic: it's the same maths as for any provider who travels with equipment.
If your event is far away, that line will exist with everyone. Those who don't show it make it back somewhere else.
Duration and the day: one hour on a Monday, six hours on a Saturday
A six-hour party takes more commitment and preparation than a one-hour set. And the day matters: Saturday is the day everyone wants a DJ, it books out months ahead and is priced accordingly. On a Monday or a Thursday, demand is calmer and so is the rate.
The cliché that refuses to die
"A DJ shows up with a laptop and presses play." If that were true, I'd agree: it wouldn't be worth much. In reality, behind it there's a music library sorted and reworked every week, professional gear that gets serviced, years spent learning to read the room, and a world of my own, with the show, that I know how to bring in at the right moment.
The price does not pay for four hours of presence. It pays for everything that makes those four hours go right.
· Dopa
What's always included with me
The minimum, whatever the format: my laptop, my decks and my booth. Unless your venue is already equipped, in which case I play on the in-house setup and you don't pay for gear that serves no purpose. The rest, sound, lights, stage effects, is sized at the brief depending on the venue and the headcount.
The traps in cheap quotes
I see them go by, and they're always the same:
The gear isn't included and shows up as an extra after signing. The gear is low quality, never serviced, and nobody has a plan B the day it dies: without spare equipment or a replacement, the party ends right there. Transport isn't mentioned. The hours aren't written down: you think you've got a DJ for the night, the quote covers two hours and every extra hour gets negotiated on the spot.
A serious quote spells out the gear, the hours, the transport and what happens if something breaks. I've covered the other signals worth checking in how to choose your DJ.
Key takeaway
A DJ's price depends on the hours covered: before signing, check they're written on the quote. Without that, you think you've got a DJ for the night, the quote covers two hours, and every extra hour gets negotiated on the spot.
When do I give my rate?
Over the phone, directly, if you can answer three basic questions: the date, the duration, and what gear is needed. I'll spare you the endless form and the "our team will get back to you". If a piece of info is missing, you send it over and the quote goes out right after.
It's also a test the other way round: if a provider can't give you a range quickly with those three answers in hand, be wary.
Getting a price for your date
If you're planning an event and want a concrete answer, the form on the home page reaches me directly, and we talk it through. You can also see where I play and how to book me on the booking page. And if you're still unsure which profile you need, I wrote a comparison of open format versus specialist DJs.