What a monster topic! On the one hand, you don’t ever want to undervalue yourself. On the other, how else do you learn than by playing to actual crowds? Of course, in an ideal situation, you won’t have to decide, because someone will offer to pay you. But in reality, you’ll often be the one even raising the topic of payment. Let’s unpack this often controversial topic from different points of view.
Yes, you should sometimes DJ for free
Marshmello’s coming to town, and he wants you to open for him. The catch? There’s no paycheck. As unlikely as this situation is, there are cases in which you ‘play the game’ by doing free support slots. These can be for friends or for visiting headliners. They can be shows where awesome quality video is being filmed, or it’s some kind of talent showcase. Free gigs can be charity or full-on favors for people you like. Yes, like it or not, you will end up doing shows for free while you’re learning to become a more professional DJ.
No, you shouldn’t ever DJ without payment
Others say that to DJ for free is to devalue your own skills. But it also devalues the whole game for others. When you undercut your local DJ by playing for free, you teach the event organizer that in your town, they can get something for nothing. If someone’s throwing an event where alcohol is being sold or sponsored, the organizers should pay anyone who is contributing value to the event. There are no exceptions. The risk should be on those who profit, not the employees of those who profit.
What’s the answer?
The reality is that beginner DJs don’t pull crowds, and should consider some events worth doing for free. If you’re in charge of the party, you often don’t have a choice! But never DJ for nothing. In your negotiations, you need to include something that benefits you (other than a good time and a feeling of importance). In exchange for playing without payment, you should at least be given access to a folder of premium event video footage that you can use on your socials, a few drinks and a meal, comps for a few friends and a decent writeup in the event description. Get all of this in an email to avoid later disputes.
There’s an old saying: Never pay for something when you can get it for free. Most of the people above you in the profession will think like this. It’s your job to prove your value. And when you’re ready, you will. Until then, you need all the help you can help becoming a pro DJ. Now’s the time to head over to the DJ Courses Online course material and choose the one that best suits you.