RUBBERSOUL >Useful Articles > Hiring a DJ

How to Hire DJs

Hiring a DJ is not so different to hiring a function band. You want to find someone who is friendly, 100% reliable and will adapt what they do to suit your occasion. A good DJ will always take guidance from you on what types of music they should and shouldn't play on the night.

Remember to give the DJ an idea of the size of the room. Most will be happy to bring less lighting equipment or PA if the room is really small (they have to carry this stuff after all). A Wembley Stadium-sized lighting rig in a village hall can look ridiculous and uses up valuable dance floor space.

What it might Cost

Expect to pay £250 - £400 for a good DJ, (which will always include the hire of their PA and lighting equipment). As with bands, their prices vary with the distance they have to travel, how early they're required to set up, how long you want them to play and what time they finish. Have a look at this recent thread (January 2009) on Hitched where you can find some real examples of prices.

As with bands and musicians, obtain a signed contract that sets everything in stone. That way you'll know your position if things don't turn out as you thought. Make sure it details all the costs, the setup time, the start and finish times, any special requirements you have, what your first dance is and so on.

A Couple of Tips

• If your date is not very far away, you may get some benefit from asking for a bit of a discount - your DJ MAY be trying to fill a hole in the diary. If you don't ask - you don't get!
• If you've found your DJ because they're on a pre-approved list from your venue - try booking the DJ DIRECT and NOT through the venue. You could save money.
• Why not offer to feed them? - they may offer you a bit of a discount.
• Everyone lives in fear of the cheesy rope lights and noughts-and-crosses light boxes of poor quality DJs playing through naff sound systems. To safegaurd against this, check out members of The Wedding DJ Association. Members have to pass a high criteria to be accepted and have to abide by the constitution and a code of ethics. (Thanks to SandySounds for this advice)
• Always speak to your DJ personally and ensure that they are personable and helpful.

If you're hiring a function Band AND a DJ you'll want to make sure of a few things: Is there enough space for everyone to set up? Are you going to be duplicating lighting rigs and other clutter that one or other party could leave behind? Don't forget, though, that if you've only paid for the band to play until midnight, but your DJ until 2am, you shouldn't expect the band to wait two hours to take their equipment away. With a large band (like Rubber Soul) consider having the band and DJ at opposite ends of the dancefloor.

Ask the DJ if he's prepared to introduce the band onto the stage, and make sure he doesn't play songs from their set list. The best DJs work seamlessly with the band (and the best bands do the same in return). Like a great wedding photographer, they're completely attentive to what's going on - when it's Grandma's birthday, somehow they have "Happy Birthday" ready, even though you didn't think you asked!

One last thing to ask yourself... Do you need a DJ at all? A decent band will always have some music they can put on to fill in the gaps when they're not playing, or will be happy to play your choice of CDs or plug in your iPod. Don't forget though, that it will be just that - a playlist of songs without the interaction a DJ can give you.

For information about Rubber Soul's policies have a look at our Frequently-Asked-Questions sheet which you can also download and print if you wish.

If you have any questions about the topic of this article, why not drop us an email?