Doing it for the love does exist. I have even come across DJ’s that have asked to pay the promoter just to get a spot!!! WTF! “I’ll pay you if you let me play!” now that’s doing it for the love, but going a little too far. I feel that the problem with the club scene right now is realllllllly bad fidget artists sampling recognizable tunes. The music and the scene is getting lazy and thoughtless. All it takes is one brittney spears sample in the middle of a **ked bassline, and people don’t even notice that the song and dj’s sound is complete sht. Don’t get me wrong, there are a ton of great fidget artists, like WoNK, Stupid Fresh, Micky Slim, etc etc for example. But there is a whole mass of them that don’t have any production skills and are getting gigs because they know how to manipulate a sample and that’s it. Fidget is starting to sound more like Garage these days, and it’s got to stop! We finally got rid of all the whiny electro house pop remixes and sent them to commercial radio, and now fidget is going “Garage Pop”. WoNK! I petition you to be the fidget team leader to stop the madness!!!
The whole point of this rant is kind of what Samuel said. The majority of people that go out want to hear pop and hip hop, and that’s everywhere… So, if your music has those samples you’re in! Otherwise, you have to do it for the love, and hope that some day someone realizes that you are the shiza. I can definitely tell you here in LA, if your not famous already, you will play everything for free, and be lucky to get three drink tickets and your girlfriend in the door at a discount! Unless of course you play some sort of floor filling pop riddled electro, then you might get $250 USD for a 2 hour set, 10 names on a list, and a comp tab. That my friend is the very best case scenario.
Most importantly though, screw clubs!!! Support your local underground! What’s the point of paying $100 to hang out with people you don’t even know, when you can spend $10, meet like minded people in the scene, and get something going. It’s not the “do it for the love” dj’s that are ruining the scene. It’s lazy people that don’t ever want to look past the club because they want an all in one stop…
2 cents from me,
Raymond
besides, the drugs are better at the undergrounds 
I possible came across wrong there raymond lol what i mean is that if dj’s don’t charge the promoter he’s not gonna drop the price on the door and he’s not gonna do anything else with your wages except line his pockets. promoters have money set aside for what they should be paying dj’s. so if every dj charged then the promoters would be forced to pay of play them selves lol. i know in reality there’s always gonna be someone the will play for nothing but they are only damaging themselves. believe me if a promoter isn’t paying for you he’s not gonna be promoting you and if he’s paying for you he’ll be doing his best to let people know he’s got the best dj’s playing (even if your not).
i won’t play a night for free and even though i don’t dj at the moment i have no shortage of offers to play in several clubs most nights of the week.
I knew what you were saying, Jon! I just had to go on my rant. I f’n hate clubs, but I don’t live in the UK!!! It just seems that people are so set on playing at a certain venue, instead of playing in general, that they will do almost anything to get into that venue. Even if it means playing for free!
Raymond
side point: if you’re a ****ty dj at a great club, your still a ****ty dj.
totally mate, i was quite lucky in one sense, when i started mixing, illegal parties, tent parties and traveler sites where very common around the area that i live and getting a set was just a case of turning up and waiting. i went through a 18 month period where i played 4 nights a week, so when it came to playing for a club promoter i had no problems getting paid. i think the best place to get a following is at the illegal parties always has been and always will be imo. but in the uk it’s getting harder and harder to find illegal parties, it’s not that they don’t happen, its the fact that people broadcast it on facebook and myspace so 70% of the time its shut down before the first dj has finished his set
when i was playing on the scene from 2001-05 i was getting an average of £80 for a 90 minute set. Most i ever got paid was £140 and that was playing the main room at the fridge in brixton so it really can vary depending on venue\promoter. if you’re just starting out take what they offer you unless they ask for a price and if that’s the case be realistic with your quote
make sure your worth what you charge or you won’t get booked again.
also agree with mat that anything from £50-£200 is a good range for a 1-2 hour set
never fall for the getting paid a percentage of the bar take hahaha its a sure fire way to get your self robbed 
In Oz the money is still good.
I did it for aorund 4-5 years and i used to get paid 300aud (150punds)
But I dont have any interest in it now, Next time i perform live I want it to be my own music on my own live set
This is a big taboo subject in the DJ world…no one really likes to talk about what they make…until they are drunk anyway…lol
DJ’s in my town(Las Vegas) make a lot…its pretty out of line with the rest of the US. Local guys pull a grand or more a night and big names usually make quite a bit…3-8k per gig…and the really big names make far more…from what I’ve been told by them around 8-15k. Then you have the Tiesto level…25-50k a show. Tiesto played 3 sold out shows here Memorial Day weekend and I can imagine he made 15-20k for each. Its deserved simply because he is a massive draw and the clubs makes WAY more than they are paying him. It boils down to economics…how much is the club making? If entry is 30 bucks and drinks are 15 bucks and bottle service starts @ 300 per, then the club is raking in the money…so the DJ should get paid. Booking a big rock band costs just as much, its entertainment either way.
They have pool parties all summer long at the hotels here and the guys playing those (Erick Morillo, Carl Cox, Donald Glaude etc) make bank! Donald said he is clearing 50k a month now…but he is a hard working dude and plays a lot of gigs.
Then again I talked to a friend who is part of Phunk Investigation and they only ask for 1500USD plus expenses which I think is really low for them…so it depends on what style you play, how many hits you have, venue and so on.
Oakey has his residency here in Vegas and he makes a LOT for that.
It seems you get paid more in the US, yet you have to make a name for yourself in Europe first to get those big gigs here. There is money to be made for sure…but its a relatively small circle making 90% of the money.
The things is its very hard to break the mold these days and become a ‘uber’ dj. The amount of average DJ’s swamping the scene is now beyond a joke and software like ableton makes it worse (just an opinion). Producing really is the only way to get yourself noticed. The only person I have seen in recent years to have rocketed to fame is deadmau5 although cant see that lasting long.
I bet theres some serious after partys in Vegas!
I have never understood why people think software like ableton, serato, and vdj make you less of a dj. Beat matching is not this extremely challenging skill that people make it out to be. If you able to set up ableton then your able to beat match.
If we used the philosophy of it has to be hard to make you credible, then people should be griping about people using cds instead of vynil. This is no attack at you just my opinion on this never ending subject of what makes a dj. If someone has a banging set, I could care less if there not counting beats.
More people just means you have to try harder. I just got a job out of 1400+ people. Nothing is impossible if you work your “radio edit” off. I hate to keep referencing Jon, it’s like I’m in love with him or something . He said it best when he said, you can make a good living doing this, but you have to dedicate EVERYTHING to it. The people he knows, as well as I, live, eat, breath, and “radio edit” dance music. I love the stuff more than 99% of the people out there, but I don’t have that kind of dedication. Therefor, I’m one of those few that does this for enjoyment and learning(i rarely play out anymore). So if I release a track, or get heard and hit it big, then it was meant to be! But we all know the truth, you have better odds of getting hit by lightning or winning the lottery. HARD WORK is the only way to guarantee success in anything… Which means if you want it bad enough, you’ll get it if you never give up.
Raymond
BTW. Okenfluff can’t DJ for “radio edit”, and his productions are barely his. I used to hang with that putz when he came to Dallas back in the day cuz he was hot for my friend Amy who was always afraid to go out alone with him… Okenfarce is like anything else that is over branded. If you shove it down peoples throats enough, they are eventually going to accept it. Marketing 101
“radio edit” I’ll censor myself if I’m going to be censored! Love ya Kev! 
doing it for the love is exactly why real djing will become extinct in a way.
Like most things in the world you need to have class structure. Because if you dont then the standards will slip. Its alrite people who say they are brilliant djs, who use ableton live or can beatmix. this doesnt mean you are going to be a great dj. At the end of the day it is all about people enjoying themselfs on the dance floor. the dj has to be almost part of the crowd. knowing what to play when and what style to play where.
If you dont ask for money when doing gigs then you are branding yourself invaluable. and when you are invaluble then why would anyone give you anychance of being at the top of the game. therefore you will only get the chance to play small venues and never get the chance to show the world how good you are.
Im a little salty about the whole “DJ’s that use Ableton aren’t really DJ’s” or “DJ’s that use Ableton are crappy DJ’s”. I’m sorry…I don’t want to take this too far but I really think its pure ignorance. Anyone can beat match. I can teach just about anyone how to do it. Phasing your records and reading a crowd is what DJing is all about. I personally know of one very very big DJ that uses Ableton Live to perform and he is phenomenal. Did I mention he produces and performs for a living and makes unbelievable money?
Besides, Deadmau5 uses Ableton Live to perform. Is he a crappy DJ or producer?
Sorry for ranting…
i agree with that about djs arent djs if they use ableton comment. It doesnt mean anyone is less talented on technical skills. Like some people can beatmix perfect but havent a clue how to mess with fx, play 6 parts of diffent tracks at once and remix on the fly. I dont think that the way you deliver your set is the most important thing, its the set you deliver.
Personally i use all, ableton, cdjs and traktor for different stuff all the time. For me they have there places in what kind of set i want to do. But i love to beatmix with cdjs because it is hard to beat standing there when you have perfectly match and lined up 2 tunes, mixing spot on with a beer in your hand and a crowd in front of you cheering.
All I said was that software such as ableton is a reason why there are so many new djs swamping the scene as it is so simple and quick to use. Thus making everyone a dj within an hour and wanting a piece of the pie (even for free) which correct me if im wrong was an issue in this post? I did not say that using such software makes you a lesser dj! Hope that clears that up.
Seriously though we do not need to get into this. Digital is here and its here to stay. I use cdj’s with ableton and was a beta tester for traktor scratch in its early days so understand the potential of such software.
[quote]Besides, Deadmau5 uses Ableton Live to perform. Is he a crappy DJ[/quote]
Surly you could have picked a better example than deadmau5 Suppose a benefit of using ableton is that it allows you to wear a big mouse hat during your set!
Just joking
[quote]g-hunter (7/30/2009)[hr]Suppose a benefit of using ableton is that it allows you to wear a big mouse hat during your set!
Just joking[/quote]
Haha…Nice!
Cant be arsed to read all three pages so apologies if someone’s already said the same as i’m about to say now.
How much you get paid really depends on how many punters you bring to the event. If you don’t really have a name for yourself yet or a following then i wouldn’t expect you to get paid much, if anything.
In London they have a ‘rent-a-crowd’ policy where they don’t book DJs on skill but how many people that DJ can bring / how many tickets that DJ can sell. Which is ridiculas as i’ve seen some absolutely shiiiiiiiiite DJs who can’t even beatmatch for toffee, let alone work his mix or crowd… however that’s a little off topic.
Yeah basically I always vary my pay depending on the size of the event but i have a usual average because i’m pretty established. When i first started out i had to do so many free gigs it was unreal.
If you’re looking for a good average then the average going rate for up and coming DJs is £50 if you’re doing and hour or two. If it’s a 5 hour stint (depending on what kinda DJ you are really) then you can charge around £150/£200+.
The sad truth is however if you DJ in commercial clubs like Luminar Ltd you’ll get paid much more.
As someone mentioned you ask for what you think your worth, don’t undercut yourself. Of course the bigger matter is how big a draw you are in the first place. You have to take the market you are in into the equation to, it seems UK DJ’s don’t generally get paid much until they are at the middle to high level. DJ’s are dime a dozen…great DJ’s are not.
Seems to me you if your DJ skills are up to pro level then you should either set up your own night and go that way or focus on production so you can get noticed and start pulling the bigger paying gigs. With the advent of social networking sites and so on its very possible to get noticed fast if you have the quality tracks and right connections. Deadmau5, Chris Lake etc prove that.
As for the Ableton debate…its pointless. Knowing how to beat match is meaningless…its just a tool…a minor part of the pie. I’ve seen many big names who trainwreck all over the place or just totally phone it in yet no one even notices(one’s name rhymes with Smokenfold). The only people saying Ableton DJ’s aren’t “real” DJ’s are other DJ’s who are clinging to what they believe is a big part of DJing when it is in fact just a basic skill like stepping on the gas while driving. Do you really care what other DJ’s think?
Saying if you don’t beatmatch then you aren’t a real DJ is like saying a rally driver isn’t a real race driver since he doesn’t use a clutch.
DJing is about mixing, programming and track selection…all of which carry over to whatever media you choose to go with. In the end I’d rather hear a DJ play good tracks in the right order over a guy who can mix perfectly.
And yes…there are some crazy parties here in Vegas…it never seems to end. lol Be sure and hit me up if any of u guys roll into sin city.
[quote]sdg (7/31/2009)[hr]
Seems to me you if your DJ skills are up to pro level then you should either set up your own night and go that way or focus on production so you can get noticed and start pulling the bigger paying gigs. [/quote]
Too true in this day and age. A lot of the times, even if you do sort yourself gigs with promoters when youre just starting out you’ll also have to do a lot of warm up sets, so you’ll be playing to bar staff and maybe 1 person on the dancefloor anyways lol.
[quote]sdg (7/31/2009)[hr]
As for the Ableton debate…its pointless. Knowing how to beat match is meaningless…its just a tool…a minor part of the pie. I’ve seen many big names who trainwreck all over the place or just totally phone it in yet no one even notices(one’s name rhymes with Smokenfold). The only people saying Ableton DJ’s aren’t “real” DJ’s are other DJ’s who are clinging to what they believe is a big part of DJing when it is in fact just a basic skill like stepping on the gas while driving. Do you really care what other DJ’s think? [/quote]
In my time as a DJ and through my days in the vinyl period, i have to admit since CDJs come about (and their ease to pick up) there has been many more DJs than there used to be. Before when it was Vinyl it used to take years and solid dedication to pick up even the most basic skill of beatmatching. But because of this you’d only get the people who had nothing but true real passion and love for DJing. There are waaaayyy too many ‘glory boys’ about now who arn’t in it for the love but for the ‘glamour’ and ‘look at me’, because mixing with CDJs was much easier. With the ‘drag and drop’ method on Ableton, yes i understand now you still have to get the timing right and ‘mix’ them, but i’m sure it wouldnt take you much more then a week (if that) to pick that up. So how many more ‘glory boys’ who only ever play the beatport top 10 do we really need? It’s very unhealthy for the scene.
Sure i see the value of letting ableton do the beatmatching for you, but if you’re good enough then beatmatching should only take seconds to do anyways. I dont even think about it, it’s like driving a car, second nature and barely takes me any time at all, so i can still spend time doing DJ tricks, accapellas, scratching, thinking of my tune selection, watching / reading and crowd reacting.
I mean what next? A program to do the mixing and tune selection for you?
Don’t get me wrong, i LOVE ableton and the next step for me is going LIVE, using APC40 and synth keyboard, hardware effects unit, but i just don’t see the value of someone turning up with a laptop and a controller and mixing tune into tune. If it’s samples and making tunes up on the fly like what Psycatron do then sure, thats awesome. But tune into tune, must be so boring for both the ‘dj’ and the crowd.
Lets not forget that “tune into tune” is traditional DJing. I have yet to have anyone be bored from my sets…quite the contrary. People go to clubs to dance and have a good time, most could care less about the DJ remixing and using effects and so on. Frankly most club punters couldn’t tell the difference between the original track and whatever the DJ is doing to manipulate it anyway! Only other DJ’s care about that sort of thing. Actually what you are saying is what Deadmau5 was saying when he called DJ’s “cun&s”. He thinks track to track DJing is boring…well, if it wasn’t for that he wouldn’t have a damn job! He thinks his sets which consist of 90% his tracks are interesting? I would rather hear a good simple track to track set than some wanker up there thinking everyone is hanging on his every move while he fiddles with knobs and so on. THAT is boring in my opinion. That is where the DJ superstar attitude came from in the first place. It used to be back in the day that no one even faced the DJ…they would face each other and dance the night away.
Its about the party to me…I play what I want, when I want and its all about the flow of the mix. I do it because I love music and it takes me to another place where I can forget all my troubles and just melt into the beats.
I’ve been playing guitar and doing vocals for about 15 years and I can say that being up on stage singing and playing guitar is a hellava lot more difficult than any DJing so I don’t feel the need to reinvent the wheel as far as that goes.
Certainly guys like Richie Hawtin and the like are pushing things forward as far as live PA…but that isn’t for me. I can appreciate a producer dropping his own tracks and perhaps remixing them in an interesting way but overall it should be about everyone enjoying themselves and not all about just the DJ. I’m old skool when it comes to my philosophy of dance parties…its ALL about the flow of the night and where you take the emotion of the music.
Just my take on things…