Which Would You Rather Be?

[Jim Casey]

1. Single op making $1000 or more per show - doing 30 shows per year
2. Single op making $500-750 a show with 70-100 shows per year
3. Multi-op


Just curious to see what people's rationale is...

[djdonny]

4. Single op making $1000 per show and doing 100 per year.


Seriously, I'll pick (2).

I hope to never have to become a multi-op; I just don't want to rely on others to perform up to my expectations. I don't want to hear from dissatisfied clients.

As for (1), if I want to make this my full-time main source of income (which I do), I'd rather shoot for $50K to $75K revenue per year, rather than $30K. And based on my style, I believe it would be a lot easier to book 100 lower-priced gigs than 30 higher-priced gigs. (I assume you mean base price -- I could always add extras to that price such as light shows, dancers, etc, but I don't make all of that income.) Of course, this also means more work, but as my main source of income right now, I don't mind working 100 days per year.

PS. While I still had another full-time job, and DJing was a part-time add-on, I would have picked (1) -- I was just too busy otherwise.

[a2zmobilemusic]

i am #2 striving to move up to multi-op, money off the top, and counting checks :banger

[DJBusyB]

I'll take #1, and hope to receive more word of mouth referrals to get 50-75 bookings each year. I'm already at $1000, and just need more bookings.

Brian

[Jim Casey]

I went thorugh my records today...

32 weddings/mitzvahs for 2005

Average $1400 Range $1099-2399 (2 over $2000!)

About 45k on just those events...not to mention corporates, and yes...cheapie bar gigs (need em especially in winter here)

[Cap]

None of the above.

Rationale? Not enough money.

If one singularly targets just the number of gigs, or if one targets just the price per gig, what is the thinking? What does either alone prove?

Annual income. Annual income. Annual income.

Work both the gig count and the price per gig to get to your annual number.

[Jim Casey]

Hey Cap...

I guess my feeling is that I do not want to be a total slave to this business while making a comfortable income.

50k in Maine is a comfortable income. It allows me to travel frequently with my family and have enough quality time with them as well...

Maybe my rationale is balance...

[Cap]

Total slave?

Forget about the money for a moment.

100 gigs a years is just shy of two a weekend.

4-5 of performance hours each event.

Done right, perhaps 3 hours of prep, 1 hour of travel, 1 hour of setup and breakdown.

Even stretching the timing, say 11 hours per gig, that's 1,100 hours a year, all compacted into three days (Friday-Saturday-Sunday).

A 40 hour a week laborer with 4 weeks vacation is 1,920 hours a year.

100 gigs a year is semi-retired, far far far from slavery.

Now let's take your money average. 45K working 1,100 hours is $40/hour. If you should approach the mentality that it's a full-time job, you need to work 1,920 hours a year, and you'd make $76,800.

What are you really saying? How do you justify saying above 50 gigs is slavery? I'd like to read your rationale.

[JX2 Productions]

We are currently a multi-op, striving to find more business and grow. Currently doing an average of a gig a weekend! Our prices are low, but this area (western mass) is extremely competitive. We have nearly nine dj's just in Agawam! We are trying to find that special nich. Getting tough but alway up for a challenge. I think I would rather do close to 70 gigs a year and bring in around $70K..... We'll see how that goes.

I don't think that 50 gigs would be slavery... Especially if it is your full time job, most people dont get 300 days off a year, so 50 days of work isn't so bad in the big picture......

[HeadlineDJ]

I prefer to do higher paying jobs, but take less a year than I would if I was doing lower paying jobs.

Either way I can now take in one month what I used to take in one year about 4 yrs ago.

Doesn't happen too often, but when it does it's well worth it.

I'd say on the whole I only do about 30 - 35 jobs a year and make on average 5 times what I used to make doing every job offered.

The thing is, once you're tied up with a low paying job, you can't take the high payers.. so now I pick and choose.