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DJ Gig Price: Take, Negotiate or Pass

Hours door to door, travel, gear and licensing against the fee on offer. TAKE, NEGOTIATE with a counter, or PASS.

$

What the client said, or what the booking agent is pushing.

h
h
$

Take-home target plus tax and slow months.

km
$

CRA's 2026 rate is about $0.72 for the first 5,000 km. Fuel alone is closer to $0.18.

$
$

SOCAN / Re:Sound tariffs where you carry them.

%
How this is calculated

Cost = (performance + setup + prep hours) × rate + km × 2 × cost per km + gear + licensing.

Your price = cost ÷ (1 − target margin). TAKE if the offer meets it, NEGOTIATE if it covers cost plus 10%, PASS below that.

Prices are before GST/HST. Add tax on top of the price shown, never inside your margin. Estimates, not advice.

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Verdict

NEGOTIATE. Counter at $1,138

$83 an hour for you at the offered fee

Your price for this gig$1,138
Hours, door to door
10.5
Your time
$630
Travel
$109
True cost
$854
Profit at the offer
$246
Conservative yearly leak$864

What taking offers like this instead of your price gives away over a year, halved because some clients will move.

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