Guides / Events
Should a DJ take this gig? TAKE / NEGOTIATE / PASS
Five hours on the decks is ten hours door to door. Price the ten, then decide.
Skip the reading. The tool does this maths for you, free, as you type.
Check a gig offerA gig fee looks fine until you count the load-in, the teardown, the playlist prep, the drive there and back, the speaker that will need replacing, and the licensing. The calculator prices the whole job, then tells you whether the offer meets it.
The formula
Cost = (performance + setup + prep hours) × rate + km × 2 × cost per km + gear + licensing. Your price = cost ÷ (1 − margin). TAKE if the offer meets it, NEGOTIATE if it covers cost plus 10%, PASS below that.
What a good number looks like
The offer meets your price. Confirm in writing and stop negotiating.
It covers costs with a little on top. Counter at your price; most clients meet you partway.
It does not cover the job. Offer a shorter set or a nearer date instead.
What to do about it
- Use a real cost per km. Fuel alone is under a quarter of what the vehicle costs to run.
- Charge for travel beyond a radius. Say the radius on your rate card.
- Set your rate from the year, not the night: gigs are seasonal.
Now do it with your numbers.
Free, no account, saved on your device. The verdict comes back while you type.
Check a gig offer