Main caution: Weekends are limited. Your yearly income is capped by how many you can book.
What it costs to run
These are the categories to price with local quotes. The plan lists every one of them for you.
Every engagement
- Assistant pay per event
- Travel per event
- Other per-sale costs
Every month
- Software and subscriptions
- Professional liability insurance
- Phone and internet
- Ongoing marketing
- Training and memberships
- Bookkeeping and tax preparation
- Gear repair and replacement
- Other monthly costs
To start
- Speakers, controller and lighting
- Music library and licenses
- Business registration and local licenses
- Website, logo and booking or store page
- Other one-time costs
Your own pay is part of the cost, too. The plan works out the price that covers it — or start with how much to charge for dj services.
Licenses, insurance and rules to check locally
Requirements differ by state, county and city. Check two layers:
1. Your own license, if the work needs one
Some work needs a personal license or certificate (a food-handler card, for example). Search the CareerOneStop License Finder (US Department of Labor) for your kind of work and state.
2. Business licenses, permits and insurance
Start with the SBA: Apply for licenses and permits guide, then your city or county. Questions to answer:
- Does your city or county require a general business license or registration?
- What liability insurance will venues require?
- Do the venues you play cover music licensing, or do you need your own?
Check local prices before you set yours
Get three real prices from dj services businesses near you, the way a customer would: their websites, a quote request, local listings and review sites, or neighborhood groups. Note what each price includes. Enter them in your local plan — it shows where your price sits and whether your costs leave room to compete.
Test demand before you spend
Offer your first few engagements at your real price to people who match your customer — not discounted favors for friends — before investing in more equipment or marketing.
Decide your pass mark before you start — for example, a set number of paid engagements within 30 days.
Questions your local plan has to answer
- What do local competitors charge? Ask for quotes the way a customer would.
- How long does each engagement take you, including travel and preparation?
- How many engagements can you deliver in a week at a quality you’re proud of?
- How will customers find you, and what will it cost to win each one?
This profile is educational. It describes how this kind of business generally works; it doesn’t show that it will be profitable where you are, and it isn’t legal, tax or financial advice.