How To Shop For A Quality DJ For Your Event
By Brian Taylor (15 year event planner/ DJ professional) © 1997-98

This simple shopping guide can weed out most amateur DJ’s

#1. Can I choose the exact DJ I will be getting or will you guarantee a minimum of 75 weddings experience? If you are truly looking for a top professional, you should be able to guarantee either the exact DJ or their experience in writing, otherwise, it’s just another sales pitch.

#2. Always see a Performance. It is best to see a performance of the DJ service and especially the exact DJ you will be getting. This will assure that the sales pitch matches what they told you on the phone or in the brochure. Seeing on videotape is good also as long as they show the equipment and the DJ talking and interacting with the crowd.

#3. References: Even if your friend saw the show, you don’t know if your friend has the same quality standards as you have, after all, this is your important event. Check at least 5-10 references (either names and numbers or written comment letters). Remember that DJ’s can give you a really good sales pitch, you need to check references to assure that what they are saying is true.

#4. What training has the DJ had or do they go through? Most individual DJ’s with over 200 shows experience are self-trained. You can still find the occasional 300 show experience DJ that still does not play requests very well. Asking about training is something most people forget to ask a DJ. They love to talk about how they learned to DJ. Most top DJ's learned from or got their start from another more-experienced DJ. If it is a DJ service offering many DJ's then you should ask about their training or hiring/ training guidelines to assure that you are comparing the facts between DJ’s. You will be surprised that as you ask them for their training guidelines (the bigger DJ services), only the top professional companies have them in writing. A good rule for the bigger services is that if they don’t have training outline/guidelines in writing, they don’t really have them. If they say they are private, they probably don’t have them either. Good training equals good DJ’s.

#5. How many songs do you bring to your shows? What Format? A top professional should show you a sizeable songlist (at least top 600-800 songs) from the 1940’s to current top 40 and should have the types of music and artists you personally want. Any DJ that tells you they don’t have a songlist is usually not a top professional. The only exception is if they show you their music in person or at a show so you can verify the selection. Unless you want records at your show, the contract of a professional DJ ALWAYS contains a listing of their equipment (2 CD players / mixer / amplifier specifications) and lighting. I have seen many companies scam clients by sending out shows that do not match the photos in their brochures or what they verbally promised.

#6. Sound and Lighting Systems: Minimum for a 250 person event would be 150-200 watts per channel sound system (stereo), Colored lights (4 or 8) that chase to pre-set patterns or to the beat, a mirror ball, (2) cd players, (1) tape deck and ((2) turntables only if the DJ is doing a lot of mixing and you want the authentic vinyl show). Most DJ's should have at least a 15" bass speaker and horn per side (channel) for groups under 200 guests. If you are having a lot of top-40 or dance music you will need much more bass such as another (2) 15" bass speakers or a subwoofer for better sound. Most DJ services go HOG WILD on sound & lighting systems, REMEMBER, it is the DJ and not the sound/lighting system that makes or breaks a show. Get a good DJ first, and then if you like a lot of lights and fancy equipment, spend more for it.

#7. Find out how they match the DJ style up to what you need. A better DJ service will take the time and ask you what types of music you like, what kind of DJ interaction you want, and really get to know the way you want your show. Only then can they match you up (or send you out to preview the correct DJ) for your event. Not all DJ's are the same in personality, music knowledge and style of show.

#8. DJ Experience. There are some really great DJ's with 30-40 shows experience and some with 500 shows experience. It depends on their training (see #4 above). The general rule is "The more experience, the better the DJ". When a DJ has more experience, they know when to play a request at just the right time and they also know what to say on the microphone that would be appropriate and entertaining.

Take a moment and let me know if these comments helped you pick a better DJ by E-mailing a thank you on the line below. Some comments will be posted as feedback on this page.

Brian Taylor
Feedback DJtipsFeeback@alltimefavorites.com
http://www.alltimefavorites.com

This may be linked to from other wedding sites but not copied as the content needs to be current!
All other rights are reserved. (C) 1998 Brian Harrell