POTENTIAL CLIENTS PLEASE READ THIS!
So I recently received a call from a potential client about a booking and one of the questions she asked was "Do I have to rent a sound system for you?" I quickly replied no and asked "Why?" She said that there are some young guys starting out in the area where she's originally from and they ask the couple to rent a sound system for them.
I see several potential problems with anyone booking with those type of DJ's who are what i call "fly-by-nighters"
1. They ask YOU to rent the sound system, so is it your responsibility to make sure it's set up and working properly?
2. What kind of music selection are they going to have?
3. Is their music obtained legally? Original CD's are fine, but once you start burning CD's or downloading music onto your laptop or Ipad/Ipod you must obtain it from a LEGAL source and be licensed by Connect. While it is rare in small towns, larger towns and cities have inspectors going around to venues to make sure the DJ is licensed and has obtained their music legally. Should the inspectors find that the DJ is not following the rules, they receive a hefty fine and probably lose concentration on the event.
4. Do they have liability insurance? Should some unforeseen accident happen where someone gets hurt or something is damaged at the venue from the DJ or his equipment due to a fire or electric malfunction or something else, an insured DJ will be fully covered and there should be no problem getting repairs done at no cost to the persons renting the facility.
However, an uninsured DJ presents a huge headache should anything like the above happen. You will probably have to take them to court if they refuse to pay or you may have a hard time getting payment in full for damages they caused.
5. This is the most important one, are you going to be their main focus of the evening or are they just looking to play music and get paid? I have learned over the years that it's not just the couple who need to ask questions, but the DJ does too. Questions about tastes in music, songs you may not want to hear because they are associated with a bad memory or contain lyrics you don't want to hear at your wedding. Will they stay in touch with you between the day you book them and the day of your wedding.
As someone who has been in the industry since 1996, you can be sure that all your concerns will be taken care of by me and any questions you may have will be replied to in a timely manner.