How to hire a DJ
A DJ runs the music and often the timeline of an event — and at a wedding they are frequently the de facto MC, which is worth confirming rather than assuming.
What the job usually involves
- Weddings: ceremony, cocktail hour, reception.
- Parties, corporate events and school functions.
- MC duties and announcements.
- Sound system and microphones for speeches.
- Lighting, uplighting and dance floor effects.
What to ask before you agree to anything
- Are you MCing as well, and what does that include?
- Do you provide microphones for the ceremony and speeches?
- Can I give a must-play and a do-not-play list?
- Do you take requests from guests on the night?
- What backup equipment do you bring?
- How much setup time and space do you need, and what power?
Warning signs
- No backup laptop, controller or speaker for a one-time event.
- Refusal to accept a do-not-play list.
- No microphone provision, when speeches are planned.
- A different DJ assigned than the one you met, without being told.
Common questions
Does a wedding DJ also act as MC?
Many do, but not all, and the wedding runs on those announcements — entrances, first dance, speeches, cake. Confirm explicitly whether MC duties are included and how much direction they will take from your timeline.
Should I give my DJ a playlist?
Give a must-play list, a do-not-play list, and a sense of what you want the room to feel like — then let them read the floor. Scripting every song removes the thing you hired them for, but they cannot guess what you hate.
What backup equipment should a DJ have?
At minimum a second laptop or media source, a spare controller, and a backup speaker, plus offline copies of the music. One-time events do not get a second attempt, and equipment fails.
How does Region Beacon work for DJs?
You describe the job once. The first nearby business that takes it gets your details and contacts you; nobody else does. You deal with whoever you pick directly, and you pay them directly — Region Beacon never handles the money and takes no commission, so nothing is added to your price for using it.
How do I know if a DJ's quote is fair?
Get more than one. A single quote tells you what one business charges; three tell you what the job is worth where you live. Ask each for the same scope in writing, and treat a quote far below the others as probably missing something rather than a bargain.
Get quotes from DJs near you
Describe the job once and the first nearby business to take it contacts you. Only that one gets your details, no commission is added, and your details are not sold on to anyone.