Table of Contents
5+ DJ Service Contract Templates
Going out with your friends on Friday nights or attending a music event always seem to get you on the mood to just chill, relax and leave everything to the music and perhaps a drink, two or more on the table or a can of beer on your hands. You may also see Contract Samples.
With the help of a DJ playing the right songs, you forget about how bad your week went and or how hard you’ve worked, especially if the music pumps you up to get you dancing the night away.
Contract Template Bundle
Elements of a DJ Service Contract Templates
Events, especially rave concerts, get you and the rest of the crowd singing and dancing to the music with the DJ leading the charge because, well, it’s their job to make sure you’re having fun and getting your money’s worth for the tickets you’ve paid or the entrance fee to the club. Maybe they’re opening up for major artists or maybe you’re at a wedding reception, but hiring your DJ services to get the crowd entertained means writing a contract to make sure you’re protected and are paid right. Here are the elements you need to include:
1. Contract Basics: Write down the title of the document somewhere along the lines of “DJ Booking Contract” the names of everyone involved in the agreement, the date the contract was made and the duration of the job. You can also add a license number and your contact information to make sure you’ll be able to easily ask the client for payment when the date comes and monitor payments made in the process. This generally already covers the date, time, fee and payment split or guarantees if the fee is being scaled based on party or event attendance, pub sales, etc. A radius clause (limiting performances in the same geographic area before and after the show) might also appear in this section.
2. Payment and provisions: The club or event planner you contracted or the freelance DJ would surely have major responsibilities but as the other party, you should also keep in mind that they need to be paid for the services rendered which means your contract should be specific in stating the amount the company or DJ will be paid either on an hourly, weekly, installment or any other payment plan you have agreed together.
3. Service scope: This element holds your contract together and the more detailed it is, the more organized you’ll be at managing the client’s expectations. What we’re trying to say is that you don’t want your client to end up assuming you’ll include a rap performance or the DJ leading the charge as the master of the ceremony when all they have agreed to is just playing songs and being onstage to get the crowd pumped up for 3 or 4 hours. When your clients know what to expect, there’ll be little room for misunderstanding. For example, you can specify what songs will be played and on what hours, as well as the specific entertainment involved.
4. Terms: For your contract to hold weight and be legally binding, an offer must be made clearly and accepted. Before finalizing the business contract, both parties should have the same understanding about the stipulations in the document because if it doesn’t suit any of the two parties, then it needs to be altered or adjusted.
5+ DJ Service Contract Templates
DJ Service Contract Template
DJ Service Contract Template
DJ Booking Agreement
DJ Booking Contract
DJ Contract Sample
DJ Terms And Conditions
Steps To Write A DJ Service Contract
It’s pretty common to see DJs taking to the stage to get guest or people in a bar or party pumped up. Hiring one shouldn’t be complicated if you’re planning on a party complete with confetti, alcohol, dancing, singing, the works. If you’re the DJ or entertainer, you have to write a contract or get an agreement in writing, mapping out what your services entails, with the following elements included:
1. Include a timeline: Whenever possible, provide a timeline for each phase of the job but remember to also include ranges of time that gives you leeway or a backup plan in case one phase runs longer or ends earlier than planned and could affect subsequent phases. Consider worst-case scenarios and protect the company’s liability by adding a clause that makes room for changes, alterations, and occurrences that are beyond your control. You can also check out contract templates.
2. Add a clause for disputes: Where contracts are concerned, disagreements always tend to occur no matter how well-prepared you are when two or more people work together. This clause will help make sure that issues can be resolved without seeking outside help or dragging each other to court. When the two sides can’t agree, though, what will happen? To avoid lawsuits, you could stipulate that disputes will be decided by a mediator instead of a court of law. This could save the company many thousands of dollars by only having to pay a mediator instead of lawyers, court costs and possibly hefty settlements.
3. Set the right price for your performance: It seems that the DJ is often the last service chosen after much of the event budget is expended on a venue, food, and clothing for an event. This often leads the client to check for the lowest price possible for their lack of knowledge and resources but if you have followed basic pricing for a certain event, you will know how to price your performance right. It’s also a good idea to check what the competition charges.
4. Be flexible: A professional DJ is always willing to discuss an event at any time before it starts, and should display the flexibility to accommodate changes and help the client solve issues before they start. Meeting or phone conferencing your agreement before signing the contract or making your client sign is of great importance to a successful event and client satisfaction as well as clarification for the services you can provide as well as what its limitations are.
Tips in Writing A DJ Service Contract
Whether it’s mixing for 300 people or agreeing to also act as the emcee while playing songs at a wedding, a DJ needs to get a contract in writing, outlining both his and his client’s responsibilities.
Here are some tips to help you write one that you can use at future events:
- Consider the guests: In many private events, there is usually an open bar for guests to enjoy themselves. Occasionally, however, some guests may become intoxicated which could endanger the DJ or their equipment. You Want to make sure your contract says the host, or the person who hired you, will take responsibility for guest behavior. Accidents happen, but the question of liability for guests shouldn’t be with the DJ.
- Have a backup plan: DJs make every effort to get to their events. They do everything in their capacity to make sure the “Show Goes On”. However, in the event of an emergency you the DJ should notify the client immediately if they are unable to perform. In this case – the DJ should also be able to provide a back up for the client. The DJ should make sure the client’s event has entertainment available.
DJ Service Contract FAQs
How important is having a contract in mixing for an event or show?
It only takes one performance no-show, not getting paid by one venue for your performance for both parties to realize that a DJ contract is a smart idea and ha no substitute when it comes to being on the safe side and making sure that terms are set clearly. A written contract outlines the agreement for the services such as time, the number of guests or people, location and both parties’ expectations as well as payment terms.
Does a DJ Service contract have to be long for it to hold weight?
DJ gig contracts are often short and easy to understand. However, they can be as complicated as you want them to be depending on the event. Most will be short, but if you are managing a large, expensive event, expectations may be more extensive on both sides.
Contracts are simple to make. The few minutes it takes to create a DJ service contract removes the possibility of frustrating payment disagreements and helps the stage and the show or event run more smoothly. Negotiating these contracts might be tricky, but it’s important to remember what you’re entitled to as a DJ, what the client’s end of the deal means, what you both have committed to delivering and specify them clearly to avoid misunderstandings, or in worst cases, ugly lawsuits from either side.
A contract also ensures that you sign off and leave the show with satisfied guests and clients after a great performance, knowing that you played a major role in making the party successful.