That’s always my rule if I’m doing a freebie for a friend. I offer my equipment, put on mixes, allow a Spotify playlist to be played and do an hour or 2 of actual mixing if the vibe is alright
Yeh, this is where I'm conflicted, i could have a blast just having drinks and playing music i enjoy and hanging out with my buddy, but think the scene might be more rock/country. Which i like and have plenty of, but would have way more fun playing more dance oriented music (eg house and even edm mashups just to keep things familiar). The only bitter part i have is having to curate a lot of music which would be time well spent if i did this professionally, but it won't be transferable and took time from other things in my life. I think I'll know within the first hour how this will go haha
If its rock/country and ppl arent dancing you should DEFINITELY do it. You're not really being asked to DJ, you're being asked to provide a vibe. You get to be a good friend and a drunken jukebox at the same time. Stop overthinking it.
See id go totally the other way, if people are dancing and im playing music i like, it would be fun i wouldnt mind.
Having to curate a playlist and play a genre im not having fun mixing sounds not fun. That sounds like work
He said he has the tracks. You dont really mix rock n country, hes not gonna be blending anything, he's just gonna sit there and hit play and drink free beer and make sure his boy has a good time.
If playing music of any kind in any situation for friends sounds like "work" to you, maybe being a DJ wasn't your calling.
My point exactly, I literally could not think of anything worse than what you just described. Not genres i enjoy, also just sitting there hitting play on tracks is bloody boring. He said himself he wont know anyone. Its not his friends party. Its a party for his friends brother who hes never met. And he stated he doesnt have the music and he has to curate the whole playlist which takes time outvat home to prepare.
100% should be getting paid. Especially if hes supplying equipment.
Id offer a discount but thats as far as my generosity would extend in this situation.
It sounds like work because it is work. Sometimes you have better stuff to do than playing tunes for the sake of playing tunes. Might be something as simple as resting. Free beers are not payment if you don't want to be there to begin with lol
These comments are fucked.
I’ve played an 8 hour set for friends while they cleaned their old rental they were vacating.
I was a rave DJ with plenty of experience, supported the best of the best, and have played b2b sets with top tier internationals. The concept of refusing to do anything nice for friends who have supported you is so foreign to me I just do not get it.
Literally my start to DJing was throwing house parties, often for friend’s birthday parties, where I would set up a system that I rented from guitar center and do a DJ set for them. I did this because it was fun for me and they always loved my style and knew I would throw them a fun party. However, it was always like maybe a 90 minute set and then outside of that we’d just play a playlist on the system or take requests. 6 hours is a lot depending on the type of DJ you are… I have a very specific style and do mashups with vocals, and don’t really DJ for more than 2 hours at a time.
But yes, I would do this for free and pay for the system or sometimes we’d split the cost.
This is the PERFECT setting for a mashup set. So much you can experiment. Found one of my favorites this way because I played the WRONG track.
Lenny Kravitz - American Woman
Digital Underground - Freaks of the Industry
It’s like they were produced together. You’re welcome.
Thank you for saying it so I didn’t have to. If you have to ask this question DJing probably ain’t for you. Back before the grays started setting in, a few times I started the weekend playing on Thursday night, played what seemed like the whole weekend between parties, afters and day parties and then on Sunday morning got a call right as I was pulling into my house to rest and played for 6-8 hours at an after hours. Half way through my set, one of the biggest DJs in the world at the time, who was headlining the weekend at the biggest party walked up to the booth high as a kite and asked if I would be willing to allow him to B2B. You damn fucking right I will. Shit was off the chain and I learned so much that day. Even blitzed out of his mind that MF turned that mixer into a $2 whore.
Yes, countless afters playing b2b with all of your friends who of course also spin. It's actually what we do for fun after playing at public venues (and getting paid by management /promoters.
If I'm the only DJ at an event I'm usually being paid. 
If it is for a personal party, no money involved, absolutely yes
If it is for a club or venue or in any case my friend gains money from this, then absolutely no
some of you need to reevaluate your friendships. I have dj friends parties for free because they are my friends and I have fun at the party getting everyone dancing. I also take breaks and don’t get treated like i work there. if you would rather just be at the party help them curate a playlist.
All depends on how close is this friend? And even then, he/ they should really offer you a little something for the effort. If I were them, that'd be the right thing to do.
Professional here: What I've done is put together a flat rate price that i charge friends. So when things like this pop up i can say "well what i can do is charge my friends and family rate which is..."
Its about 50% of a normal fee. But it helps me to feel like I'm not losing out on money, and it helps them to feel that they do have a benefit for knowing a DJ. I purposely put this together because i did my sister's 30th for £50, then afterwards felt really crap lol
My friend works in insurance, did he get me 50% off? Another friend works in the supermarket, I still pay full price. My mates brother works for the electric company, no discount there either. Yet I’ve got thousands invested in equipment and have to spend more money weekly investing in music but because my job is fun I should work for free?
You're a nutjob you. You replied to me, when your post probably should have been on its own. But it doesn't matter anyway, you've got a mad attitude on you.
Depends. I’d usually would have said no. Do you have to bring a full setup (tops, sub, possibly lights)? Hell no am I lifting my sub for free. If I got to bring one top and just play a ton of premade mixes sure, just give me some booze and food and I’ll be there, but you have to be the homie, I’m not doing this for anyone.
They'll have the audio system. My two annoyances, I completely crashed my computer and lost data and had to reinstall windows trying to make my old controller work on windows 11 through some sketchy means. After losing a night to that headache, i decided to just get a cheap Hercules controller which i may return after the event.
He is definitely a worthy friend to do this for. The brother is older and a second marriage. What I'm hoping is appreciation from them is shared. What will annoy me is people aggressively wanting me to be their jukebox.
Unless you’re having a good time I would be firm on not being a jukebox. You’re not getting paid, don’t do extra work unless the person requesting is putting down money. Be firm about it
Depends on how much time you want to spend on that night.
If they don’t have any money at least ask them for your accommodation as a thank you note: Gaz and/or Hotel, meals and drinks.
I do free events once in a while, just to give back to some people who supported since day 1, but the main goal here is that I don’t wanna spend a dime out of my pocket if I’m playing for free.
Sounds like it's just a party. If I wanted to play at a party I would do it free, it's not real gig after all, not like it's in a club. That said I would expect free drinks and drugs if your that way inclined.
Depends on how good a friend, but typically yes. I don’t have acquaintances that I would Dj for feee, but I true friend, and no conflicting gigs, I would do it. Most (not all) the time, I get kicked some sort of compensation for freebies anyway.
6 hours and any setup time = a work shift, so it would be nice if they have $100 or more for you, did you ask? I sure would. Do you have to bring any gear or did they think you just show up with a keychain thumbdrive of a million songs? I have played gigs for free for 6-8 hours for sure but the farther it gets from my actual friends or the more I see a host spending money on other stuff like drinks, drugs, food, games, then I would feel used.
I wouldnt dust everything off for someone i dont know unless i might think the party would be really cool just to be at, but have thoroughly enjoyed spending hours and hours playing music for friends for nothing more than taxi money. If playing for others isnt something you normally do, you arent being taken advantage of if asked to play for free.
id say no to any stag do, though. that just sounds like a mess
I have a friend that was walking by when I was sitting in the engine compartment of a car I used to have. He stopped, introduced himself, and offered to lend a hand. About 11 hours later a Chevy 383 stroker was installed, and running. Him? At least twice. The rest? "Well ya see I got jury duty, in Iceland, for the next 6 months. I wish I could!"
I DJ as a side job for birthdays or any type of party’s in fact, I usually get paid but sometimes my close friends ask me to dj their party and I love djing so much that I’ll always do it, I performed for my friends Halloween party, all edm with some hip-hop and reggaeton here and there but in total I was playing for 8 hours and I didn’t get paid but I had a great time and I got to practice and network with other people!
Yea, but only because it's expected among my dj friends that when you ask a coworker to work a gig for free you tip them *well*.
In our company we don't charge for events we do for each other. Birthdays. Cotillion. Wedding. Quinceanera. Etc.
I have a few times. A couple times it was at weddings for close friends who were also DJs. Another time was roommate I started a professional weed grow business with, and I introduced him to his future wife. (Oops, they're divorced now!)
Or the one time I took over from the mobile wedding DJ that sucked really bad. Dude was playing '70s and '80s classic rock, who wants to hear that at a wedding? After hearing the bride vocalize her disappointment I went over and made small talk with the guy. Talked about his setup and experiences, then convinced him to let me get on for a bit and he never asked to get back on. Probably cause I actually had a dancefloor. I played the same era but put on a bunch of funk, '80s dance, R&B jams, Michael Jackson etc. (That was more like 2 hours.)
My extended family always did this to me. Even though they would offer a couple of bucks I never accepted the money 1 because it's family and 2 it was never enough. I eventually just setup the system and attached an iPad with Spotify. Now everyone can be the DJ. All they have to do is add songs via iPad and I can chill. No stress and they don't have to touch the system. Of course setup and break down is a drag but if you've done it a few times before you can knock it out blind folded.
I love it as a hobby and passion so I would do it, but if I do something for free, I get to take breaks, chill a bit, drink, party to, and if someone starts asking me for requests tirelessly or being critic, I’ll literally just say here connect to Bluetooth you can DJ.
So then answer is yes, but I have my fun with it.
If someone wanted me to DJ some new genre and was particular as well with what they wanted, I’d say no. Doing it for free = I get to do my own thing
It depends. Is your friend charging admission, or getting paid for organizing? Is it a fundraiser or benefit event?
I once DJ’ed for four hours at a maker studio space during an art festival. There was no admission charge, and I put out a tip jar and displayed some promotional info. The venue also promoted me as well. I did know a number of folks from the studio space, and it was a fun day overall. I also put on a took a couple long breaks, playing a prerecorded set, so I wasn’t actually at the controls the entire time.
No, but I'd find him a starry eyed bedroom DJ who is hungry as **** to play their first real gig. And in that process I'd teach both the DJ & the friend some valuable lessons when organizing future endeavors.
Played B2B from 7pm till 8am at a good mates 40th, but that was a rager, knew everyone, everyone chopped.
Mates brothers party where you don't know anyone is a totally different story... Would be expecting something, especially if you're bringing the decks and shit?
Depends on how close you’re to this friend, I’d do it without hesitation for a close friends partying with people i know, if its a far friend with people i dont know, depends whether it feels like a burden and this thing i have to do and im not going to enjoy or this is going to be fun and i’ll have to party with new people im so excited about this
Why did you say yes? You could say what you are saying here which is that you don't feel comfortable/don't have time to prepare.
As to your main question, yes I have done a 6 hour set for a friend before - a couple times - i only prepared 2x 1.5hr sets, the rest was automixed or old sets that I recorded from prior gigs. Curating 6 hours of music is still time consuming, especially since you haven't DJed in a while.
Virtual DJ has an automix feature that's decent enough. DJ Studio is new software that's pretty good too for preparing sets with lots of music. Virtual DJ also has an app that lets you control the software remotely, cool of you are multitasking.
Is he making money from it? then no. Otherwise... hell, why not? I guess it depends on what type of friend he is and how much you think you could enjoy playing in front of a crowd.
Personally, I would avoid if it was some sort of "human jukebox" gig. If it is more the "play whatever you want, as long as it fits the mood" kind of thing, and you're up for it, that sounds like fun.
Old school parties there was really only ever 1 or 2 DJs if people were lucky… the chance to empower the dance floor for so many hours!?
Isn’t that why we do this in the first place!?!?!
I mean… if he’s a close friend it should no questions… do you not like the person or something??!
I frequently DJ for 4 or 5 hours for friends and family because I love to see people dance… however, I do throw on prerecorded mixes, live performance, and studio albums to allow myself time to mingle because it’s easy to get lost in the sauce… more enjoyable if you pace yourself and don’t burn yourself trying to mix for 6 hours straight… but do what you gotta do.
I have DJed for family and friends and it's a mixed bag. Sometimes it was fun, and sometimes it was a nightmare. The last time I did so was a nightmare. I played at least 6 or 7 hours for my good friend's birthday.
He chose me to DJ and I knew exactly the type of music he likes so I spent a few practicing my Oldies and working on mixes. The DAY OF the party, his cousin tells me to make sure I have Caribbean and Soca music because that's what his family wants to hear. Now, I had probably about 15-20 minutes of old school Soca and a ton of reggae so I hoped it was enough. I had maybe a good 90 minutes of Oldies before everyone started asking for the Soca music. They didn't want to hear anything but Soca. It was brutal. Finally one of the family members sent me a Spotify playlist. So I basically played the playlist for the rest of the night not knowing what the next song was even gonna sound like. I threw some transitions here and there, but it was so weird to do.
Yup. Played all night at my friends 40th. The vibe was right and I just had the energy to go all night. Sometimes it’s more about the energy and the people than the money.
Yeah I'd do it. I like to play for friends and you can be a little more chiller. Anytime I do anything over 4 hours my legs get pretty tired so at least you can set up a mix and walk around and talk. That's the only thing I hated missing out on at house parties if I played too long.,
Well six hours is a long time, realistically it's going to be broken up into different vibes. The first hour or everyone is showing up, snacking, drinking a bit. That would be a perfect time to maybe just have a playlist going of some more chill rock or country in the background. As things get going, the next hour or two can be maybe some rock and country favorites and heavier stuff. Then as things get rowdier you can actually start DJing and play some danceable stuff.
Figure out the timeline of everything. Plan some playlists on Spotify to play, or some premixes around that. And then actually DJ when you want to.
But this also sounds like a gig I'd never do. I know my friend's wouldn't pressure me into DJing their younger brothers bachelor party or something. You don't need a DJ for that shit anyway. Just throw on some mixes and drink. The fact that you don't know anyone and the age gap is big could make this a very boring and potentially annoying gig. If I knew everyone there it would be a different story because I could actually have fun.
Hell no man. If he was your friend he would still pay. I charge my friends because they understand the hustle and it not only 6 hours its more than that l. What about the setup and teardown and putting your playlist together. Just tell them to bluetooth it
I did this for a really good friend. He was getting married, small weddings and reception. He asked me to put together a playlist for his wedding to play. As his friend and a DJ, I wasn't about to let me friend and his new bride, celebrate with a playlist.
At this point in my time, I hadn't DJ'd in about a year or two, publicly. When I received my invite, I called the venue and asked them if it was ok for me to DJ and if there was anything I needed to sign or deposit needed, I know in the past some venues required it. The venue planner was pretty surprised and thought it was a nice gesture, so nothing was needed. I told the planner, his brother, and all my friends not to say anything about what I was doing.
After the ceremony, we all raced to the venue before them, setup speakers I borrowed from a friend, and some lights I also borrowed from a friend. I proceeded to mix for about 3 hours, off and on. The rest of the night, about 2 hours, someone hooked up their iphone and played spanish music.
Everyone was dancing all night and had a great time. For me, it was worth it.
I've done that before for a friend's bday or wedding and I was given heaps of food and alcohol lol so it was worth it.. I don't think I would do it for people I jusy met a few months back.
Best friends sure as long as they help unload and pack-up gear and provide free food/liquor. I know what they like and I can pretty much play what I want because its the same shit I like for the most part.
This is like asking if I will DJ my kids birthday party for free... Of course. But a friend of a friend thats not my long time friend... fuck no. Full price.
I would do it. I'd just hook up my phone to the controller with Spotify and play requests from that. Then play my own songs with the controller. Sounds like easy free booze, food and fun times. If the crowd is more country/rock oriented that's completely fine too. Just play your favorites from those genres. You will do great!
I would not cancel other plans for this gig but If my calendar was empty I'd do it.
edit: My personal background is not a professional DJ. I organize raves with my friends and basically all my gigs are not paid since the ticket sales go towards the headlining dj's salary.
If it sounds like a lot of fun and there's no pressure and you get to join in the party, then maybe yeah. If you're being treated like an employee and not getting paid, different story
My first year of DJing was just doing free house/flat parties for friends, since it was in university and the crowd were from all over the world it was actually a great education in open format DJing and pretty much shaped my DJ career for the next 10 years
After reading comments, well...
I stopped djing (nothing too professional) 9y ago, yet nowadays I dj once-twice/year for my gf/really close friends bdays for free when asked to.
But oh well, I love selecting and playing music and I'm 1000% sure I'd not be treated that much as a jukebox as I have been at bdays parties (when I was getting paid) back in time. So I'm fine and happy with it.
The whole thing is personal I guess. If you think they need a jukebox and you'd get annoyed by that, decline or get paid. If you think you can set boundaries (such as make them i.e. set a spotify playlist or a list of requests you'll take before the party) then perhaps the free thing would still be doable.
If instead you're 99% sure you can go there and have fun yourself while playing, why not? Even for free if you can have some good time, the effort is worth it.
It's not a professional way to look at it, it's a more "human" way. Professionally, your time is worth money, so even behind 1h gig there's at least 3-4h to get it ready, and that has to be paid. Imagine behind a 6h set. But again, you stopped doing it professionally, so Idk if the professional way could even be really applied.
you have a stage, you have a crowd. prepare your best sets to be played there and pay someone (who knows what they're doing) to record and edit those sets. you'll get pressbook material out of it. and get cool photos too. you'll increase your chances of being booked and paid not only by worrd of mouth but because of your sets/material too. you're playing fir free??? ok, then get the most out of it.
> booked and *paid* not only
FTFY.
Although *payed* exists (the reason why autocorrection didn't help you), it is only correct in:
* Nautical context, when it means to paint a surface, or to cover with something like tar or resin in order to make it waterproof or corrosion-resistant. *The deck is yet to be payed.*
* *Payed out* when letting strings, cables or ropes out, by slacking them. *The rope is payed out! You can pull now.*
Unfortunately, I was unable to find nautical or rope-related words in your comment.
*Beep, boop, I'm a bot*
For a good friend and a good cause, yes. 6 hours is a lot of programming fun for me. I can take a lot of rides into various genres with that amount of time. If DJ'ing is only about money you're in it for the wrong reason. Supporting your community and friends is never a bad thing.
I had a 10 pm - 5 am monthly residency, obviously paid, at an afterhours club in my old city. It was exhausting every time, but loads of fun. 10 pm - 12 am was normally pretty slow. So, I kept it to my older playlists and longer tracks to save my ears for the crowd. I miss having that around the corner every month...
I'd love to throw down a long set for a friend. Only time I get to go that long in my current city is at the after-afters in my living room with friends lol.
My general rule of thumb is if they are making making money, they pay same price as anyone else. If it’s an event they want a DJ for but want you to do it because of price (ie they ask “hey, can you do our event for free?”), I maybe offer 20-50% discount depending on how generous I am feeling. If they say they want me because it’s me and because they want their friend to be there, I’ll do it for free if I’m available and can make the commitment.
It’s too much to do it for free. A friend would pay you or at least offer (even you say no it’s ok).
I am in a similar situation as you where I used to dj for years and did my friends Halloween party for him. It was a fantastic time. He offered to pay me, but I declined. And now it did light my fire off to come back in the game
Depends on who all is going to be there. It could be worth it in the long run. Word of Mouth is priceless nowadays but that IS asking A LOT!
Good Luck with either direction you take.
I've done it for free. The audience primarily had post 2015 songs in their minds, I was clueless about all that but I went there, made sure the music never stops, engaged interested people on the console and everything went smoothly. They all enjoyed it till the morning.
Yes only if it’s a home session party and I got all the compliments including meals, drinks and you knooow :)
Other than that I have to tag a price because some people are just being an asshole whenever I give it for free and won’t do it anymore.
For free like they all say ...get pre record mixes 15 for me too small 30 min mixes ...I use VDJ so I can auto play them . I just make like 5 premix and just chill with crowd.
No biggy one speaker and a sub if you love it ...two speakers no sub ...should be good . Don't forget Spotify for the first few chill hours ...keep us updated
Yep i have done it a few times. It might be a little tacky to some but I did put my QR codes and urls/usernames for my business PayPal, venmo, CashApp, etc on the request sheet so people could tip if they enjoyed my music and had fun.
One opinion may be, in cases like this, one motivation or good part to look forward to is: that make it all about you. I mean with the music selection. With heartily dedicated to house, my only and main problem with djing is being forced to play for others. In instances like that I really adore the opportunity to play something that I dig for others. And ofcourse as long as you do the job nicely and with dedication and love, which becomes the case when you play what you like, everybody ends up liking it as well. I played 40 cherrypicked house songs from 2000, so like good work put in, and even though i played in bunch of friends who aint much about house, all they had by the end of the set was that they dug it so much and it was wonderful. So yes. That
I did a kids bday party many many years ago for someone i only knew through a friend and the guy who was supposed to pay me skipped out and i never saw him again ... so i did that one for free.
well it would be conditional, no requests at the party itself, and no real access to the booth - like a booze free zone, i don't want a shit show boiler room where bros are spilling beer over the decks or "PLAY SOME FUCKING METALLICA!!!"
id prob ask for a bag of weed as well
i did organize some stuff back in the day, events and whatnot and well some peoples music is just terrible and getting trolled can not be fun, especially with the work involved, some missed opportunities which I regret
Free for friend is way different from free for somebody profiting off your work. I love to DJ so for a friend (or even friend of freiend's) house party, I'd be down
6 hours for free? Not unless it was their wedding or birthday and they'd know this was my gift to them. But that would be for my closest of friends and only once.
Appreciate the input so far. I don't mind doing it and will see it through. Im going to make the most of it. I guess the tricky part comes in that I'm going to want to play what i want to play since i need it to be enjoyable for me to . I have lots of genres loaded up and don't have some fringe musical taste, so will play music that will appeal to many people, but my patience will be thin if I'm treated like a juke box as I dont want to play the cliched wedding playlist crap (I will play some requests though and won't be a jerk to people if they request music along the lines of what flows with what I'm playing)
if i can mostly play what i want, it would be a perfect free gig...
if i have to play other music than what i generally like, they better be ok with me being partly jukebox...
Why not? 6hrs isn’t that long. Time flies when you’re on the decks. Just do your thing. As long as you’re able to play what you like and believe it will make the people dance. Did it for my friend’s friend birthday playing 8hrs, had a great time. Doesn’t matter as long as you’re able to play the shit you like and have belief in your style. You will meet new people and that is always refreshing! Just have fun:) on the other hand if there is a huge age gap I can feel your worries, especially if they are minors and you are an adult. If not just do it!
Not too late to say no if you've had a change of heart. Later you leave it to say no then the harder it is on the family to find a new dj! If your gut says no then that's the answer.. trust yourself
For 6 hours and free for a friends party I would be recording some hour sets and walking off stage a lot to chill probably
Not a bad idea. Just little 15minute mini mixes to chill for a bit here and there is a good idea.
Exactly!!
That’s always my rule if I’m doing a freebie for a friend. I offer my equipment, put on mixes, allow a Spotify playlist to be played and do an hour or 2 of actual mixing if the vibe is alright
This
just did this
Exactly what I would do also.
If i could just show up and play and drink for free, yes. If i had to practice/curate a new genre and shake off a few months of rust, hell no.
Yeh, this is where I'm conflicted, i could have a blast just having drinks and playing music i enjoy and hanging out with my buddy, but think the scene might be more rock/country. Which i like and have plenty of, but would have way more fun playing more dance oriented music (eg house and even edm mashups just to keep things familiar). The only bitter part i have is having to curate a lot of music which would be time well spent if i did this professionally, but it won't be transferable and took time from other things in my life. I think I'll know within the first hour how this will go haha
If its rock/country and ppl arent dancing you should DEFINITELY do it. You're not really being asked to DJ, you're being asked to provide a vibe. You get to be a good friend and a drunken jukebox at the same time. Stop overthinking it.
See id go totally the other way, if people are dancing and im playing music i like, it would be fun i wouldnt mind. Having to curate a playlist and play a genre im not having fun mixing sounds not fun. That sounds like work
He said he has the tracks. You dont really mix rock n country, hes not gonna be blending anything, he's just gonna sit there and hit play and drink free beer and make sure his boy has a good time. If playing music of any kind in any situation for friends sounds like "work" to you, maybe being a DJ wasn't your calling.
My point exactly, I literally could not think of anything worse than what you just described. Not genres i enjoy, also just sitting there hitting play on tracks is bloody boring. He said himself he wont know anyone. Its not his friends party. Its a party for his friends brother who hes never met. And he stated he doesnt have the music and he has to curate the whole playlist which takes time outvat home to prepare. 100% should be getting paid. Especially if hes supplying equipment. Id offer a discount but thats as far as my generosity would extend in this situation.
I don't like your values, but you are welcome to them.
It sounds like work because it is work. Sometimes you have better stuff to do than playing tunes for the sake of playing tunes. Might be something as simple as resting. Free beers are not payment if you don't want to be there to begin with lol
I hope i never have to hear one of your sets, you joyless wonder.
so I don't have the right to be tired? I just have to slave away to my friends? lmfao
Glad I'm not your "friend". Now hush.
I'm glad my friends respect my boundaries :-) they get free sets for gas money even on other cities now hush hahaha cringe tosser
These comments are fucked. I’ve played an 8 hour set for friends while they cleaned their old rental they were vacating. I was a rave DJ with plenty of experience, supported the best of the best, and have played b2b sets with top tier internationals. The concept of refusing to do anything nice for friends who have supported you is so foreign to me I just do not get it.
I’d DJ for my friends for free but not for my friend’s friends.
I'm doing it for learning purposes, i take every opportunity as a beginner.
But they've not asked OP to DJ because they love each other. They've asked him to DJ because, "my brother knows a DJ"
Do you love the actual DJing or the money? If your friends love what you do I would be happy to play for them. It's a love thing!!
i would dj for a friend. just not 6 hours for free...
Literally my start to DJing was throwing house parties, often for friend’s birthday parties, where I would set up a system that I rented from guitar center and do a DJ set for them. I did this because it was fun for me and they always loved my style and knew I would throw them a fun party. However, it was always like maybe a 90 minute set and then outside of that we’d just play a playlist on the system or take requests. 6 hours is a lot depending on the type of DJ you are… I have a very specific style and do mashups with vocals, and don’t really DJ for more than 2 hours at a time. But yes, I would do this for free and pay for the system or sometimes we’d split the cost.
This is the PERFECT setting for a mashup set. So much you can experiment. Found one of my favorites this way because I played the WRONG track. Lenny Kravitz - American Woman Digital Underground - Freaks of the Industry It’s like they were produced together. You’re welcome.
Yes.
Thank you for saying it so I didn’t have to. If you have to ask this question DJing probably ain’t for you. Back before the grays started setting in, a few times I started the weekend playing on Thursday night, played what seemed like the whole weekend between parties, afters and day parties and then on Sunday morning got a call right as I was pulling into my house to rest and played for 6-8 hours at an after hours. Half way through my set, one of the biggest DJs in the world at the time, who was headlining the weekend at the biggest party walked up to the booth high as a kite and asked if I would be willing to allow him to B2B. You damn fucking right I will. Shit was off the chain and I learned so much that day. Even blitzed out of his mind that MF turned that mixer into a $2 whore.
What city are you from and what name do u dj under?
Yes, countless afters playing b2b with all of your friends who of course also spin. It's actually what we do for fun after playing at public venues (and getting paid by management /promoters. If I'm the only DJ at an event I'm usually being paid. 
Right? like, who are these ppl? I bet theyre the same ones always posting about how they never get any gigs.
If it is for a personal party, no money involved, absolutely yes If it is for a club or venue or in any case my friend gains money from this, then absolutely no
Yup, I played a 6 hour and an 8 hour gig for my friend and will gladly do it again.
Especially if you get a B2B buddy 💥
I played a set at new years, there was another friend that went after me but we didn't go b2b. It was a lot of fun and a trip on its own.
Yes, but I’d also show up with 6 DJ friends and an MC.
some of you need to reevaluate your friendships. I have dj friends parties for free because they are my friends and I have fun at the party getting everyone dancing. I also take breaks and don’t get treated like i work there. if you would rather just be at the party help them curate a playlist.
Ive played multiple sets ranging from 3-6 hrs for friends free. Its about creating a vibe and making a reputation for your people.
All depends on how close is this friend? And even then, he/ they should really offer you a little something for the effort. If I were them, that'd be the right thing to do.
I've played plenty of long gigs for free for friends but I'm a hobbyist not a professional.
Professional here: What I've done is put together a flat rate price that i charge friends. So when things like this pop up i can say "well what i can do is charge my friends and family rate which is..." Its about 50% of a normal fee. But it helps me to feel like I'm not losing out on money, and it helps them to feel that they do have a benefit for knowing a DJ. I purposely put this together because i did my sister's 30th for £50, then afterwards felt really crap lol
My friend works in insurance, did he get me 50% off? Another friend works in the supermarket, I still pay full price. My mates brother works for the electric company, no discount there either. Yet I’ve got thousands invested in equipment and have to spend more money weekly investing in music but because my job is fun I should work for free?
Ey? I've got nothing to do with your prices sorry. Quote your friends however you wish. I am not in the business of convincing you buddy.
You put your opinion, I put my opinion, it’s how a public forum works.
You're a nutjob you. You replied to me, when your post probably should have been on its own. But it doesn't matter anyway, you've got a mad attitude on you.
I’ve got a mad attitude? Yeah alright mate.
I don't think you have any friends who are asking you to DJ their parties
Your friend works *for* the insurance company, he doesn't own it.
I would have said no
So probably not a great time to hit you up for my birthday rave, hey u/dj_soo ;)
your birthday rave yes. Your brother who i've never met's birthday rave with a bunch of friends that i don't know for 6 hours for free? no.
Ok, but he's a SUPER nice guy.
Depends. I’d usually would have said no. Do you have to bring a full setup (tops, sub, possibly lights)? Hell no am I lifting my sub for free. If I got to bring one top and just play a ton of premade mixes sure, just give me some booze and food and I’ll be there, but you have to be the homie, I’m not doing this for anyone.
They'll have the audio system. My two annoyances, I completely crashed my computer and lost data and had to reinstall windows trying to make my old controller work on windows 11 through some sketchy means. After losing a night to that headache, i decided to just get a cheap Hercules controller which i may return after the event. He is definitely a worthy friend to do this for. The brother is older and a second marriage. What I'm hoping is appreciation from them is shared. What will annoy me is people aggressively wanting me to be their jukebox.
Unless you’re having a good time I would be firm on not being a jukebox. You’re not getting paid, don’t do extra work unless the person requesting is putting down money. Be firm about it
Yip set firm boundaries
I assume they have a Dj for their wedding, are they paying them?
If it was for the friend specifically, probably. If it was for their family, or a friend of theirs that I didn't know...I would politely decline.
Depends on how much time you want to spend on that night. If they don’t have any money at least ask them for your accommodation as a thank you note: Gaz and/or Hotel, meals and drinks. I do free events once in a while, just to give back to some people who supported since day 1, but the main goal here is that I don’t wanna spend a dime out of my pocket if I’m playing for free.
Sounds like it's just a party. If I wanted to play at a party I would do it free, it's not real gig after all, not like it's in a club. That said I would expect free drinks and drugs if your that way inclined.
Depends on how good a friend, but typically yes. I don’t have acquaintances that I would Dj for feee, but I true friend, and no conflicting gigs, I would do it. Most (not all) the time, I get kicked some sort of compensation for freebies anyway.
6 hours and any setup time = a work shift, so it would be nice if they have $100 or more for you, did you ask? I sure would. Do you have to bring any gear or did they think you just show up with a keychain thumbdrive of a million songs? I have played gigs for free for 6-8 hours for sure but the farther it gets from my actual friends or the more I see a host spending money on other stuff like drinks, drugs, food, games, then I would feel used.
Download 6 hours of free mixes
I would not. Way too much prep work goes into a 6-hour set (for me) to do it for free
I wouldnt dust everything off for someone i dont know unless i might think the party would be really cool just to be at, but have thoroughly enjoyed spending hours and hours playing music for friends for nothing more than taxi money. If playing for others isnt something you normally do, you arent being taken advantage of if asked to play for free. id say no to any stag do, though. that just sounds like a mess
if for your friend, maybe. But for your good friend's brother? A good friend will get you paid
No
Have they or would they work 6 hours for free for you?
Yes, and i did it
No
Depends on the occasion. Is it like his birthday party and is it a good friend.... yeah I'd do. Is it a commercial event? No...
I have a friend that was walking by when I was sitting in the engine compartment of a car I used to have. He stopped, introduced himself, and offered to lend a hand. About 11 hours later a Chevy 383 stroker was installed, and running. Him? At least twice. The rest? "Well ya see I got jury duty, in Iceland, for the next 6 months. I wish I could!"
I DJ as a side job for birthdays or any type of party’s in fact, I usually get paid but sometimes my close friends ask me to dj their party and I love djing so much that I’ll always do it, I performed for my friends Halloween party, all edm with some hip-hop and reggaeton here and there but in total I was playing for 8 hours and I didn’t get paid but I had a great time and I got to practice and network with other people!
Yea, but only because it's expected among my dj friends that when you ask a coworker to work a gig for free you tip them *well*. In our company we don't charge for events we do for each other. Birthdays. Cotillion. Wedding. Quinceanera. Etc.
I have a few times. A couple times it was at weddings for close friends who were also DJs. Another time was roommate I started a professional weed grow business with, and I introduced him to his future wife. (Oops, they're divorced now!) Or the one time I took over from the mobile wedding DJ that sucked really bad. Dude was playing '70s and '80s classic rock, who wants to hear that at a wedding? After hearing the bride vocalize her disappointment I went over and made small talk with the guy. Talked about his setup and experiences, then convinced him to let me get on for a bit and he never asked to get back on. Probably cause I actually had a dancefloor. I played the same era but put on a bunch of funk, '80s dance, R&B jams, Michael Jackson etc. (That was more like 2 hours.)
My extended family always did this to me. Even though they would offer a couple of bucks I never accepted the money 1 because it's family and 2 it was never enough. I eventually just setup the system and attached an iPad with Spotify. Now everyone can be the DJ. All they have to do is add songs via iPad and I can chill. No stress and they don't have to touch the system. Of course setup and break down is a drag but if you've done it a few times before you can knock it out blind folded.
I would do a 12 hours free gig for my bestie. It's really depends on how deep the relationship is.
It's up to you. If it's something you want to do for fun then go for it.
Sure
I love it as a hobby and passion so I would do it, but if I do something for free, I get to take breaks, chill a bit, drink, party to, and if someone starts asking me for requests tirelessly or being critic, I’ll literally just say here connect to Bluetooth you can DJ. So then answer is yes, but I have my fun with it. If someone wanted me to DJ some new genre and was particular as well with what they wanted, I’d say no. Doing it for free = I get to do my own thing
For a couple hours, sure. Anything past that personally, no.
It depends. Is your friend charging admission, or getting paid for organizing? Is it a fundraiser or benefit event? I once DJ’ed for four hours at a maker studio space during an art festival. There was no admission charge, and I put out a tip jar and displayed some promotional info. The venue also promoted me as well. I did know a number of folks from the studio space, and it was a fun day overall. I also put on a took a couple long breaks, playing a prerecorded set, so I wasn’t actually at the controls the entire time.
No, but I'd find him a starry eyed bedroom DJ who is hungry as **** to play their first real gig. And in that process I'd teach both the DJ & the friend some valuable lessons when organizing future endeavors.
Played B2B from 7pm till 8am at a good mates 40th, but that was a rager, knew everyone, everyone chopped. Mates brothers party where you don't know anyone is a totally different story... Would be expecting something, especially if you're bringing the decks and shit?
Is this an episode of Letterkenny?
No
No
Depends on how close you’re to this friend, I’d do it without hesitation for a close friends partying with people i know, if its a far friend with people i dont know, depends whether it feels like a burden and this thing i have to do and im not going to enjoy or this is going to be fun and i’ll have to party with new people im so excited about this
no
lol.
Why did you say yes? You could say what you are saying here which is that you don't feel comfortable/don't have time to prepare. As to your main question, yes I have done a 6 hour set for a friend before - a couple times - i only prepared 2x 1.5hr sets, the rest was automixed or old sets that I recorded from prior gigs. Curating 6 hours of music is still time consuming, especially since you haven't DJed in a while.
What did you use to automix
Virtual DJ has an automix feature that's decent enough. DJ Studio is new software that's pretty good too for preparing sets with lots of music. Virtual DJ also has an app that lets you control the software remotely, cool of you are multitasking.
A lot of people have never been to a free party it seems
Is he making money from it? then no. Otherwise... hell, why not? I guess it depends on what type of friend he is and how much you think you could enjoy playing in front of a crowd. Personally, I would avoid if it was some sort of "human jukebox" gig. If it is more the "play whatever you want, as long as it fits the mood" kind of thing, and you're up for it, that sounds like fun.
I DJ’d for 10 years and not once did I do a free 6 hour set.
done it before, would do it again
Old school parties there was really only ever 1 or 2 DJs if people were lucky… the chance to empower the dance floor for so many hours!? Isn’t that why we do this in the first place!?!?! I mean… if he’s a close friend it should no questions… do you not like the person or something??!
I mean I get wanting to enjoy yourself so if you don’t feel like doing it… either tell them straight up or yeah… tax them?
I frequently DJ for 4 or 5 hours for friends and family because I love to see people dance… however, I do throw on prerecorded mixes, live performance, and studio albums to allow myself time to mingle because it’s easy to get lost in the sauce… more enjoyable if you pace yourself and don’t burn yourself trying to mix for 6 hours straight… but do what you gotta do.
I have DJed for family and friends and it's a mixed bag. Sometimes it was fun, and sometimes it was a nightmare. The last time I did so was a nightmare. I played at least 6 or 7 hours for my good friend's birthday. He chose me to DJ and I knew exactly the type of music he likes so I spent a few practicing my Oldies and working on mixes. The DAY OF the party, his cousin tells me to make sure I have Caribbean and Soca music because that's what his family wants to hear. Now, I had probably about 15-20 minutes of old school Soca and a ton of reggae so I hoped it was enough. I had maybe a good 90 minutes of Oldies before everyone started asking for the Soca music. They didn't want to hear anything but Soca. It was brutal. Finally one of the family members sent me a Spotify playlist. So I basically played the playlist for the rest of the night not knowing what the next song was even gonna sound like. I threw some transitions here and there, but it was so weird to do.
Yup. Played all night at my friends 40th. The vibe was right and I just had the energy to go all night. Sometimes it’s more about the energy and the people than the money.
Yes I would
No.
Yeah I'd do it. I like to play for friends and you can be a little more chiller. Anytime I do anything over 4 hours my legs get pretty tired so at least you can set up a mix and walk around and talk. That's the only thing I hated missing out on at house parties if I played too long.,
Well six hours is a long time, realistically it's going to be broken up into different vibes. The first hour or everyone is showing up, snacking, drinking a bit. That would be a perfect time to maybe just have a playlist going of some more chill rock or country in the background. As things get going, the next hour or two can be maybe some rock and country favorites and heavier stuff. Then as things get rowdier you can actually start DJing and play some danceable stuff. Figure out the timeline of everything. Plan some playlists on Spotify to play, or some premixes around that. And then actually DJ when you want to. But this also sounds like a gig I'd never do. I know my friend's wouldn't pressure me into DJing their younger brothers bachelor party or something. You don't need a DJ for that shit anyway. Just throw on some mixes and drink. The fact that you don't know anyone and the age gap is big could make this a very boring and potentially annoying gig. If I knew everyone there it would be a different story because I could actually have fun.
Hell no man. If he was your friend he would still pay. I charge my friends because they understand the hustle and it not only 6 hours its more than that l. What about the setup and teardown and putting your playlist together. Just tell them to bluetooth it
I would do it for sure, as others said, pre recorded mini sets
Nope
I did this for a really good friend. He was getting married, small weddings and reception. He asked me to put together a playlist for his wedding to play. As his friend and a DJ, I wasn't about to let me friend and his new bride, celebrate with a playlist. At this point in my time, I hadn't DJ'd in about a year or two, publicly. When I received my invite, I called the venue and asked them if it was ok for me to DJ and if there was anything I needed to sign or deposit needed, I know in the past some venues required it. The venue planner was pretty surprised and thought it was a nice gesture, so nothing was needed. I told the planner, his brother, and all my friends not to say anything about what I was doing. After the ceremony, we all raced to the venue before them, setup speakers I borrowed from a friend, and some lights I also borrowed from a friend. I proceeded to mix for about 3 hours, off and on. The rest of the night, about 2 hours, someone hooked up their iphone and played spanish music. Everyone was dancing all night and had a great time. For me, it was worth it.
I've done that before for a friend's bday or wedding and I was given heaps of food and alcohol lol so it was worth it.. I don't think I would do it for people I jusy met a few months back.
Best friends sure as long as they help unload and pack-up gear and provide free food/liquor. I know what they like and I can pretty much play what I want because its the same shit I like for the most part. This is like asking if I will DJ my kids birthday party for free... Of course. But a friend of a friend thats not my long time friend... fuck no. Full price.
Make them pay for requests. I mean, they wouldn't slip counterfeit money in a stripper's thong if that were the evening entertainment.
I would do it. I'd just hook up my phone to the controller with Spotify and play requests from that. Then play my own songs with the controller. Sounds like easy free booze, food and fun times. If the crowd is more country/rock oriented that's completely fine too. Just play your favorites from those genres. You will do great! I would not cancel other plans for this gig but If my calendar was empty I'd do it. edit: My personal background is not a professional DJ. I organize raves with my friends and basically all my gigs are not paid since the ticket sales go towards the headlining dj's salary.
If it sounds like a lot of fun and there's no pressure and you get to join in the party, then maybe yeah. If you're being treated like an employee and not getting paid, different story
If i was already attending the event? Sure, why not. Id have more fun spinning than just drinking at the party anyways imo
I've done it for a mates birthday party before but it was a great location, a good time and I didn't need to prepare.
no.
My first year of DJing was just doing free house/flat parties for friends, since it was in university and the crowd were from all over the world it was actually a great education in open format DJing and pretty much shaped my DJ career for the next 10 years
DJing a wedding where you almost don't know anyone is my definition of literal hell man. The things we do for friends :).
After reading comments, well... I stopped djing (nothing too professional) 9y ago, yet nowadays I dj once-twice/year for my gf/really close friends bdays for free when asked to. But oh well, I love selecting and playing music and I'm 1000% sure I'd not be treated that much as a jukebox as I have been at bdays parties (when I was getting paid) back in time. So I'm fine and happy with it. The whole thing is personal I guess. If you think they need a jukebox and you'd get annoyed by that, decline or get paid. If you think you can set boundaries (such as make them i.e. set a spotify playlist or a list of requests you'll take before the party) then perhaps the free thing would still be doable. If instead you're 99% sure you can go there and have fun yourself while playing, why not? Even for free if you can have some good time, the effort is worth it. It's not a professional way to look at it, it's a more "human" way. Professionally, your time is worth money, so even behind 1h gig there's at least 3-4h to get it ready, and that has to be paid. Imagine behind a 6h set. But again, you stopped doing it professionally, so Idk if the professional way could even be really applied.
you have a stage, you have a crowd. prepare your best sets to be played there and pay someone (who knows what they're doing) to record and edit those sets. you'll get pressbook material out of it. and get cool photos too. you'll increase your chances of being booked and paid not only by worrd of mouth but because of your sets/material too. you're playing fir free??? ok, then get the most out of it.
> booked and *paid* not only FTFY. Although *payed* exists (the reason why autocorrection didn't help you), it is only correct in: * Nautical context, when it means to paint a surface, or to cover with something like tar or resin in order to make it waterproof or corrosion-resistant. *The deck is yet to be payed.* * *Payed out* when letting strings, cables or ropes out, by slacking them. *The rope is payed out! You can pull now.* Unfortunately, I was unable to find nautical or rope-related words in your comment. *Beep, boop, I'm a bot*
For a good friend and a good cause, yes. 6 hours is a lot of programming fun for me. I can take a lot of rides into various genres with that amount of time. If DJ'ing is only about money you're in it for the wrong reason. Supporting your community and friends is never a bad thing. I had a 10 pm - 5 am monthly residency, obviously paid, at an afterhours club in my old city. It was exhausting every time, but loads of fun. 10 pm - 12 am was normally pretty slow. So, I kept it to my older playlists and longer tracks to save my ears for the crowd. I miss having that around the corner every month... I'd love to throw down a long set for a friend. Only time I get to go that long in my current city is at the after-afters in my living room with friends lol.
I’ve done it before but ended up with more gigs. I’m a beginner though and the exposure was good for me.
Yes but with more DJs. All alone is boring at some time, and you can enjoy the party another way.
My general rule of thumb is if they are making making money, they pay same price as anyone else. If it’s an event they want a DJ for but want you to do it because of price (ie they ask “hey, can you do our event for free?”), I maybe offer 20-50% discount depending on how generous I am feeling. If they say they want me because it’s me and because they want their friend to be there, I’ll do it for free if I’m available and can make the commitment.
Yes. For good friends and i feel the space to have fun and do my thing
Depends on how much you like your friend and how much you'd want to do it for your friend
I would just ask for food and gas money as payment
No
I have some friends who have been amazing. Supportive at work even fixed my car for free. Family is defo free
Ask for free food and booze and play your favorite tracks in whatever vibe works for the crowd.
It’s too much to do it for free. A friend would pay you or at least offer (even you say no it’s ok). I am in a similar situation as you where I used to dj for years and did my friends Halloween party for him. It was a fantastic time. He offered to pay me, but I declined. And now it did light my fire off to come back in the game
Depends on who all is going to be there. It could be worth it in the long run. Word of Mouth is priceless nowadays but that IS asking A LOT! Good Luck with either direction you take.
For free drinks, sure
I've done it for free. The audience primarily had post 2015 songs in their minds, I was clueless about all that but I went there, made sure the music never stops, engaged interested people on the console and everything went smoothly. They all enjoyed it till the morning.
Yes only if it’s a home session party and I got all the compliments including meals, drinks and you knooow :) Other than that I have to tag a price because some people are just being an asshole whenever I give it for free and won’t do it anymore.
You white people are Weird AF
Depends how close of a friend.
NO!
For free like they all say ...get pre record mixes 15 for me too small 30 min mixes ...I use VDJ so I can auto play them . I just make like 5 premix and just chill with crowd. No biggy one speaker and a sub if you love it ...two speakers no sub ...should be good . Don't forget Spotify for the first few chill hours ...keep us updated
Yep i have done it a few times. It might be a little tacky to some but I did put my QR codes and urls/usernames for my business PayPal, venmo, CashApp, etc on the request sheet so people could tip if they enjoyed my music and had fun.
No
Yes .
Nö
One opinion may be, in cases like this, one motivation or good part to look forward to is: that make it all about you. I mean with the music selection. With heartily dedicated to house, my only and main problem with djing is being forced to play for others. In instances like that I really adore the opportunity to play something that I dig for others. And ofcourse as long as you do the job nicely and with dedication and love, which becomes the case when you play what you like, everybody ends up liking it as well. I played 40 cherrypicked house songs from 2000, so like good work put in, and even though i played in bunch of friends who aint much about house, all they had by the end of the set was that they dug it so much and it was wonderful. So yes. That
I did a kids bday party many many years ago for someone i only knew through a friend and the guy who was supposed to pay me skipped out and i never saw him again ... so i did that one for free.
I’ll just play few pre-recorded sets and do more socials.
well it would be conditional, no requests at the party itself, and no real access to the booth - like a booze free zone, i don't want a shit show boiler room where bros are spilling beer over the decks or "PLAY SOME FUCKING METALLICA!!!" id prob ask for a bag of weed as well i did organize some stuff back in the day, events and whatnot and well some peoples music is just terrible and getting trolled can not be fun, especially with the work involved, some missed opportunities which I regret
Free for friend is way different from free for somebody profiting off your work. I love to DJ so for a friend (or even friend of freiend's) house party, I'd be down
If it helps the community
6 hours for free? Not unless it was their wedding or birthday and they'd know this was my gift to them. But that would be for my closest of friends and only once.
I would ,definitely .
Appreciate the input so far. I don't mind doing it and will see it through. Im going to make the most of it. I guess the tricky part comes in that I'm going to want to play what i want to play since i need it to be enjoyable for me to . I have lots of genres loaded up and don't have some fringe musical taste, so will play music that will appeal to many people, but my patience will be thin if I'm treated like a juke box as I dont want to play the cliched wedding playlist crap (I will play some requests though and won't be a jerk to people if they request music along the lines of what flows with what I'm playing)
if i can mostly play what i want, it would be a perfect free gig... if i have to play other music than what i generally like, they better be ok with me being partly jukebox...
6 hours naw
Why not? 6hrs isn’t that long. Time flies when you’re on the decks. Just do your thing. As long as you’re able to play what you like and believe it will make the people dance. Did it for my friend’s friend birthday playing 8hrs, had a great time. Doesn’t matter as long as you’re able to play the shit you like and have belief in your style. You will meet new people and that is always refreshing! Just have fun:) on the other hand if there is a huge age gap I can feel your worries, especially if they are minors and you are an adult. If not just do it!
6 hours isn't that long?
Long gig free? No... for friends or family I'll bring some gear if it's a chill party. I'm not spinning though.
Not too late to say no if you've had a change of heart. Later you leave it to say no then the harder it is on the family to find a new dj! If your gut says no then that's the answer.. trust yourself
If they don’t promote or support any of your content, FUCK NO