DJs in the entertainment industry vary enormously, some are good, some are bad, and some are exceptional. How can you tell if you have made the right choice? What can you expect to pay? What do you get in return? How soon do you need to book a DJ?  As people rarely book DJs on a regular basis, it is important that you know what to look out for when looking for a mobile disco.

“Brian Mole was exceptional at returning calls and texts.... Thank you for completing a fantastic day”

Don't forget YOU are the client, it's YOUR party, and you need to make sure you are totally confident in your choice of DJ. I will always be friendly and professional with my clients, and aim to provide 100% satisfaction.  Let’s start with a few essentials you need to evaluate your potential choices:

Wedding advice - ie: what you should be thinking about when looking at hiring a potential DJ:

Meet the DJ

1. Can we meet you to discuss our function?  Beware of any DJ who will not allow you to meet.  I always offer to visit my clients or at the very least chat over the phone.  This is important on several fronts - first, you will want to make sure that you are 100% comfortable with me as your DJ.  Then, we can also discuss your function in full detail, and any special or extra requirements such as themed lighting, PA for speeches or mood lighting for example.  This important meeting gives me a really good idea of what kind of music you like and how you want your event to run before you need to make any commitment to hiring me as your DJ.  Should you need to meet me again, this is no problem as I offer full support from the moment you make a booking with me.
   

Fees, prices for a DJ

1. How much for a disco?  Whilst the cost of a DJ varies enormously for an evening, the national average for an average DJ is somewhere around the £450 mark.  The cheapest DJ will seldom be the best choice, and numerous sources highlight the fact that in hindsight, many clients regret having booked poor value entertainment during and after their special event. Typically, I will normally invest 10 to 20 hours preparation work in addition to the few hours that I shall be performing at your special event. My fees are based on the costs of running a high quality business which consistently exceeds my client's expectations. Generally my fee for a full day summer wedding is around £600 which includes me as your DJ, my discreet state of the art Bose or Void  sound system, and a stunning light show as well as an early setup option to include PA for speeches, background music as required.  Unlike the average DJ, which there are plenty of, my fees represent excellent value for money and total peace of mind for your big day.  I have complete confidence in my services, backed up by a full and consistent track record of satisfied clients testimonials.  In fact, I am so confident that you will not get this from any other average DJ that I am happy to offer a money back guarantee if you book my services. Why not ask me to visit or call you for a no obligation chat on what I can offer you for your event?
   

Are you the right DJ for my party?

1. What functions do you work at?  I am mainly an expert Professional Wedding DJ for Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire, Kent and Berkshire, and this is my core business.  However, I also offer an excellent service for 30th & 40th birthday parties, and as I am a mixing DJ and keep up to date with contemporary music, I can DJ for 21st birthdays, 18th birthdays, and sweet 16 parties as well as local youth clubs.  I don’t provide karaoke services, video DJing or horse or even turtle race nights, but can put you in touch with DJs that do.
   

Get it in writing

1. Do you provide a written contract? Any entertainer should provide you with a written agreement including a schedule of timing, location, costs, and who the DJ on the night will be for your event.  Once you have chosen me to be your DJ, I generate an agreement with all the details of your function which is then sent to you.
   

Music selection

1. Can we request music selections, will you play what we want to hear? Have you been to a party where the DJ only played what he wanted? A professional DJ should be prepared to listen to his customers’ requests to play appropriate music for their party. It is important that you and your guests enjoy the music. Your DJ should have a comprehensive, legal collection of music at his disposal. Brian Mole encourages all his clients to supply musical suggestions which he will have ready for your event. This can be done at our planning meetings, by email, or using my exclusive online planning tools where you can hear samples of music as you make your selections.
   

Who will turn up to DJ at my party?

1. Will the DJ I was expecting be the DJ who turns up at my party? There are many agencies and multi-operator companies out there, you may find that the DJ you book for you party will not be the one who turns up.  Some agencies do also visit you, but then send a different DJ for your party (they assign the DJ at a later stage). With me, you are not subject to this uncertainty as I will provide you with a written contract stating who the DJ is at your party (me), and therefore there are no nasty surprises.  Once I am booked for a party, I will not be available for other enquiries.
   

Experienced DJ

1. Do you know proper etiquette and procedure for my party? A good DJ will have many years' experience in running entertainment for weddings, and other celebrations. I am a very experienced professional DJ, typically performing at about 60+ wedding parties per year. 
   

Reliability, trust, professionalism

1. Are you reliable, can I trust you to do what you say you will? This is a crucial requirement for your party; your entertainer should be punctual, and responsible. DJ's who actively participate in DJ Associations are generally keen to improve their professionalism and learn new skills, this also provides backup resources should any problem arise.  I have a 100% track record for being punctual and reliable.  Take a look at the feedback I receive week in week out.
   

How good are your tools?

1. Do you use professional equipment? A professional DJ should use professional equipment that is robust, reliable, and of good quality.  I use some of the best premium equipment available to our industry made by the likes of Pioneer, Denon, Bose, Void, Shure, Beyer Apple and Martin.  My equipment always looks neat and tidy.
   

Are you a laptop automix DJ?

1. Do you use a laptop to automix DJ? I believe in using the best tools available to a DJ, and although many DJs use laptops successfully as a complete solution, I would rather use a pair of professional media players and a professional mixer which have been specifically designed to perform the task in hand. In my mind, a laptop is best for checking mail, office work and preparing my clients music!  My laptop does feed music files to my Pioneer CDJ-2000 decks and DJM-900nexus mixer, but I am the one mixing the tracks, not some awful laptop application!
   

Are you licensed?

1. Are you licensed? I am licensed by the MCPS to play music professionally on any format. Recent legislation has resulted in a ProDub license from the MCPS which few DJ's have taken up. If your DJ (or function band) plays on anything other than original audio CDs or vinyl, they should have a ProDub license, or they may be breaking the law, and in turn may be refused access by your chosen venue. This license allows me to dub purchased music onto any media of my choice such as CDR, DVD-R, hard disk, or memory sticks, which gives me incredible flexibility in my playback methods. This can be a good measure of how professional a DJ is, and will ensure that there is no last minute hiccup as a non-licensed operator could put the venue's entertainment license at risk or be denied access for your party leaving you and your friends in the lurch!
   

Backup

1. Do you have any form of backup with you? Even the best professional equipment can fail, so as to minimise this, your entertainer should carry enough backup equipment to be able to continue his work.  Some mobile DJ's carry very little or no backup, others leave their backup equipment at home, hoping that a quick trip back will resolve all their problems. At every event, I have spare equipment for everything critical with me so that ‘the show can go on’ if something goes wrong.
   

My venue has asked for a PLI certificate

1. Are you insured, do you have PLI? Every entertainer should be able to produce a certificate of Public Liability Indemnity insurance (otherwise known as PLI) on demand. Your venue management may need to see this in advance, it is not currently a legal requirement, but there is a very strong case for being covered. I am covered with a £10M PLI policy which can be seen on demand.  I also have Employers liability insurance for any staff I use to help me. You can find out a little more about this here.
   

Electrical Safety

1. Are you safe, do you have PAT? Every entertainer should have his equipment tested for electrical safety on a regular basis. Typically, DJ's have their equipment PAT tested every year, and they should be able to produce a PAT test certificate on demand. Again, the venue management may need to see this in advance. Your entertainer should also expect your venue to provide a safe working environment, and a safe electrical supply. All my equipment is PAT tested every autumn, certificates can be examined on demand.  You can find out a little more about this here.
   

Dress code

1. Will you be suitably dressed? Your entertainer should be presentable at your party. If you are holding a formal evening party, make sure the DJ can blend in with your guests with suitable clothing - smart, casual, suit or even black tie. If your evening party is going to be themed or more relaxed, make sure you let the DJ know what you expect him to wear for the performance. Whilst setting up and dismantling his equipment, your entertainer may need to be in casual clothing, but there is no excuse for a shabbily dressed DJ. My staff and I are always smartly dressed.
   

Does the price include lighting?

1. Does your price include lights? My fee includes your choice of lighting as well as me as your DJ, and a state of the art sound system. I can provide various types of stunning lighting from club lighting to mood lighting.  Some clients have also asked me to provide white lighting, and no lighting at all.  I also have mirrorballs and laser effects which still look amazing to this day!
   

Optional services

1. What other services do you offer? I can offer many other services to enhance your party, ask about hire of PA and microphones for speeches, club PA upgrades for those events that require the extra 'oomph', programmable coloured mood uplighting for marquees and venues, lunchtime setup and supply of cocktail music and background music during the meal, and specialist DJs. I can also offer a stunning extra service; have you considered an illuminated or starlit dance floor? More details are available on request.
   

When should we make a DJ booking?

1. When should you book a DJ?  The best DJs are seldom available at short notice, so it is essential that you inquire about availability as soon as possible.  I typically am booked about 12 - 18 months in advance for weddings, and this year (2012) has seen an substantial increase in enquiries, so it’s even more important to get in touch as soon as you can.
   

We can't afford a band, is a DJ going to be any good?

1. Band or DJ?  Some function bands are fantastic, but they do indeed cost much more than DJ's mainly due to the fact that there are many more staff in a band. If you have no budget for a good band, you should consider hiring a professional DJ instead. A good professional DJ will be able to provide you with a fantastic level of service, peace of mind, client visits to plan your event, and the entertainment you want. Other advantages include a very tidy equipment setup with a much smaller footprint, your choice of music by the original artist, volume levels how you want them, a much bigger repertoire, the ability to play requests from your guests, and of course DJ's don't need to take regular breaks during your party!
   

Can we just hire you for cocktail music?

1. Can we hire you for a drinks reception? Are you having an exclusive drinks party, and would you rather have some perfectly mixed background music rather than music for dancing? I will happily play the coolest jazz or music of your choice using the best sounding and discreet Bose sound system which is also ideal for these gatherings.
   

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Can you colour wash my venue?

1. One of the most striking effects available is LED Uplighting or mood uplighting.  This washes the walls and ceilings of the venue or marquee in coloured light which can either be set colours, or programmed to fade between colours, or programmed to actively change with the music.  I can provide this optional service in most venues and marquees either as an add on to the hiring me as your DJ, or on its own if you already have your DJ booked.
   

Which colours can you provide for uplighting?

1. The devices I use for uplighting or mood lighting can be programmed for a very large array of colours by mixing red, green, and blue light.  Examples of what is possible are shown on my uplighting for weddings page.
   

Do you offer a discreet and confidential service?

1. Do you offer a discreet and confidential service?  If you require a discreet and confidential service for example for your celebrity wedding or special exclusive event, this is no problem at all, please ask for details when enquiring and it will be a pleasure to fit in with your requirements. I am happy to work under an NDA, or to provide security checks as required.
   

Can my friend who is a DJ also do a set at my party?

1. Yes, of course they can.  A lot of mobile DJ companies will try and discourage this, but it will bring a lot of additional fun to your party, and this can be arranged very easily in advance.
   

I have been quoted £50 for my party, why should I book you instead?

1. I am a professional DJ running a professional business.  I have all the required licenses, insurances, and procedures in place to ensure that you have a fantastic party, and I will not let you down.  I have a wealth of experience with a comprehensive music collection, and I have a lot of passion for my business.  If you want to hire a £50 DJ, that’s entirely up to you, you may well save a few hundred pounds, but be prepared to be let down as it’s only then that you will have understood the true value of a good DJ for your special event and the meaning of a false economy!