Karaoke Forums

Guys,

I need help getting my rates fair across the board for bar gigs. Right now I have one bar paying $250 per night and other bowling alley paying $350 per gig every week. Do you think it would be too much to ask up to 400+ for other bar/non wedding gigs in the future? Let me know what you some of your rates out! Thank you!

You would be the highest paid KJ that I know of in my city of 2.5 million people and 60+ karaoke venues for those regular bar gigs, but one of the lowest paid for wedding gigs.

Here in my town, the average KJ makes about $125.00 a night. There are plenty of $75 a night KJs, and the two highest paid I can think of both make about $225 a night.

The average wedding DJ in my town makes about $600.00-700 for a wedding gig. There are some sketchy $300-350 Craigslist wedding DJs. The best paid in my town are demanding $1500-1800 a night for a DJ with a MC partner, uplighting, GOBOs, monster systems, etc. Those guys definitely earn their $$$, if you know the kind I'm talking about.

I personally make $175 a night for my regular bar gigs.

I do about 6-8 weddings a year, but they are typically only for friends or people I know through my bar gigs. I don't market myself as a wedding DJ or seek out gigs. I have a day job, and already work about 55 hours a week and make a good living, so I don't really need any extra gigs.

I typically charge $450 for a 4 hour wedding reception for friends and $550-650 for everyone else for a 4 hour reception.

I typically charge $100.00 an hour for private parties, and $150-200 an hour for corporate events. Again, though, I don't actively market myself for these types of gigs, these people find me.

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C Mc
KJ, FL

Topher,

Thanks for the help! I still have a full time job right now so I market a lot.. But yea just trying to make sure I don't go to high that people don't higher me

Wow I meant hire..iPhones are awesome at auto correcting sorry

I don't know where you are from, but KJs here don't make $350 a night at a bar anywhere. If you're making that at a weekly bar gig, my hat is off to you. Around here, KJs make anywhere from $100 - $250 a night, depending on the bar and the bar's business.

I'm thankful for my karaoke casino gig though. I make $450 there, but I also have to drive 90 miles, pulling a trailer, to get there, so they make it worth my while.

Huh! I'm moving where you are. Companies are lucky to get $125-150 (that is high end) per night. $250-350 is pretty much unheard of for club shows as a rule - at least around here.

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LIKE Lonman on Facebook - Lonman Productions Karaoke & my main site via my profile!

$150 to $225 here.

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KingBing Entertainment C'mon Up! I have a song for you!!! [font=MS Sans Serif][/font]

You guys got me worried when I leave here. Lol. I have three gigs right now every week at different local bars. One pays $250, the other $350, and the third is $325.

Where you work at? We'll come undercut ya!

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KingBing Entertainment C'mon Up! I have a song for you!!! [font=MS Sans Serif][/font]

Lol haha. Well I live way up north like the song.. Haha

Around here its $125-$175. We have the ONLY weekly gig that pays $250.00. All our other gigs we get $150-$175

our bar gigs range from a low of 175 per night to a high of 375. Many factors come into play as far as price the lowest rate is a multi-night venue we have had for well over 10 years. the equipment is a perm install so it is very easy(25 minute drive). They have stuck with us no matter how many undercutters have tried to get the gig and we love the customers. The highest rate is a single weekend night per week that requires LOTS of heavy moving(almost a 2 hr drive) and was booked about 4 months ago. Many factors go into pricing on gigs from night of the week, size of venue. multiple nights during the week,equipment required and yes even the attitude of the bar staff and owners.

The Weddings we do start at 600 for 3 hours and go up from there and are dependent upon the venue owner of the regular gig being ok with a fill-in KJ. The last karaoke wedding was a 6 hour reception on a night we were not doing a regular venue and it was priced at 1K but we ended up with 1,200 after tip

We get between 175.00 and 250.00 during the week and between 225.00 to 275.00 for weekends. Most shows are 3 hours long and all are within 25 minutes from my house. The OP is getting a decent wage for karaoke. Good for him!

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Sound Choice and Chartbuster Certified

Thanks for all the info guys!

Bowling alley for $350 per? That’s pretty good paycheck - if no kids present. This reminds me of the time when I sub for kj in a big 2 room family night bowling alley, karaoke lounge in between. What a nightmare!! The pay was $200. Not worth it!

Rotation went out the window. Bunch of kids coming up in groups to sing. I thought I was doing karaoke at a school recess. Parents? Fuggetboutit! “we’ve been patiently waiting for so long & you haven’t called my son yet” (even tho he was singing with everyone). “if you don’t let him sing next I will report you to the manager & get you fired” (oh can you please do that now already). Can’t reason with them & most were in the other room bowling. Never again!

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To be fortunate enough to derive an income from a source as fulfilling as karaoke music has got to be as close to heaven as we can get here on earth!

Well I'm headed that way if my house ever sells!

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KingBing Entertainment C'mon Up! I have a song for you!!! [font=MS Sans Serif][/font]

wait......I am supposed to get paid for doing a karaoke show?!?!?!?

-Chris

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-Chris

$150-$225 here for a regular bar gig. My $225 is for one of the area's rowdiest hotspots -- I've since given it away to another capable KJ, as it's such a drunken disaster of a gig that it's not quite worth the headache to me, but he's got a busy personal life and I end up filling in rather frequently.

Weird how a show can make me feel old at 28, but when it's in a collegiate area and packed with decadent 21 year olds who can't handle booze, I just can't help but want them to get off my lawn.

Sounds to me like he is in Alaska where everything is double and triple the price so $350 for him is like $150 to us as we don't have the higher prices for everything.

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I like everyone when I first meet them. If you don't like me that's not my problem it's YOURS!
A stranger is a friend you haven't met yet

My lowest rate is $150/night. I will drop it to $125 for specific circumstances (multiple nights a week at same venue *plus* leave equipment on site/permanent equipment setups/use venue equipment). I successfully pull $200+/night at a few locations for one off events.

But I have had many bars laugh at the $150 rate in my area. There are a LOT of bars in my area that have paid as little as $50/night for hosts. Once they get a taste of that it is very difficult to convince them to pay 3x no matter the pitch.

-Chris

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-Chris