Karaoke Forums

I've been asked to help someone get their own KJ/DJ business started. For me it would amount to a loan for equipment purchases. I estimate roughly $5000.00.

I've been told that most venues are paying between $150 - $250 per night. My gut tells me I should cut this at least in half. So it does not appear that a one person operation would make much.

Clearly some of you are professionals with years of experience, so my question to you is how much do you get for your gigs on average. Do you think it varies greatly based on the region of the country? (And I realize that each person brings their own level of 'skill' to the game!)

I'm just after the brutal reality of the business as seen by you seasoned pros!

$5000 will only get you a decent system. Then you have content (music) which is where the big money is spent. Figure $1-$2.50 per track with a 3000 track starter (which would barely get you by). There are subscription services (figure 99 a month or so) and purchase\download as you go options to help smooth things out. You can also find deals on libraries on Ebay and the like.

It will be hard to tell you what you can get per show. Lot's of factors like location, competition, quality of show, venue profits that all factor in. I got $150 when I hosted.

The nationwide average definitely is not $150-250 a night. We've had that discussion on this board many many times, and the national average is closer to $125 a night. Sure, there are some making more than that (conversely, there are some making less than that!), and it varies by area somewhat, but the AVERAGE is about $125 a night for a 9:00 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. show. That's about $25 an hour once you factor in setup and breakdown. Not too shabby.

Where are you located? We should have a KJ on this board in your area that can give you a better idea of any differences in your area.

The reality of this industry is that it is hard to make good $$$ without lots of hard work and some luck. For every KJ that lands a steady gig where they stay for 5-10+ years, like me, there are about 30 other KJs that have to work their azz off finding gigs and turn over gigs every 3-6 months, which is TOUGH TOUGH work.

Land a steady gig, and it's a no brainer. Work a day job to supplement your income, and it's ALOT easier starting out.

My "entertainment company," which includes two nights a week karaoke gigs (100 shows last year), 11 DJ wedding gigs last year, and 3 corporate DJ gigs last year, grossed about $25,000 and netted about $22,000. I make $125 a night for my Wednesday gig, $175 a night for my Saturday gig, and probably average about $450-500 for a wedding gig and $600-800 for the corporate gigs.

That's 12 hours a week of karaoke gigs and and a little more than one mobile DJ gig a month.

So, that's a very good return on investment if it took $5000 to start out, which, BTW, I spent about $1200 total for my equipment and music when I first started out, and cashflowed upgrades from there with my earnings. You don't HAVE to spend $5K to start! You can put together an adequate system to start with at most small to medium venues pretty cheap and upgrade as you go. You can also buy an entire collection of CDGs pretty cheaply these days if you're up for burning it all yourself. $5000 might be turnkey, but you can do the same thing for about 1/2 that with a little sweat equity.

I certainly wouldn't go out and borrow $5000 to start a karaoke gig. You have to realize that it's very possible that any given gig may only last a month or two. You can try getting the venue to sign you to a 6-12 month contract, but I find that most are not willing to do so these days. If you borrow the $$ to pay for that equipment, and lose the gig, then you still have the payment, but don't have a gig. This happens to ALOT of KJs that are just starting out. Start small and cash flow it. Your skill as a KJ matters alot more than the equipment as long as you can manage the minimum equipment to get the job done. I could start a KJ brand new TODAY on the same $1200 I started on 10+ years ago.

Again, though, the key is landing a steady gig. It's KEY to making $$ as a KJ. I'm not sure I'd survive as a KJ if I had to be out looking for gigs a couple times a year, and that's the reality for most KJs out there.

So that's about what you have to look forward to. Best of luck!

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C Mc
KJ, FL

When I was single rigging, I wasn't very profitable. But that was due to my plan to expand and constant acquisition of hardware and music for later expansion.

My base hardware for a rig runs $5000 - $8000 depending on the type of rig being built.
My base music for a rig is another $3000 - $5000

I basically budget $8000 - $10,000 to start up a new rig.

My strongest recommendation is to diversify. Find some regular karaoke shows that provide a constant, regular source of income that you can depend on. Then do private parties, weddings, birthdays, etc and count that money as variable and extra. I also rent equipment now and then and you would be surprised at how much people will pay for just the gear. But that also introduces other variables/risk (broken, damaged, stolen equipment).

As of this week, I am running 27 shows a week at 9 different venues.

My highest paying gig is $200/night
My lowest paying gig is $135/night (the only gig below $150/night)

My overall average across all shows is $168.78

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-Chris

Agree with all above. In my area a kj with a full set up is lucky to get around $100 per night. $150 is doing really well.
Just be aware music may be harder for you to find these days (depending on what you are looking for) due to new publisher/artist restrictions regarding karaoke.

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

Just a reminder that different regions have different pricing structures, as well as different costs of living. My area of northern NJ and NY city suburbs you can expect to make no less than $180 for a very small place on a non- weekend night, and $200 - $275 normally.

On the other hand, I have two KJ friends in Kentucky that are happy to get $75 per night.

It really would helpto know in what state the show would be located.

I would add that start - up costs should be reviewed very carefully. The biggest mistake any new business makes is initial over - investment, causing a much longer wait toward profitability.

Consider used equipment. Also, think of venue size. Investing in a large system for small venues is not a great idea, and one can upgrade as one makes more money.

For smaller venues I think you could get away with a much lower equipment cost.

I would also strongly suggest that your friend visit as many shows - with both good and bad reviews - and take some time to LEARN.

Find out what displeases patrons and DON'T DO THAT.
Find out what pleases them and DO THAT.

In other words, this business takes more skill than many realize, and jumping in cold is a very bad idea.

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"No Contests, No Divas, Just A Good Time!"

" Disc based and loving it..."

Topher had a good point about weddings and corporate gigs. Steady gigs are great; they provide reliable cashflow, help to boost your brand and give people a chance to see your show. Weddings and corporate jobs pay much better, but you have to deliver the goods, so to speak. A GOOD wedding DJ can get $1200-plus and be booked nearly every week of the year once they establish themselves.

$100 per man is the minimum for which we will play. It's a fun job, but it's still a job, and 5-6 hours just isn't worth any less than that. It's tricky to get booked at that rate in central Pa. There are plenty of clowns who play for much, much less. For corporate gigs and private parties, that rate doubles, at least.

All in all, it's not very profitable. We still work full-time "straight" jobs. I suspect if we were in a metropolitan area, we would do much better.

Speaking of that... any lines on a new open-to-the-public spot, Jasaoke? I keep checking the Facebook and the site weekly.

That's me. Ever hopeful.

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Co-host of The Greatest Song Ever Sung (Poorly), a karaoke-themed podcast

good question

i'm not the boss--i work for the boss who bought all the equipment, so my numbers may not give the best picture.

all i can say is: i lost my day job and was unemployed for 2 months, but I still worked karaoke at night and it has kept my head above water so I'm thankful to God for it.

tell your friend it can be the best part-time supplemental income out there. be prepared to work hard and hustle.

and i agree with all the other posts/answers so far...

Very good advice from JoeChartreuse. Visit as many shows as you can, see what works, see what doesn’t work.
Now to touch on something else: There have been many discussions on this forum regarding rotation so this will not be another one other than to say once you have established how you intend to run your rotation, stay consistent with that decision.
If a singer comes up with a question or a complaint about the rotation take the time to explain how your rotation works, even if it means your fill music plays a little longer. Do not talk down to them, just explain in a friendly one on one.
Once a singer understands your rotation chances are they will continue to come to your shows. They have also now become a sort of assistant to you, explaining your rotation to other singers if and when they overhear someone “talking” about your rotation. Soon you will have multiple “assistants”.
You will quickly find singers coming to you and questioning your rotation will be almost non-existent.
This all is assuming of course that your way of running your rotation is fair in the first place.

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Music speaks to the heart in ways words cannot express.

I agree with most of what others have said...

But here's a couple more thoughts.

First, how does this person know they want to be a KJ? It can be fun for the right person in the right venue -- but it requires a lot of hard work and a ton of commitment. Every venue must be given constant attention! Every singer! Every listening patron. Every owner (and every owner's family and close friends).

This is HARD WORK!!! (And it takes a well organized, stable, people person!)

Second, if you're at all uncertain, suggest to your friend that they start out by subbing for other KJs. Befriend a few. See if they'll show how their equipment works. VOLUNTEER to sub for them when they need a short break OR an entire evening off. Make this person PROVE TO YOU that they're going to be good at this! (And prove it to themselves.)

Third...$5k is about right...but $3k is for MUSIC! (Buy someone else's...I saw Sound Choice's Gem series offered for $3k here today.)

2k is more than enough for everything else to start. Oh, and after wasting money on a Bose system and a JBL system I've learned BEHRINGER POWERED speakers are THE BEST VALUE IMAGINABLE. Get the 1,000 watt 15" woofer variety. They are incredibly clear, powerful and durable!!! And they're so cheap, two of em are less than a fifth the price of JBL or Bose!

Also...Radio Shack's wireless mics ROCK! They last forever! (But you'll have go online to find them in differing frequencies...I know of only three they use.)

All of this has been real good advice. Just remember not everyone can do all of the various tasks involved in running a successful karaoke service business. That it is a very long hard road to achieve that success. There is no book or course that you can take to prepare you for the job. It is a slow process and if done right takes years to master, and requires a great deal of skill and to some degree luck.

I had a wedding planner that was very good at her job and she thought she would cut out the hired DJ/KJ to do her weddings, thereby making more money per wedding. She spent $30,000.00 on equipment and a complete music library, just to find out she didn't like hosting at all. When I started hosting I never quit my day job and did hosting at night. My first rig I rented and used my own personal library just to see if I would like it. I retired last Oct after 19 years I guess I liked it well enough.

The average per hour for karaoke is somewhere between 25.00 to 37.50 per hour. The sweet spot being 150.00 for a 4 hour gig. Tips can also factor into your profit, most of the time they can average 10 to 15% of what you make nightly. As far as how much you make it depends on how many days and hours you are willing to work. My best year was 50K plus tips, but that was working six days a week, 10 months a year.

Behringer speakers better than JBL??? Radio Shack wireless mics??? Seriously??!! Maybe for home use but PROFESSIONALLY??? I don't think so.

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Electro-Voice Evolve 50... Taking Sound To The Next Level.

Bill, I had a funny feeling this statement wasn't going to go over very well. Most of us frequent posters use brands that are of higher quality than what you have mentioned, but if it works for you that's all that matters. cheers

You're right but it's what we do. To inform someone if something is junk and a waste of money. For example, every time someone posted something about buying a VocoPro system, just about everyone will say steer away from them because they are toys and that you could do much better by putting together a quality PA system consisting of a mixer and speakers for usually a lot less. To me, that is being helpful.

Again, if you're going to do this on a professional level, you need professional equipment. Especially if you want to keep your customers sounding good and coming back.

Remember, the competition is fierce. If you can't make your singers sound good, they'll find a place that can.

This, I believe, is better advice than "whatever works for you".

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Electro-Voice Evolve 50... Taking Sound To The Next Level.

If you need to cut costs buy used really good stuff. Not new so so stuff. Never Radio Shack mics. http://www.amazon.com/GTD-Audio-G-733H- ... pd_cp_MI_0 Mics are so much better if two will do. If you need more then get http://www.amazon.com/GTD-Audio-G-787H- ... pd_cp_MI_3 So many of us have used them and they just work so well it's scary and cheep to replace at http://www.amazon.com/GTD-Audio-Microph ... D8DWW8SKAX $38.00 each.

Naturally every host wants the best equipment possible to work with. Simply having the best equipment or biggest library doesn't guarantee success in this business. It also depends on other skills required to be a major player. I seen it time and again where an inferior show has beat the socks of a well funded, better organized operation. Mainly due to the host having poor people skills, and not knowing how to read a crowd. Sometimes I think we hosts place too much reliance on equipment, and don't develop our personal relations skills. We fall into the trap that what is unacceptable to us, would not be accepted by the average customer, who is not as savvy. Basically they want you to provide a service in a friendly comfortable atmosphere. If you can do this the type of equipment you have is only important to a very select group of singers that are on the same level as you technically. There aren't that many. I had a very good singer who used to compete in barber shop quartet's. He is one of the few singers I had that no matter what mic I gave him, he knew how to control it, something most singers never master. If I ever tried to explain any of the technical points of mixing the music with his vocals, he would cut me short and say "Just make me sound like you do". Sometimes we are and and I include myself a little too much of a wonk about the equipment etc.etc. We need to keep it simple and relate more to the crowd.

Lone, I could not have said it better. Anyone can buy a library, and anyone can buy equipment. It hosting skills that make or break a show.

Too many people just buy what they can and jump in before learning about the business.

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"No Contests, No Divas, Just A Good Time!"

" Disc based and loving it..."

Another reason why I left the DJ business... It seemed every time I turned around, there was another newbie with a pair of Radio Shack speakers and downloaded music calling him/herself a wedding DJ, and undercutting the few remaining legitimate DJs in the area.

It got to the point where I no longer felt like chasing clients and contracts, and explaining over and over again the differences between what they would be getting with my services as opposed to the 'budget' DJ. In short... It became a pain in the butt, and no longer fun.

Now, with Karaoke... although the money is not nearly as good as the DJ business, I have steady contracts... steady income... lots of new friends... and most importantly, I'm having FUN again.

So, to answer the original question... my business is more profitable than it's ever been, because I now put a high value on peace of mind, friendships, and fun.

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Earl
(BS, PHD & Certified CurmuDJeon)

[font=Times New Roman]"Growing Old may be mandatory... but growing UP is still optional."[/font]

I disagree. It's the whole package. I feel in order to be truly successful, you need to have both great hosting skills AND great equipment.

Saying that great hosting skills is more important than great equipment is like saying "that doctor has a great bedside manor but not a very good doctor". Got it? Don't you want a doctor who has great people skills AND who is a Great doctor?

So, both go hand in hand. Great personality, Great sound. It's the total package that's important.

Let's face it, you may be a nice guy buy have terrible sound. And to many singers, they just want to sound good and just may end up going to the guy down the street who's system makes them sound like stars. Many will forgo the great personally for sounding awesome.

So, don't give me the bull that hosting skills are more important. You need both! They're equally important.

I'm just surprised that some of you lasted so long in this business with the way you see things.

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Electro-Voice Evolve 50... Taking Sound To The Next Level.