Should I Hire an Independent DJ or an Agency DJ?

In New England, just like anywhere else, getting ready for an event can be stressful. Whether it’s your wedding or a laid back birthday party, there are so many things to decide, in making an extraordinary event. Arguably the largest is choosing who will set the tone as DJ. When hiring your DJ, you’ll find all DJ’s fall into at least one of two categories: Independent DJ or Agency DJ.  There are very distinct differences between the two, and below we’ll outline 3 pros to each type of DJ.

Independent DJ’s

• Independent DJ’s are eager to please – Don’t underestimate this. A DJ’s eagerness to make sure a client is happy is a tremendous asset when booking a DJ. An independent DJ knows that his client’s experience is critical to the success of his business, as DJing tends to be largely a word-of-mouth business. So an independent DJ is more likely to go the extra mile to guarantee success and a satisfied customer.
• Independent DJ’s communicate directly – When you book an independent DJ nearly always you’re going to communicate directly with that DJ which can help with event planning. Agencies tend to have multiple layers of bureaucracy, so it’s not uncommon for a client to talk to a sales rep, who talks to an event manager, who talks to the DJ. A lot can get lost in communication, and since every event is an important event, missing any of the details can be disastrous. The last thing you want is an agency DJ who finds out the hard way that your wedding starts at 4, not 6. Believe me, it happens.
• Independent DJ’s typically charge less – It’s common to see independent DJs with prices notably lower than agency DJ’s. Independent DJ’s usually don’t have the same overhead an agency does in the way of sales staff, offices, extensive web development, etc. Because they typically have dramatically lower costs of operation, they can pass those savings directly on to their clients. So if you see a lower price for an independent DJ, don’t necessarily be suspect, you can still be getting all the value and professionalism you’re seeking.

Agency DJ’s

• Agencies have greater variety of DJ’s – If you’re looking to sample a lot of talent in a short amount of time, agencies can offer that. A single agency typically employs anywhere from 5-20 DJ’s and can instantly help you find a variety of styles and present those that are available on your date. This can also help with the hassle of finding a DJ last minute.
• Agencies can bundle – This is a major benefit of working with an agency. Let’s say you’re looking for any combination of a DJ, photographer, strings, videographer, uplighting, photo booth, and karaoke for your event. For many independent DJ’s, that would be outside the scope of their offerings, and at best could offer referrals to other vendors. An agency would typically be able to offer all that and more at once, and sometimes will do so at a discount. You write one check, and all that’s taken care of.
• Agencies value professionalism – Agencies do a certain degree of vetting on behalf of the customer when selecting who will be in their roster. They are looking for talent that is going to represent themselves and the company well, so their clients can rest assured that the service they’d get from a DJ at said agency will be professional.

In summary, there’s a lot of factors to consider when deciding how you want to hire a DJ. There’s no right or wrong answer. Whether you hire an independent DJ, like Disc Jockey Boston, or find your entertainment at a large agency, comes down to your personal concerns and preferences. Hopefully this article helped shed a little light and makes your entertainment decisions easier.