STOP playing for jerk promoters that don’t give two $*#!s about you.
Hi, it’s me again.
Yeah I know, my articles have been almost non-existence this year. My head was focused so much in recording and editing videos for Disc Jockey News T.V. that it wasn’t until today, when I was about to go on a facebook rant that I decided this was far better as an article.
Why?
Because I am SICK AND TIRED of seeing good people get used, that’s why! I want to scream if from the mountains, “CHARGE YOUR WORTH!”
The other day I was chatting with this super rad, hard working human in the rave music. They were asking for advice on a situation they had found themselves in. A promoter they’d previously played for was doing some more than shady iiiish with an upcoming event. They didn’t know whether or to take on the event or avoid the headache. Was it really worth the drama? One of the questions I asked right off the hop was, “Is this a paid gig?” In which they told me they hadn’t even paid for the LAST event.
This is what BLOWS MY MIND…
There are hard working promoters, busting their butts, competing against people like this. The ones that aren’t paying their DJs, they are causing a mess of a situation meanwhile the promoter that ACTUALLY CARES is paying out of pocket; REGARDLESS OF ATTENDANCE.
Yes, that’s right.
You heard me.
Giving you cash, no matter what.
If we want to be the change that we want to see in our industry, it’s important to work with people on the same wavelength. Why? Because when we continue to support people that continue to USE artists, we ALL suffer. We are not only teaching them ‘this is okay…’ but we screw over the good people. The promoter, the artists, the club owner, go-go dancers, visual artists, designers etc. The only people that end up thriving are those that are literally screwing others out of their hard earned cash.
And yeah, I get it. Some people are sooo green, they just don’t ‘get it.’ And that’s okay. We can teach through what we allow. We can educate in kind ways. BUT… we need to STOP being desperate for ANY and all DJ GIGS. Start searching for the RIGHT events and people to work with.
This article is clearly MY opinion. But the more artists I interview, industry people I work with, the MORE I see and hear about this standard and it’s importants. And while there are exceptions to the rules (Yeah, I know you’re already heading to the comments section to tell me…) definitely don’t be bending those rules for people who are making money off the backs of hard working artists. Don’t fall for the sob stories.
Playing a few gigs in the beginning of your career, great. Wanting to guarantee the quality of your work and offering a full refund and or ‘try it out’ kind of thing, might work for you. Sometimes. In specific cases. I hear you!
It just hurts my heart to see exceptional artists get straight up USED. Spend their hard earned cash on new music, equipment, design work, and hours into practicing and branding, to walk away feeling exploited. This is NOT okay.
If you walk away with anything today, I encourage you to LEARN the difference between ‘means well’ and someone manipulating kind hearted humans. When you make the mistakes, learn the lesson. ALWAYS!
And guess what? Been there, done that myself, too! You’re not stupid. You’re still learning and we will CONTINUE to learn a lot of hard lessons in this industry. It’s just easier when we aren’t making the same mistakes all the time.
Work for quality promoters, EXPERIENCE the difference and then go tell your friends!
Here are some awesome articles to help you on your journey of educating yourself:
5 QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF WHEN
BEING OFFERED “EXPOSURE” PAYMENTS
7 REASONS YOU SHOULD NEVER DO A DJ GIG FOR FREE
DON’T GET SCREWED! – A DJS GUIDE IN DEALING WITH BAD PROMOTERS
HOW TO NEGOTIATE A WAGE – YOUR DJ FEE
3 REASONS ARTISTS NEED TO INVEST IN THEMSELVES FIRST
Here is all that video stuff I have been business with:
Have a question for the series? Tweet me @KilmaMusic
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