March 1, 2025 · 6 min read
How to Write a DJ Contract
A DJ contract is the single most important document in your business. It protects your fee, sets clear expectations, and prevents the nightmare scenarios every gigging DJ has heard about — the "we never agreed to that" conversation, late payments, or last-minute cancellations with no compensation. Here's exactly what to include.
1. Parties and Event Details
Start with the basics: your full legal name (or business name), the client's name, and the venue. Include the event date, set times, load-in time, and soundcheck time. Be specific — "Saturday the 15th" is not enough. Write "Saturday, 15 March 2025 from 22:00 to 03:00." Ambiguity causes disputes.
2. Fee and Payment Terms
State the total fee clearly — amount and currency. Then specify the deposit (typically 25–50%) and when it is due. A common structure: 50% deposit on signing, remaining 50% paid in cash on the night or by bank transfer 7 days before the event. Specify what happens if payment is late: a daily interest rate or the right to cancel and retain the deposit.
3. Cancellation and Rescheduling
This clause protects your income. A standard structure: if the client cancels more than 60 days out, you return the deposit. 30–60 days: deposit is non-refundable. Less than 30 days: you retain the deposit AND the full fee. Also specify what happens if YOU have to cancel — typically a full refund of all payments received.
4. Technical Rider
List exactly what the venue must provide: PA system, CDJs or turntables, mixer model, DJ booth dimensions, monitor speakers, and lighting rig if applicable. If you bring your own gear, state that. Specify power requirements (number of sockets, amperage). A detailed rider prevents the horror of arriving to find a DJ booth with no mixer.
5. Travel and Accommodation
If the gig requires travel, specify who pays. Common terms: client covers economy flights or mileage at a fixed rate per kilometer, plus accommodation if the event runs past midnight. Set a clear radius — e.g., travel within 50km is included in the fee.
6. Liability and Force Majeure
Include a clause limiting your liability for things outside your control: equipment failure due to venue power issues, illness, extreme weather, or government restrictions. Force majeure clauses became standard post-2020. Neither party should be penalized for genuine acts of God.
7. Signature and Date
The contract is not binding until both parties sign. Use an e-signature tool to get signed quickly — waiting for a posted contract kills momentum. GigComs generates contracts with e-signature built in, so you can get signed the same day you confirm a booking.
A well-written DJ contract takes 10 minutes to set up and can save thousands of euros in disputes over a career. The best time to have one in place is before you ever need it. GigComs can generate a professional performance contract in seconds — just describe your booking in the chat and the contract is ready to send for e-signature.
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