WHY??? At some point in your life you have to ask yourself this question: Why am I doing this?
Especially when the work you put into it and the hours you dedicate don’t equal out to the money you get. Yes, a lot of DJs don’t mind not getting paid for standing on their feet for four, five or even six hours at a time, and being responsible for the mood of the room ain't no big thang to them.
But when it is, the ones that don’t mind “playing to get their name out” can spoil the game for everyone else. The adage “you get what you pay for” not only applies to strip clubs, but for DJ services as well.
Yes, I occasionally take a free gig, but it’s usually for a friend who already respects what I do. But for some clubs to never offer any type of monetary compensation to the person keeping people entertained and your bar full, well, that’s just bullshit.
And no, bar tabs don’t cut it my friend — who’s really gonna drink 100/200 dollars of alcohol and still be able to do their jobs correctly? Do you pay your bartenders in drinks as well? Do you hand Duke Power a 12 pack every month?
A DJ's fees should be a part of your monthly overhead. Period. As should promotions. A dj having to promote his own night? Again, I gotta call bullshit. Why would you, the owner, manager not want your club to be successful in its own right? Why would you make that the responsibility of the dj? Their job is to keep asses moving, not to flood Facebook inboxes. Understand what it is that you have in a (good) dj, don’t expect him/her to do work that should be yours.