How to Pick the Best Dj in the San Francisco Bay Area

In the San Francisco Bay, many folks plan all different kinds of events such as private events, weddings, and corporate events. Maybe years ago, you may have had buddies who dabbled in the dj field but you don’t know if they still are in the field. But you are throwing an event and you want a professional so who do you turn to?

Check previous experience

These days everyone loves looking at reviews. Check out the Yelp Reviews and Google Reviews. Take a look at their Facebook Business Page to see if they are doing events currently and if they post consistently.

Talk with them

Ask them how busy they are. A good dj is a busy dj. Yes, there are loads of djs out there but the ones that are working are the ones that are sought out. Communicate with the dj to get a sense of their professionalism. Ask them what is included in their dj package. Does the dj bring their own lights and microphones? How many speakers will they bring to the function?  How is their response time? Does the dj respond quickly or does it take days to email or call back?

Look at their Website

A good dj should have a website that talks about what they do and who they are. Does it look professional?

Listen to their mixes

A dj will have example of their mixes either on their website or a page dedicated to their mixes. You will get the vibe of the kind of music that he plays and style of mixing. Some djs can give out usb’s with their mixes and some can even give out cds.

As for school events, the budget for school dances will not be as much as prom.  Typically it is held on campus to help cut on cost.

The question that comes often is what is the cost to hire a dj and what is included. The djs can bring multiple speakers and lights to fill up the gym. I have seen djs charge 100 to 150 dollars an hour for school dances. The dj has to get a playlist ahead of time so the dj can play the music that the students requested.

Schools should select djs that have edited music so they will not have their vice principal run to the dj booth demanding to change an inappropriate song.

Also on the checklist is to see the dj reviews on google and on yelp to see if they have done other schools and can see their successes.

It would be good to have the dj visit the school to show them where they are going to set up. Some schools are not labeled easily so the dj can be driving around and not knowing where to park to unload. Ideally they want to drive close by to unload all their heavy gear.

Last but not least please talk to your dj about their dj crew. It is good to have the dj have one helper but when they are bringing 3 to 5 people to do a 1 to 2 person job, it just is not professional and can be a liability to the dj company and to the school.