standinfor.me

Email templates · Event and party service

How to email a DJ for a quote

You need music for a wedding reception, a school dance, a milestone birthday, or a company party, and you want a DJ who will show up, read the room, and not play the one song you hate. DJs price by the hour or by the package, and the package can include a lot or very little: a sound system, a wireless microphone for toasts, uplighting, a second setup for a ceremony, and time to meet before the event.

Emailing gives you a quote you can hold next to two others. It also lets you see how the DJ communicates before you hire them. A DJ who answers a clear email with a clear reply within a day or two is likely to be just as easy to work with on the night.

Before you send

  • The date, the venue, and the hours you need music. Include ceremony or cocktail hour if you want music there too; a second location or a second set of speakers usually costs extra.
  • The kind of event and the rough crowd. A wedding with 150 guests aged 5 to 85 is a different job from a 30th birthday with 40 friends.
  • What you need beyond music: a microphone for speeches, someone to make announcements and keep the timeline moving, dance floor lighting, or a ceremony sound setup.
  • Your taste, in a sentence or two. Genres you love, a few must-play songs, and anything you absolutely do not want. It helps a DJ tell you honestly whether they are a fit.
  • Your rough budget. DJs will tell you what they can do at that number rather than sending a package you cannot afford.
Subject DJ availability and quote for [event type] on [event date] 
Hi [DJ or company name],

I'm looking for a DJ for a [wedding reception / birthday party / corporate event] on [event date] at [venue name and city], and I'd love to know whether you're available and what you'd charge.

The basics:

- Music from [start time] to [end time], about [number] guests
- [Ceremony or cocktail hour music at a second spot on the property, with start and end times, or delete this line]
- We'd need a wireless microphone for [toasts / announcements] and would like you to [make announcements and keep things on schedule / just play music]
- [Any lighting or extras you want, or "no lighting needed"]

Musically, we're into [genres or eras], we'd like to hear [a few must-play songs or artists], and we'd rather skip [anything you don't want]. The crowd will be [a description, for example: mostly 30s and 40s plus family, with a few kids].

Could you send me a quote that spells out what's included, how many hours it covers, what overtime costs, and what deposit you'd need to hold the date? Our budget is around [amount]. We're hoping to decide by [date].

Thanks,
[Your name]
[Your phone number]

Everything in brackets is yours to fill in. Keep the rest as it is or change the tone to match how you write.

After you send

  • Expect a reply within two or three days with a package price or an hourly rate plus a list of what is included. Ask specifically whether setup and breakdown time is billed; most DJs do not charge for it, but some do.
  • A DJ who replies with only a price and no questions about your event is a warning sign. The good ones want to know about the room, the timeline, and the crowd.
  • Ask for a sample of a recent event, a short video or a mix, and one or two references from the same kind of event. Then check whether they carry liability insurance if your venue requires it; many venues do.
  • If the price is over budget, ask what they could do for your number, such as fewer hours or no lighting, before you move on. If the date is taken, ask who they would recommend.

Or don't send it yourself

Forward the job to myagent@standinfor.me and let StandIn run the whole thread.

StandIn is an email assistant that handles conversations with businesses for you. You write it one email saying what you need. It writes to the business, waits for the answer, follows up when they go quiet, pushes back on the number when it should, and brings the results back to your inbox for you to decide. You don't need to install an app or sign up. The first email you send is already the start of the task.

Hand this to StandIn opens an email to myagent@standinfor.me with the job already written out

To myagent@standinfor.me Subject Find me a DJ and get quotes 
Hi StandIn,

Please find a DJ for an event and get quotes I can compare.

Event: [type, date, venue name and city].
Hours: [music start and end, plus ceremony or cocktail hour if any].
Guests: [number and a quick description of the crowd].
Needs: [microphone, announcements, lighting, second setup].
Music: [genres, must-plays, and do-not-plays].
Budget: [amount or range].

Contact three or four DJs who do this kind of event in my area, confirm they're available, get a written quote from each showing what's included and what overtime costs, ask for a sample and references, and bring me a side-by-side.

Thanks,
[Your name]

Related templates