DJ Contract

What is a DJ contract?

A DJ contract is a legally binding agreement between a DJ and a client who hires them for a specific event or performance. DJ contract templates are aimed at outlining the parties’ expectations, responsibilities, and terms of service to be provided. A DJ contract represents a set of binding rules for both parties, including

• scope of services to be provided;
• details of the event;
• details of the parties (the client and the DJ);
• payment terms;
• cancellation policy;
• termination clause.

Having a written DJ contract template can be used for various types of events, including weddings, private parties, festivals, proms, corporate events, and many more. It is a common thing to use DJ contracts templates in conjunction with other related documents like catering agreements or wedding planner agreements.

The parties to a DJ contract template are the client and the DJ or DJ company. The client could be a company, a wedding couple, or an individual who needs to order professional DJ services for a specific event.

A DJ is usually a music professional who is ready to provide the agreed DJ services in exchange for the remuneration. As a rule of thumb, most DJ contract templates contain the following additional disclaimer for the DJ:

• First, DJ cannot use alcohol or drugs during the performance;
• Second, the DJ has to comply with local noise regulation as per the state laws where the event takes place;
• Finally, DJ shall not violate third parties’ intellectual property rights.

How to Write Up a DJ Contract?

A well-drafted DJ contract template should include a number of essential terms and conditions to become a legally binding document. If either of those terms is missing, the document may not be fully complete. Below we made a breakdown of the most important clauses all dj contracts templates should have:

Details of the Parties

The first rule for a DJ contract template is that it should include full information about the client and DJ. Therefore, the parties have to provide their full legal names, addresses, phone numbers, and emails.

If either of the parties is a legal entity (e.g., a business or organization), in that case the name of the entity’s legal representative should be included. A company’s representative is an attorney, director, CEO, or any other third party acting based on the power of attorney or other valid document.

Scope of Services

The text of a DJ contract agreement template should clearly outline what services the DJ will provide, for instance:

• Music performance;
• Setup and takedown of equipment;
• Lighting or effects, etc.

The parties should also agree on who will be responsible for the provision of all the necessary equipment for the performance of services (e.g., dance lighting, microphone, DJ set). If the DJ is responsible for the provision of such equipment, in that case the price of the equipment should be included in the fees for the provision of the services. If, however, equipment should be delivered by the client, in that case the DJ has to inform the client well in advance about the exact list of required equipment and its technical parameters.

Description of the Event

Every DJ contract agreement template should also include detailed information about the planned event, including the type of event, its location, date, time, and number of guests. Depending on the exact type of DJ contract, additional details might be required. For example, when drafting a wedding DJ contract template, information about both ceremony and reception details should be provided.

We also recommend parties decide in advance the cancellation policy once the event is being cancelled. If the event is being cancelled by the client, it is a good practice to compensate the DJ in full for all expenses already made. If, however, the event is being cancelled by the DJ, in that case the DJ shall remain responsible for compensation of all the client’s expenses.

It is also a good practice to set up a deadline by which the client has the right to change the event details without incurring additional penalties.

Payment Fees

Every DJ contract template should define in detail the payment terms—in other words, when, how, and how much the DJ should be paid for. When talking about the payment terms, a good template of a DJ contract should include the following information:

• type of payment and its amount (i.e., a fixed fee, hourly rate, or daily rate);
• acceptable payment method (e.g., PayPal, cash);
• payment due dates (e.g., on the date of signing, at the end of the event);
• overtime rates;
• late fees (if any).

Termination Clause

All DJ contract templates should define how and when the agreement could be terminated. Usually, a contract could be terminated by either party, provided a written advance notice has been delivered. For a simple DJ contract template, a termination notice is usually between one week and several months.

In exceptional circumstances, either party has a right to immediately terminate the agreement without sending a prior written notice. For instance, if the client does not pay the required fees, the DJ may suspend the provision of services and terminate the contract.

How to customize a DJ contract at FasterDraft?

In order to customize a DJ contract template, follow a few easy steps below:

1. Click the button “Create Document.”
2. Answer questions in the questionnaire.
3. Select a document’s format—DJ contract template Word and DJ contract template PDF.
4. Make a payment.
5. Download a customized document.