How Booking a DJ Works, Start to Finish

P

Parth

Last updated on Aug 8, 2026

The whole process, start to finish. Each step links to the detail.

The six milestones

Request → Offer → Payment → Confirmed → Event → Complete

You'll see this progress bar on your booking.

1. Find DJs

Search by location, occasion, and genre, or use Guided Search. No account needed. Listen to mixes and read reviews before you contact anyone.

Shortlist three to five. See Searching by Location, Occasion, and Genre.

2. Send requests

Select Book on a DJ's profile and fill in your date, time, venue, and any extras you want. This needs an account.

Send to several DJs — your details carry over, so it's quick. See Sending a Booking Request.

3. The DJ responds

They accept and prepare a proposal, or decline. Usually a day or two.

4. Read the proposal

An itemised breakdown — performance, travel, each extra, and the total — plus the terms: when the offer expires, whether it's a deposit or full payment, and the date you can cancel until.

Check the date, venue, extras, and total. See Reading Your Proposal.

5. Accept and pay

Accept, complete any documents, and pay.

The thing to know: accepting alone doesn't book the DJ. Your date isn't held until payment clears. See Accepting a Proposal.

6. Confirmed

Payment received, and your date is locked on the DJ's calendar.

On a deposit booking, note the date your balance falls due — 7 days before the event. Missing it cancels the event and forfeits the deposit. See When Your Remaining Balance Is Due.

7. Before the day

Message your DJ about the running order, songs, arrival time, and venue access. Swap phone numbers for the day. See What to Expect on the Day.

8. The event

Status flips to Event In Progress. If it's going well, you can request extra hours. See Adding Extra Hours While Your Event Is Running.

9. Complete

Status becomes Leave Review and we ask you for one. See Leaving a Review.

Three dates to write down

Everything that costs money comes back to these:

  1. The proposal expiry — respond before it
  2. The cancellation deadline — the last day to cancel for a full refund
  3. Your balance due date — on a deposit booking

How long to allow

For a wedding or a large event, start three to six months out. For a smaller party, a few weeks is usually enough — though good DJs on Saturdays book up early.