U7 Austin DJ
Frequently Asked Questions
Wedding DJ in Austin Tx.

Unfortunately, all to often, the person you speak with about hiring a DJ is not the person who will be DJing your event. This is a common practice among large DJ companies and what sets U7 apart. It is often the case that the owners of a DJ company have zero DJing experience and a high turn over rate of DJs within their company, believe me when I say that it's crucial that you interview the DJ you have considered working with and not the manger or owner of the company so that you can truly determine whether or not you feel comfortable with that person orchestrating your events sound design. Your events DJ should work directly with you and get to know you well enough that your DJ can be the background maestro that curated your dream dance party that impresses your harshest critics.

Yes, a professional DJ company will have liability insurance. Their insurance policy pays for damage to the venue that occurs during the event for which the DJ is held responsible. It can also cover medical costs if someone is injured at the event.

Yes, all reserved dates with any professional DJ will be acquired via a legal binding contract of service. You should also expect the individual DJ’s name to be specified on the company contract if they are not the owner of the DJ company you hire and make sure that the DJ is covered under the company insurance. Especially, if they are a freelance DJ, this is the only way you can be guaranteed that the DJ services your hiring for your event is on the up and up.

The answer to this question is subjective and it's hard to put an exact number of years of experience a DJ needs to be on point! I can only speak for my own history and I have been performing as a DJ since 1998 and a full time paid professional since 2007. I am a seasoned live event professional with many DJing performances under my belt throughout Austin, Texas and the United States.

When a professional DJ is booked as an open format DJ it is assumed that you, the client, would like to "help" curate a playlist and if you don't want your guest requesting songs your DJ should respect your choice. However, if you would like people to request their favorite jams, the DJ should be more than willing to arrange that by providing a request list and a pen for your guest to write down the songs they want to hear.

Yes! After all, this is your event and any open format DJ should honor your preferences and will give you a chance to add; songs, artists and genres of music to your DO NOT PLAY list and no matter the circumstance they will not mix that list into your events sound design. ​

Just like any profession, it takes over 10,000 hours to master any trade. So if a DJ performs for only a few events per year or is a DJ hobbyist, they may not be at the top of their game and the right fit for your event. I currently DJ full time all year, from weddings to company events to private parties to boat parties to charity galas, I am proud to serve as a live event professional DJ offering my service all over Austin, central Texas and beyond.

Any paid professional DJ will have the wardrobe to dress up or down for an event. In Austin, Texas, the male fashion trend I most often see is classy but casual. Central Texas has great weather thus outdoor events are very popular. In the summer and spring months its common fashion for most men (DJ and guests) to wear linen suits and in the fall and winter months warmer tweed and wool suits unless the event requires a tailcoat. If you have an event theme color you would like your DJ to wear, he/she/they should arrange that without wardrobe problems. He/She/They should have an outfit (a tie, shirt, suit or dress coat) that fits your events dress code and color theme if you so desire them to.

A professional DJ, as in any profession, will not consume alcohol while at work, even when that said work is fun like DJing a celebration. If a DJ tells you they need a few drinks to “loosen up” while working at your event, you should hire a DJ for your event that practices professionalism with higher standards of work ethic. A professional DJ should not drink while on the job because the DJ for your event should be; present, trustworthy and reliable throughout the event to create the perfect sound design for you and your guests.

A professional DJ, will not take cigarette breaks while at work and there will never be a break in the music during anytime of the evnt. If a DJ tells you they need a few cigarette breaks while working at your event and you are not comfortable with that it is completely reseasonable to ask the DJ you want to work with to use the patch while at your event or go a different direction and hire a professional DJ that doesn't require so much me time while on the job.

The most basic requirements are; adequate shelter from harsh weather for the DJ and equipment, electricity, and a solid foundation for the DJ table and facade. However, a professional DJ will have details to their specific requirements in their contract of service and you should take the time to read the contract of service and ask questions before you sign it so you can understand exactly what you are committing to.

If you choose to not provide your vendors with a meal it is important to let all the vendors you are working with (including the DJ) know that before hand because it is common practice in live event industry to provide ALL vendors you are working with sustenance during your event. It is inhumane to ask your DJ or any human working with you to go without water or food during the time of contract of service. Professional DJ's live to perform and a DJ will work 10-12 hour days and said DJ needs sustenance to perform. Personally, because I have dealt with this first hand, I have it in my contract that my meal is ALWAYS to be provided. With that being said a professional DJ will always bring a back up meal in case said DJ cannot or does not want what is being served. While you are not required to provide a special meal to meet the DJ's indivual dietary needs or allergies you will be required to feed and provide fresh water to all of the vendors you work with. The industry standard is that staff eats last, quickly and in a different room or space than you and your guests. It is not appropriate for your DJ to eat with your guest unless you have invited them as a guest to the event, in that case rules don't apply and do you Boo!

Yes, my company U7 Austin DJ offers; event uplighting that designs the events mood, dramatic drapery solutions for any event space, and an open aired 360 booth that creates fun 4K reels for you and your guests to upload to social media feed.

The mirrored LED 360 photo booth is the hottest photo booth trend in 2022 for live events. Commonly called a 360 booth, it is actually not a photo booth. Rather, a video booth that captures 120 frames a second. 2-3 guests step on the (115cm) mirrored LED platform, while a revolving Iphone 14 spins 360 degrees around to create a slow motion 4k reel that can be uploaded and shared to any social media platform. It does not just entertain your guests, it is a live event interactive experience that is the latest on the market and sure to impress your biggest critics.

It depends on the size of the 360 Booth, the booth I provide for example is 115 cm and can hold 2-3 persons (depending on the size of the persons, everything is bigger in Texas). A 115 cm sized 360 Booth requires at least 10 feet x 10 feet. Why? Because, a GoPro camera spins around a small group of people to create reels for your guests to upload to their social feeds. The photo booth experience at your event will include an operator for the booth and their service is included in the rental price of the 360 booth.

Uplighting is modular wireless lights that are placed usually on the floor against the wall but can be installed on ceiling beams in the areas you need lighting ambiance. They often shine up a wall and are programmed to a static color of your choice. However, they can be automated to change colors with the music for a colorful dance party. The industry standard is for DJ's to offer 12 uplights to any event space. If your event is in need of more uplighting than the standard 12 I would suggest an event lighting company. They will be a better solution for your lighting problems and your DJ should be able to recommend professional peers within the community.

Depending on the level of production that has been booked, a event DJ will need 1 to 4 hours to set up. This allows the DJ time to install the sound system(s), sound check all the PA's and microphones for your event. Installing the uplights and the photo booth is time consuming and will often take a team. This estimate of time does not include drapery which can take longer.

Yes, U7 Austin DJ has a team of designers that can create your event design with romantic drapery that softens the space or dramatic modern futuristic designs that can change the mood of the event and keep your event fresh and unique.

In the Austin Texas area the industry standard cost for wedding DJs is currently between $1,600.00 to $3,000.00 per standard full wedding. This will include the wedding; ceremony, cocktail hour and the reception. However, if you are looking for extras like a photo booth (check out my 360 Booth, it's way cooler) the cost will be higher, I offer a wedding package that offers a 360 Booth for $2,700, you can check out my price sheet below. While you can find wedding DJs that are cheaper than $1,600.00, you will get what you pay for and they might not have the commercial grade industry standard equipment like a proper wedding ceremony set up with high grade microphones thus, creating the possibility of drop outs during the officiation and/or the sacred moment of pledging your vows to one another, ultimately, ruining the moment for your guests. Even worse is when your videographer catches it on film turning that epic newbie failure into a forever wedding moment. Also, low budget DJs might not have the years of experience that comes with DJing weddings all year around. The top notch wedding DJs in Austin are booked for most of the year and well in advance before the wedding date. These professional wedding DJs come with years of on the job training and the best equipment on the market. Therefore, you can see this is why "The Best Wedding DJs" cost $1,600 or more. Remember, the DJ is also your wedding Master of Ceremonies and will be controlling the evening from the seating of your guests during prelude to last call for night, through their musical expertise (which is really what your paying for). That means, without a professional wedding DJ there is a higher chance of failures throughout the night and less chance of dancing the night away.

I've attached my companies price sheet with my companies lowest starting fees, please click on it and feel free to download it!

Yes, a wedding DJ that has club experience is paramount to being a professional DJ worthy of DJing weddings and company events. The DJ you hire needs first hand experience on how to read a dance floor full of people they don't know and the knowledge to switch the musical journey up as to not lose the dance floor. With club style DJing experience your wedding DJ will know how to keep the dance floor packed. Often your wedding DJ will be part of public events throughout the year that you can attend in person before you hire them for your event. I have the pleasure of DJing in clubs and events all over downtown Austin and central Texas.

Yes, the current industry standard for microphones is Shure wireless technology and any professional DJ will offer multiple wireless handheld microphones for; toasts, blessings, songs and any other speeches that need to be made throughout your wedding. It is also common practice for a DJ to offer a wireless lapel mic for your wedding officiant and a separate PA sound system for the ceremony if it is outdoors and/or separate from the reception. U7 Austin DJ offers up to 3 Pa systems with microphones for a large wedding with multiple rooms or event spaces. 1. Cocktail hour 2. Ceremony and 3. Reception

Any live event professional that is a paid disc jockey should be comfortable with making announcements and serving as the emcee for your wedding. Your DJ will give you a detailed questionnaire to fill out so they know the names and specific announcements you want, it is safe to say that it is a standard part of the job. In order to keep your announcements in sync with your vision the DJ will also require an itinerary for the event. This will allow all the vendors along with your DJ to stay on time and give the event team an outline of your expectations. However, if you prefer to have a family friend as your emcee, any professional DJ would gladly pass over the reigns and share the mic

Of course they do, they are human. However, besides using the restroom and quickly eating their meal in another room, one major advantage to hiring a DJ instead of a band or group of performers is that a professional wedding DJ does not need to take multiple breaks. DJ's are use to being on their feet and DJ'ing for 3-6 hours without breaks. In any case, the DJ you hire should guarantee you that there will be no breaks in the sound journey of your event at any point during their contract of service.

If you want only clean family versions of songs played at your wedding, any professional DJ should be able to provide that service. A seasoned professional DJ will have a massive library of clean content to satisfy you and your guests. However, it's often the case that people want dirty versions of the songs played later in the night and your DJ should gladly make this happen as well.

Any paid professional DJ will have the wardrobe to dress up for your black tie wedding, it is not unreasonable to ask your event DJ to wear a formal tuxedo. This should not be a problem for any professional DJ. If the DJ you want to work with doesn't have and wont get the wardrobe in time for your event it is safe to say they are not a good fit to be the conductor of your event and I would look elsewhere (pun intended)!

While it is the job of your open format DJ to curate the perfect playlist for your event, they are most likely a complete stranger to you and it's highly unlikely that they can read your mind otherwise they would be a Super Hero and not a DJ. Thus, providing a playlist of your favorite songs allows the DJ to understand your vision for the evening. I recommend adding 20-30 songs to the DJ's questionnaire or sending the DJ a Spotify playlist so the DJ can really get a feel of what you want your musical journey to sound like. As for cocktail hour and dinner, your DJ should choose background music that will not compete with your guests conversations. Any professional DJ will have curated many different playlists over the years that will be ready to go and match the events vibe.

No, a professional DJ will only book one event per day. It is very important for your DJ to give all their attention to your event so the DJ can answer any questions and solve the problems that might arise. If your DJ books multiple events in the same day they will most likely come with a cheaper price tag but you will get what you pay for because your DJ's "time is money".

Sadly, I have heard of DJ companies pushing people to sign a contract without encouraging communication with their DJ first. In my opinion, asking someone to trust that whoever the company sends out to perform at your wedding will be a good fit, is a simple recipe for a major disaster. The only way you’ll actually know whether the DJ you’ll have at your event is a good fit, is to interview the DJ before you sign a contract. I strongly encourage people to meet with their DJ before signing a contract and to use their "spidey senses" when selecting their DJ or any vendor for their event. We have all heard the horror stories before where the couple is unhappy because they finally spoke to their assigned DJ the week before their wedding and they quickly realize they aren’t a good match with this person. However, if you hire my company, I will be DJing your event and I am always available for; zoom calls, phone calls, text messages and cups of coffee around Austin. I look forward to answering any questions you might have about my service and what you should expect from any professional DJ company.

A professional wedding DJ will plan with you to curate the perfect music for cocktail hour which is often before the ceremony, The processional is the entrance of the wedding bridal party and it marks the start of the ceremony. It is the most anticipated moment in your wedding ceremony. It's important to get the wedding processional order down and that is where a professional wedding DJ comes in. These days, some couples choose to have an intimate processional and walk down the aisle, hand and hand, just the two of them. However, the processional can be a large group, which often includes a permutation of the; officiant, bridal party, flower girl(s), ring bearer(s), and the bride and groom and their parent(s). A wedding DJ will run the audio for the officiant for your vows, mic live performances, musicians, speakers and make announcements at the end of your cocktail hour and ceremony.

Yes, U7 Austin DJ can provide all the DJ and audio equipment you will need for a company event.

Yes, all professional DJ's are expected to help with directing the events' guests from hyping the dance floor to introducing your speakers to making announcements as needed throughout the event. The current industry standard for microphones is Shure wireless technology and any professional DJ will offer multiple wireless handheld microphones for; toasts, blessings and any other speeches that need to be made throughout your company event.

U7 Austin DJ is a new company but from private parties to public events I have been DJ'ing downtown clubs in Austin since the 1990's as DJ Ram-Z. In the past decade I have been DJ'ing corporate events on a regular throughout Austin and as a professional DJ, I will digitally organize a set that will keep your company event dancing and having fun.

At U7 Austin DJ, we know that every company brand has a different taste in music and vision for the perfect company event. U7 Austin DJ has a detailed music questionnaire that will get to know your musical vision for the event. Any professional DJ will offer you that chance to be able to add songs, genres, and artist to two lists; 1. A MUST PLAY LIST; and 2. A DO NOT PLAY LIST. I can also offer a request sheet the day of the event for the guests to help me curate the best dance party that keeps you and your guests dancing the night away.

Yes, my company U7 Austin DJ offers more than just a DJ'ing service; I can bring event uplighting using your companies brand colors, modern dramatic drapery for any company event space, and an open aired 360 booth that creates 4K reels for you and your guests to upload to social media feed and promotes your company brand!

As a professional DJ I ask you to (1) pay a 50% deposit, (2) sign a legal binding contract of service and (3) fill out my detailed questionnaire so I can better understand your musical preferences and design a sound journey not just for you but around you. If you think we are a good fit, let's connect and talk about it. If I agree, we can move forward with a contract of service. If I am busy or we are not the best fit I can recommend another DJ that can keep your dance floor bumping.

The industry standard for a DJ to hold a date is a 50% non-refundable deposit of the total cost of service agreed upon during the signing of the contract of service. ​

I don't have travel fees if your event is in Austin or within Travis County. However, I DJ weddings and private parties all over central Texas. Therefore, if your event is more than 50 miles from Hyde Park, Austin my travel fee starts at $120.00.

No, the quote U7 Austin DJ gives you is the total and final price and you will never be billed hidden fees or more for any service that is clearly agreed upon in the contract of service. In some cases your DJ might bill you because you asked them to stay longer than agreed upon in the contract of service, in this case you should clearly find out what the overtime cost are before asking your DJ to perform more hours rather than getting hit with a bill and hang over at the same time.

It is best if you fill out your DJ's questionnaire at least two weeks before your event and make all final musical and Itinerary changes no later than 24 hours before the day of the event so that your DJ can organize your music and stay on the ball of your event as your sound designer that curated a custom playlist based on you and not just for you.

I was born in California and I lived in Colorado before my single mom packed up her car full of her prized possessions and a whole lot of hope and moved the two of us to Austin, Texas. I was 9 years old when I landed on the doorstep of "the music capital of the world". Back in those days, Austin was more like a big weird town verses the small progressive urban paradise that Austin is known for today. Thankfully, I still have the pleasure of calling central Austin my home. If I never moved here would I be a DJ? Who knows but probably not, I have the city of Austin to thank for giving me my first love ... DJing Austin parties.

With so many Austin DJ's in central Texas, what is it that separates me from other DJ companies? To start off with, I have nightclub and festival experience. Why is that important? Because a real disc jockey doesn’t just select music but can mix and blend various genres of music with smooth transitions while keeping the energy high on the dance floor. My club style DJ'ing will bring a level of excitement and energy to the party. Yet, I understand that your event is about you, not me. I'll always respect your music preferences because I always aim to please.

Keeping a packed dance floor at your event will take a professional seasoned DJ. I always encourage couples to ask their guest what songs they like before the event so that I can download that music or load it into the set I've made for the couple. You can also offer a request sheet to your guests the day of the event. Lastly, I have songs in my roaster that are crowd pleasers and I know how to read the room well enough to select tunes that will get your guests moving and dancing the night away.

I'm happy to answer this question because sound mixology is my DJing specialty. I blend each track into the next designing a flawless sound journey. However, my approach changes depending on the type of music I have been provided. It's important to ask your DJ their style of DJing because like music there are so many styles and it's okay to not like it all. I personally do not like dancing to a DJ that just selects songs one after the other, I find that boring. ​