• Planning a wedding, corporate function or party?
• Don’t know if you should book a band or a DJ?
• Our Handy guide will help you decide

Budget

Entertainment costs money – and the old adage still applies – “you get what you pay for”. You can always find a garage/slash band that will play all night for less than $2,000—but that’s exactly what it’ll sound like – a bunch of mates jamming in the garage.

Or you can pay a little more to get highly-trained musicians who regularly rehearse together and who are able to bring your event to life. But seriously don’t expect much change from $3000 for a five hour set.

Or for $1,000 you can get you a killer DJ, but that’s just one person.

With a band, they’re splitting the fee between all the members, so when you compare the cost per person of a great band or a great DJ, it’s pretty comparable, the difference being a band brings more flare and style.

What Are Your Priorities?

If you want to create an amazing atmosphere, there really is no comparison to live people playing instruments on stage. But if you want a wide range of musical preferences, sometimes a DJ is the way to go.

Good quality bands know how to build a mood and create an atmosphere that adds to the event. They will play music depending on the event – smooth slower sets during dinner and party hard classics after the speeches.

A good quality DJ can often do the same although no one really expects a DJ to set a sophisticated mood. It really depends on what you want the emphasis to be on.

Where Do You Need Music

If you need music throughout the day in multiple locations, your DJ will either need to tie into the house sound system or provide multiple sound setups so he or she can physically transition between rooms. This can be complicated and expensive especially if the DJ has to bring a couple of rigs.

For a band, multiple setups are much easier. You can have the guitarist play acoustic during a wedding ceremony or as guests arrive, add three more instruments for a cocktail-hour jazz quartet, and then have the rest of the band on stage for an eight-piece performance during the reception. It’s budget-friendly, compared to hiring multiple different musicians or performers, because they’re all part of the band!

How Much Space Do You Have?

One big difference between a DJ and a band is, of course, how many people you’ll have performing during your event. Even with a full set of turntables and speakers, a DJ will take up much less space than a drum kit, guitarists, and singers will.

How Do You Want to Check out your Band or DJ?

While it’s a great idea, it’s almost impossible to see your band or DJ perform live before you book them but most artists will have video and audio demos. Also ask your booking agent who they recommend -its their job to provide you with the best so consider their recommendations.

So which way should you go?

The best way to decide is obviously weigh up the pro's and con's of each - for example a DJ has the capacity to play any song you like and can generally find one at a reasonable price, but you then tend to rely heavily on the skill of the DJ (their ability to read a crowd, play the music that you and your guests want) and whether you like their particular style.

A band has that incredible feel that only live music can give and can really cap off a great day/evening. The flip side is that a really good band can cost you some big $$$ and can be limited in the setlist they play. Also, they will not be able to keep going at 100% for the entire day/night - they need breaks and generally don't fare well if they're not fed and watered - same with DJ's for that matter!!